North Star Lighting

What North Star Lighting does

North Star Lighting, Inc. is a privately held, vertically integrated US manufacturer of precision, controlled-beam LED and HID luminaires, headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois. The company was founded in 1972 in Broadview, IL (relocating after a 2012 management buyout) and operates a single-USA site that performs custom fabrication, finishing, LED circuit board design, manufacture, and in-house UL-certified testing under one roof. Its product portfolio spans area/site, bollards, commercial and architectural flood/spot, food processing, hazardous location/explosion-proof, highbay/lowbay, linear wall wash, parking/canopy, solar, specialty/custom, sports, tunnel, and wall mount/security fixtures, supported by a portfolio of registered patents and trademarks (Dualumen, Camera Lowering Systems, Cranelight, Procyon, Lytescaper, SMART Flood/Area) and partnerships with GE Lighting, Osram Sylvania, Thorn Lighting, and Lexalite.

North Star sells almost exclusively project-to-spec through a network of 60+ manufacturer sales representative firms covering all US states and parts of Canada, plus a direct factory sales line; pricing is opaque and quote-based. Its customer base spans hospitality (Bellagio, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand), sports venues (Chicago Stadium/United Center, Miami Dolphins' stadium), government and infrastructure (Delaware DOT, Pennsylvania Turnpike, Chicago DOT, MTA Maryland, Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Griffith Observatory, Jefferson Memorial), with an acquired subsidiary, Lighting and Lowering Systems, extending the firm into ITS Camera Lowering Systems for DOT customers. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; headcount is reported in the 11-50 band.

The business model is hardware sales of high-specification specialty luminaires into long-cycle, specification-driven projects, monetized through rep-driven quoting rather than e-commerce. Differentiators emphasized across the company's own materials are vertical integration, owned tooling and patents, certified quality systems (ISO 9001/14001/45001, UL, DLC), and 50+ years of project reference capital in demanding environments (sports broadcast lighting, tunnels, bridges, monuments, hazardous locations).

Name

North Star Lighting

Legal name

North Star Lighting, Inc.

Website

https://nslights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Star Lighting is a US-based, vertically integrated manufacturer of precision LED and HID luminaires serving architects, DOTs, municipalities, and operators of sports venues, tunnels, bridges, monuments, and large hospitality and industrial facilities via a nationwide rep network and project-based quoting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lighting

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

Outdoor & Area Lighting (Street, Roadway, Parking, Flood, Sports/Architectural exterior) (IMAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA), Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

Keywords

• LED lighting fixtures
• HID lighting systems
• Sports venue lighting
• Commercial floodlighting
• Industrial highbay luminaires

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lighting Equipment Sales: North Star Lighting generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of LED and HID luminaires for commercial, industrial, and architectural applications. The company sells directly through their network of sales representatives and via their contact sales system.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

North Star Lighting manufactures LED and HID commercial luminaires for sports venues, roadway and infrastructure, industrial facilities, architectural projects, and area lighting applications. The company operates a vertically integrated facility in Elmhurst, Illinois, where it performs design, fabrication, finishing, optical assembly, sub-assembly, and testing under one roof. Sales are conducted through a national manufacturer representative network serving architects, engineers, contractors, sports venues, departments of transportation, and industrial buyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lytescoper Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 100-105 lumens/watt efficiency on TWL-LED tunnel lights
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IREM (Institute for Rent Revenue Management)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Joint development with IREM renewed Hot Restrike capability for CSI and other high wattage floodlights in 1997.
• Lighting and Lowering SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995North Star acquired Lighting and Lowering Systems in 1995, adding new capabilities including Camera Lowering Systems for ITS applications.
• LexalitecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Joint venture between North Star Lighting and Lexalite resulted in the revolutionary Acrylic Highbay, which was adopted by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in 1989.
• GE LightingcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorth Star Lighting uses GE ConstantColor CHM lamps in their Palladium fixtures, providing consistent color uniformity, excellent color rendering, and precise optical control for architectural applications like Caesars Palace Palace Tower.
• Osram Sylvania LightingcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorth Star worked with Mintz Lighting Group in coordination with Osram Sylvania Lighting to recommend specific luminaires for the Jefferson Memorial project, highlighting the design elements as specified by the architect and lighting designer.
• Thorn LightingcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorth Star & Thorn Contrast Series of architectural floodlights used for Jefferson Memorial illumination; available in round or rectangular aesthetic shapes with multiple H.I.D. lamp choices and optical options.
• Mintz Lighting GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with Mintz Lighting Group for the Jefferson Memorial architectural lighting project to recommend specific luminaires that would highlight the design elements as specified by the architect and lighting designer.
• DHA Lighting (Designers Desmond O'Donovan and Jonathan Howard)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDHA Lighting designers specified North Star's Metaline fixtures for the Bellagio project, requiring precise, controlled luminaire that could give the clear light of metal halide to bring out building detail.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eaton (Cooper Lighting Solutions): Eaton's Cooper Lighting Solutions division manufactures commercial, industrial, roadway, and architectural LED lighting including sports and infrastructure fixtures. It competes with North Star on DOT, tunnel, and large commercial projects.
• GE Current, a Daintree company: GE Current supplies commercial, industrial, and architectural LED lighting and controls. Its portfolio overlaps with North Star in area, flood, and specialty architectural applications.
• Acuity Brands: Acuity Brands owns multiple commercial and industrial lighting brands (Lithonia, Holophane, Gotham) covering architectural, infrastructure, and sports applications. It is a primary competitor in DOT/infrastructure and architectural specification work where North Star competes.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Signify, the Philips lighting spinoff, is a global leader in architectural, sports, and infrastructure LED lighting. It competes with North Star in stadium, tunnel, and landmark projects, often through connected-lighting systems.
• Hubbell Lighting: Hubbell Lighting is a major US commercial and industrial lighting manufacturer offering area, flood, sports, tunnel, and architectural luminaires, competing directly with North Star across most product categories but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Kenall Manufacturing: Kenall makes specialty and high-abuse lighting for transportation, infrastructure, and architectural applications, comparable to North Star's tunnel, hazardous location, and custom architectural products.
• Musco Lighting: Musco specializes in sports and large-venue LED lighting systems and is a direct competitor in the stadium and arena market where North Star's Star Light Sport LED operates. Both serve professional and high-school sports facility lighting.
• Holophane: Holophane, an Acuity brand, produces industrial, infrastructure, and architectural luminaires including tunnel and area lighting, overlapping directly with North Star's TWL tunnel, hazardous location, and highbay offerings.
• Atlas Lighting Products: Atlas Lighting Products manufactures commercial, industrial, and area LED luminaires including floodlights and wall packs, a direct category competitor to North Star's commercial flood/spot and area/site product lines.
• Ephesus Lighting (Acuity): Ephesus, now part of Acuity Brands, manufactures LED sports and high-bay lighting, directly competing with North Star's sports and high-bay product lines. It is a relevant peer for stadium and arena projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about North Star Lighting