CJS

What CJS does

CJS Lighting is a manufacturers' representative firm founded in 1974, headquartered at 290 Derek Place, Roseville, California, serving the Northern California and Northern Nevada markets (Sacramento, Bay Area, and Nevada territories). The firm represents 129 lighting manufacturers with a catalog exceeding 16,742 products spanning architectural, commercial, industrial, exterior, and specialty luminaires, with deep alignment to Acuity Brands' portfolio (Lithonia Lighting, nLight, SensorSwitch, Juno). Supporting the core lighting offering is a Power & Technology division covering electrical infrastructure, EV charging solutions, exit and emergency lighting, transformers and inverters, and smart building systems.

The business operates on a commission-based model through a regional distributor network — CJS does not carry inventory and does not sell directly to the public. Customer segments include architects, engineers, electrical contractors, distributors, and building owners across commercial, residential, healthcare, education, and industrial sectors. Beyond distribution, CJS delivers technical services including CALCTP Certified Title 24 acceptance testing, controls system commissioning, on-site pre-construction consultation, start-up support, end-user training, and project management.

The firm employs approximately 38 known individuals across outside sales (architectural, specification, contractor, and distribution sales), quotations, project management, controls applications (including a Photometric Specialist and Lighting Controls and Systems Trainer), and field services. Leadership is held by principals Patrick O'Flaherty (CEO) and Josh Tamietti (President). CJS is a privately held company with no external investors identified, a NEMRA Lighting member, and operates through a mix of direct field engagement and digital channels (website, Lighting Exchange portal, and brand social profiles).

Name

CJS

Legal name

CJS Lighting

Website

https://cjslighting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CJS Lighting is a Northern California and Northern Nevada manufacturers' representative firm, founded in 1974, representing 129 lighting manufacturers across architectural, commercial, controls, and power-and-technology product categories. The firm serves architects, engineers, contractors, distributors, and building owners through a commission-based, distributor-mediated model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lighting Distribution & Manufacturing Representation

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Street Lighting & Area Lighting EPC / Maintenance (EUAEACAH)

Keywords

• Lighting manufacturers representation
• Commercial lighting distribution
• Lighting controls integration
• Title 24 acceptance testing
• Architectural lighting specification

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Manufacturer Representative Commissions: CJS Lighting operates as a manufacturers' representative firm, earning commissions on sales of lighting products and systems sourced through their distributor network. The company does not carry inventory and works exclusively through distribution channel partners to deliver products to architects, engineers, contractors, and building owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CJS is a commercial lighting manufacturer's representative agency that aggregates 129 lighting manufacturers and over 16,742 product SKUs, providing specification, distribution, and post-sale support of architectural lighting fixtures, lighting controls, and power/technology solutions across Northern California and Northern Nevada. The firm supplements product representation with on-site services such as pre-construction consultation, job startup assistance, training, and CALCTP-certified Title 24 acceptance testing for code compliance.

