Mercer-Zimmerman

What Mercer-Zimmerman does

Mercer-Zimmerman is a privately held independent sales organization (lighting agency) founded in 1947 and headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. The firm acts as an outsourced sales and specification channel for lighting and controls manufacturers, representing those manufacturers' products to commercial clients across the U.S. Midwest. Its core offering is the brokerage-style promotion and specification of lighting and controls technologies to commercial end-users, design firms, contractors, and facility owners — a classic manufacturer-rep agency model rather than a product manufacturer itself.

In 2022 the firm acquired Lighting Specialists, and in August 2024 it acquired Built Interior Construction and jointly formed Built Solutions, LLC, a new entity that combines Mercer-Zimmerman's lighting expertise with Built Interior Construction's modular interior construction capabilities. The combined platform now delivers lighting, controls, and modular interior solutions under a single commercial offering across five Midwestern states: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and South Dakota. Mercer-Zimmerman's go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to commercial interior and construction clients, with revenue economics typical of a rep-agency model — commissions or markups on represented products plus project-based interior construction work.

The company operates with a small staff of 11–50 employees and has no publicly disclosed financials, funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. There are no disclosed software, AI/ML, or proprietary technology assets; the technology stack consists of commercial lighting and controls products supplied by represented manufacturers, paired with modular construction know-how acquired through Built Interior Construction. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no customer logos, case studies, or segmentation metrics are available in the source data.

Name

Mercer-Zimmerman

Legal name

Mercer Zimmerman

Website

https://mzltg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mercer-Zimmerman is a privately held, 1947-founded Kansas-based independent lighting and controls sales agency that represents manufacturers to commercial clients across the Midwest U.S., recently expanded into modular interior construction via acquisitions and Built Solutions, LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lighting Agency & Distribution Services

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Deck, Patio & Step Lighting Installation (HSAIAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wiring, Connectors & Underground Cable Repair/Replacement (HSAIAHAM), Landscape Accent & Uplighting (Trees/Facades) Installation (HSAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Lighting agency services
• Commercial lighting solutions
• Lighting controls systems
• Modular interior construction
• Independent sales representative

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lighting Agency Services: Lighting agency providing lighting, controls, and modular interior solutions to commercial clients in the Midwest U.S. market.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Mercer-Zimmerman is an independent manufacturer's representative and lighting agency that sells and specifies commercial lighting fixtures, lighting controls, and related systems on behalf of lighting manufacturers. Following its 2024 acquisition of Built Interior Construction and formation of Built Solutions, LLC, the firm extends its offering to include modular interior construction and integrated technology solutions for commercial interior spaces across the Midwest U.S.

Product overview

Mercer Zimmerman operates as a Kansas-based lighting agency with a portfolio that includes its core lighting and controls business, the acquired Built Interior Construction brand (now integrated into Built Solutions, LLC), and modular interior solutions. Built Solutions, LLC serves as the unified entity offering lighting, controls, and modular interior solutions across five Midwest states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mercer-Zimmerman Lighting Agency Services Independent manufacturer's representative agency providing commercial lighting fixtures and lighting controls specification, sales, and support on behalf of lighting manufacturers, primarily serving Midwest U.S. customers.
• Built Solutions, LLC Integrated offering combining Mercer-Zimmerman's lighting and controls expertise with Built Interior Construction's modular interior construction capabilities, delivered to commercial clients across five Midwest states.
• Built Interior Construction Services Modular interior construction services, including integrated technology solutions, now delivered as part of Built Solutions, LLC for commercial interior projects.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Built Interior ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2024Mercer Zimmerman purchased Built Interior Construction and partnered with it to form Built Solutions, LLC. The new entity operates across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and South Dakota, combining Mercer Zimmerman's lighting expertise with Built Interior Construction's modular interior construction capabilities to deliver integrated technology solutions for commercial interiors.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global leader in lighting products, systems, and services for professional and consumer markets. Comparable as a principal manufacturer whose products are represented and specified by independent lighting agencies like Mercer-Zimmerman.
• Acuity Brands: One of the largest North American lighting and lighting controls manufacturers. A key principal that Mercer-Zimmerman's agency relationships revolve around; comparable as the dominant commercial lighting incumbent in the same value chain.
• Leviton: Leading manufacturer of lighting controls, wiring devices, and network solutions. Direct comparable on the 'controls' side of Mercer-Zimmerman's combined lighting-and-controls offering.
• Lutron Electronics: Specialist manufacturer of lighting controls and shading systems for residential and commercial applications. A principal whose controls products are commonly specified and represented by independent lighting agencies.
• Sonepar: World's largest independent electrical distribution group, including major U.S. electrical and lighting distributors. A broad incumbent that competes for the same commercial lighting specification and supply relationships in the Midwest.
• Hubbell: Major manufacturer of electrical and lighting products, including commercial luminaires and lighting controls. Operates broadly across the same commercial lighting category Mercer-Zimmerman serves as a rep.
• Graybar: Large North American electrical, lighting, and communications distributor serving commercial and industrial customers. Comparable as a broader channel competitor for the same commercial lighting and controls specification flow.
• Rexel: Global electrical distribution and services group with a strong North American lighting and controls business. Operates upstream/downstream of the same commercial lighting value chain Mercer-Zimmerman serves.
• Eaton (Cooper Lighting Solutions): Diversified power management company with a major commercial and industrial lighting portfolio via Cooper Lighting. Operates in the same commercial lighting specification channel as Mercer-Zimmerman's principals.

Direct peers

• Voss Lighting: Independent lighting distributor and agency serving commercial and industrial customers across multiple U.S. regions. Directly comparable to Mercer-Zimmerman as a non-manufacturer lighting channel partner representing multiple brands to commercial end users.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mercer-zimmerman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mercer-Zimmerman