Borden Lighting

What Borden Lighting does

Borden Lighting is a San Francisco Bay Area architectural lighting manufacturer founded in 2013 by Randy Borden — a former president of Shaper Lighting with more than 20 years of industry experience — and built on the product legacy of Nova Industries, which had produced decorative and custom lighting and Honeylite™ glare-control louvers for nearly half a century. Operating from San Leandro, California, the company serves architects, lighting specifiers, and interior designers with made-to-order specification-grade fixtures across three families: architectural surface-mounted lighting for ceiling, pendant, and wall applications; table and floor lamps; and the Honeylite™ Louvers glare-control line. Each family is offered in Standard (551), Modified (M922), and Custom (3D-2888) tiers, with a design philosophy centered on simplicity, sustainability, and value-engineered California manufacturing.

The commercial model is direct-to-specifier: fixtures are sold into projects on a made-to-order basis via a rep network reachable by phone, complemented by an AIA (American Institute of Architects) affiliation, a brand website, and an email newsletter. The company has been certified as a Bay Area Green Business, reflecting stated priorities of energy efficiency, recycled materials, low embedded energy, product recyclability, and clean manufacturing. It is privately held by the founder, with no disclosed funding rounds.

In 2024, Borden Lighting wound down in-house production and transitioned most manufacturing to Manning Lighting, while retaining its brand, customer-facing channels (email and phone), and specification relationships. The business now operates closer to a brand-licensing and order-fulfillment posture than an integrated manufacturer.

Name

Borden Lighting

Legal name

Borden Lighting

Website

https://bordenlighting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Borden Lighting is a San Francisco Bay Area architectural lighting manufacturer founded in 2013 by Randy Borden, serving architects, lighting specifiers, and interior designers with made-to-order specification-grade fixtures and Honeylite™ glare-control louvers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Lighting

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132), Residential Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335131)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Commercial Luminaires (High-bay, Low-bay, Troffers, Downlights) (IMAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Architectural lighting fixtures
• Specification-grade lighting
• Glare control louvers
• Decorative surface fixtures
• Custom lighting products

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Borden Lighting designs and sells specification-grade, made-to-order architectural lighting fixtures, including decorative surface-mounted ceiling/pendant and interior/exterior wall fixtures, specification-grade table and floor lamps, and Honeylite™ glare-control louvers. Products are designed around five environmental criteria (energy efficiency, recycled content, low embodied energy, recyclability, and low-impact manufacturing) and were manufactured in California. As of 2024, Borden Lighting has wound down production with Manning Lighting continuing to manufacture most products.

Product overview

Borden Lighting is an architectural lighting company offering specification-grade, made-to-order lighting fixtures with three core product families: Architectural Lighting (decorative surface mounted fixtures for ceiling, pendant, interior and exterior wall applications), Table and Floor Lamps (specification-grade architectural lamps), and Honeylite™ Louvers (glare control products). The products are available in Standard (551), Modified (M922), and Custom variants, and are all driven by the company's philosophy of Design, Sustainability and Value. Note: Borden Lighting has wound down production but has arranged for Manning Lighting to continue producing most of their products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Honeylite™ Louvers: Glare control products engineered for seamless integration with a wide variety of lamp sources and fixtures.

Products and services

• Architectural Lighting Fixtures A complete line of specification-grade, made-to-order decorative surface-mounted lighting fixtures for ceiling, pendant, interior and exterior wall applications, designed for architects and lighting specifiers on commercial and residential projects.
• Table and Floor Lamps Specification-grade architectural table and floor lamps marketed as a new product category for design professionals.
• Honeylite™ Louvers Glare-control louver products originally developed under Nova Industries, engineered for seamless integration with a wide variety of lamp sources and fixtures, continuing under Borden Lighting as a registered trademark.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manning LightingcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerManning Lighting has been arranged to manufacture most Borden Lighting products following the company's wind-down of production. This ensures continuity of product availability for existing customers and the design community.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA)minorOthersBorden Lighting maintains an AIA affiliation, providing resources and articles for architecture professionals. An informational PDF about Borden Lighting's AIA affiliation is referenced on the contact page.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Broad incumbents

• Peerless Lighting (Acuity Brands): Established architectural lighting brand within Acuity Brands' portfolio offering decorative and architectural luminaires. Comparable in product category but operates as part of a much larger conglomerate with broader reach.
• Tech Lighting (Visual Comfort & Co.): Architectural and decorative lighting brand within Visual Comfort & Co.'s portfolio, serving specifiers and designers. Comparable in specification-grade, design-led product and architect/designer channel, but materially larger.

Direct peers

• Axis Lighting: Specification-grade architectural LED luminaire manufacturer focused on commercial and institutional applications. Comparable in specifier channel, sustainability messaging, and made-to-order customization.
• Prudential Lighting: Architectural linear and decorative lighting manufacturer serving commercial interiors. Comparable in product family (pendants, ceiling/wall fixtures), specifier channel, and made-to-order customization.
• Finelite: Specification-grade architectural LED lighting manufacturer serving commercial and institutional projects with a strong sustainability and design-led message. Comparable in customer segment and product category.
• Focal Point: Architectural luminaire manufacturer focused on commercial interiors with an emphasis on design, performance, and sustainability. Comparable in specifier-channel positioning and architectural project focus.
• Visa Lighting: Specification-grade architectural lighting manufacturer offering decorative and functional luminaires for healthcare, education, and commercial projects. Comparable in targeting architects/specifiers with made-to-order, design-led fixtures.
• Lucifer Lighting: Architectural downlight and linear LED lighting maker targeting high-end residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. Comparable in specification-grade channel and design-forward positioning.
• Manning Lighting: Manufacturer of specification-grade architectural lighting products and the entity that has assumed production of Borden Lighting's catalog. Directly comparable in product category, customer base (architects/specifiers), and manufacturing model.
• Shaper Lighting: Long-established specification-grade architectural lighting manufacturer where founder Randy Borden served as President for 20+ years. Highly comparable in product focus, specifier-channel go-to-market, and Bay Area heritage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bordenlighting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Borden Lighting