Product overview

CJS Lighting is a manufacturers' representative firm (not a product manufacturer) serving Northern California and Northern Nevada since 1974. Their offering is a portfolio of lighting solutions from 129 manufacturer partners, organized around three core divisions: (1) Core Lighting Products accessed through their Line Card, featuring architectural and commercial luminaires from manufacturers like Gotham Lighting, Peerless, Eureka, and Hydrel; (2) Lighting Controls including the nLight platform and SensorSwitch for networked and code-compliant control; and (3) Power & Technology covering EV charging, exit/emergency systems, and electrical infrastructure. Supporting services include on-site pre-con/start-up/training, CALCTP Title 24 acceptance testing, and professional education courses. The company connects architects, engineers, contractors, and distributors to manufacturer products through their distributor network, operating only with Industry Sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Lighting Fixture Line Card Aggregated portfolio of architectural, commercial, and industrial lighting fixtures represented from 129 manufacturers, sold to architects, engineers, contractors, distributors, and building owners across Northern California and Northern Nevada.
• Lighting Controls Solutions (nLight and SensorSwitch) Represented lighting controls product portfolio covering networked lighting control platforms (nLight) and occupancy sensor product lines (SensorSwitch), with specification and on-site support provided to designers, contractors, and owners.
• On-Site Lighting Services Professional on-site services including pre-construction consultation, project startup assistance, jobsite training, and field support provided to architects, contractors, distributors, and owners across the project lifecycle.
• CALCTP Title 24 Acceptance Testing Certified acceptance testing service for California Title 24 lighting controls compliance, performed by CALCTP-trained technicians and provided to contractors, owners, and building officials on commercial projects.
• Power and Technology Solutions Represented power, technology, and EV charging solutions offered alongside the lighting portfolio to specifiers, contractors, and owners developing commercial buildings and infrastructure.
• Continuing Education and Training Programs Continuing education and training programs delivered to lighting industry professionals covering topics including circadian lighting and WELL Building Standard, offered to specifiers, contractors, and distributor audiences.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Acuity Brands (including Lithonia Lighting, nLight, SensorSwitch, Juno, and related brands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting serves as a manufacturer's representative for Acuity Brands and its portfolio of lighting and controls brands. Key represented brands include Lithonia Lighting, nLight (lighting controls platform), SensorSwitch, and Juno. The partnership involves representing these products to architects, engineers, contractors, and distributors across the Northern California and Nevada territories.
• Eureka LightingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Eureka Lighting (architectural lighting fixtures) in their product portfolio, featured as a manufacturer highlight on their Line Card.
• Prudential LtgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Prudential Ltg (architectural linear and cylindrical lighting) in their product portfolio, with featured products including the BionicPro series and NanoCove.
• Gotham LightingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Gotham Lighting (architectural lighting) as part of their manufacturer lineup.
• HydrelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Hydrel (outdoor/architectural lighting, SAF Family) in their manufacturer portfolio, featured on the homepage as a key brand.
• Peerless LightingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Peerless Lighting (architectural interior lighting) as part of their product portfolio, featuring products such as the Celeste Pendant.
• Mark Architectural LightingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Mark Architectural Lighting in their portfolio, featuring products including the Custom Recessed Cylinder.
• Targetti USAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Targetti USA (Italian architectural lighting manufacturer) in their product portfolio, with featured products including the STILO WALL series, DURATAPE COB, and DURAFLEX NOTTE neon linear series.
• VC&C (Visual Comfort & Co.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents VC&C across multiple collections including Modern Collection, Generation Lighting, Landscape Collection, and Fan Collection, featuring products such as the Aspen outdoor wall sconce and Stagger Large Wall Sconce.
• NightingalecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCJS Lighting represents Nightingale (healthcare lighting specialist) in their portfolio, featuring the Embrace overbed luminaire designed for healthcare environments.
• NEMRA (National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association)coreOthersCJS Lighting is a proud member of NEMRA Lighting, the national trade association for electrical manufacturers' representatives in the lighting industry. This membership provides industry advocacy, education (NEMRA Lighting Stepped Educational Curriculum), and networking within the lighting rep community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sonepar USA: Sonepar USA is one of the largest electrical distribution networks in North America with deep California/Nevada coverage. Both CJS and Sonepar serve the same architects, engineers, and contractors, though Sonepar carries inventory whereas CJS works through distributors on a commission basis.
• Rexel USA: Rexel USA operates a multi-branch electrical distribution network across the Western US including Northern California and Nevada. Like CJS it focuses on lighting and controls channels serving commercial construction, but as a stocking distributor rather than a manufacturers' representative.
• Graybar Electric Company: Graybar is a major national electrical, lighting, and communications distributor serving the same architect/specifier/contractor ecosystem as CJS. Overlap is in commercial lighting distribution across the West Coast, though Graybar owns inventory and CJS earns manufacturer commissions.
• Acuity Brands: Acuity Brands is CJS's anchor manufacturing partner (Lithonia Lighting, nLight, SensorSwitch, Juno, Gotham, Mark Architectural, Peerless, Hydrel, Eureka, etc.) and the dominant North American lighting manufacturer. While not a competitor to CJS, it is the principal principal-counterparty shaping CJS's revenue and capability.
• Hubbell Incorporated: Hubbell is a major electrical and lighting products manufacturer whose lighting and controls lines compete alongside Acuity Brands' portfolio represented by CJS. Comparable as a broad lighting-industry incumbent whose products flow through regional rep-and-distributor channels.
• Signify (formerly Philips Lighting): Signify is the global lighting leader (Philips, Color Kinetics, Cooper Lighting Solutions) and one of the largest competitors to Acuity Brands in commercial lighting. Western US specification sales for Signify flow through competing manufacturers' rep agencies versus CJS.
• GE Current, a Daintree company: GE Current is a lighting and IoT solutions manufacturer competing with Acuity nLight in networked lighting controls. Many of CJS's represented controls brands run head-to-head with Current's Daintree platform on California Title 24 projects.
• Legrand North America: Legrand manufactures lighting controls, wiring devices, and data infrastructure with Vantage, Wattstopper, and Finelite lines. Vantage/Legrand controls compete in the same networked lighting specification environments as nLight and SensorSwitch represented by CJS.
• Lutron Electronics: Lutron Electronics is a leading lighting controls manufacturer (RadioRA, Quantum, Vive) that competes directly with nLight/SensorSwitch in California specification projects. Its products also flow through local rep agencies parallel to CJS in Northern California.

Regional players

• Border States Electric: Border States Electric is a regional, employee-owned electrical distributor with strong Western US footprint including California and Nevada. It operates as a distributor serving many of the same electrical contractors and commercial accounts CJS supports through rep activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7ZpmepRwk7jy2XXtTB8OqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cjslighting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cjs-lighting/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/cjslighting
• Xx.com/cjs_lighting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 CJS