LED collaboration sets its eyes on customizable solutions
The recent partnership between Acuity Brands and Hort Americas marks a new chapter in horticulture lighting for the two companies, one focused on advancing technology and improving energy efficiency. With Acuity Brands' acquisition of the Arize® family of horticulture lighting products in January, the company expanded its presence in controlled environment agriculture.
Jacob Palombo, director of horticulture lighting at Acuity Brands, and Chris Higgins, president and general manager of Hort Americas, are key players in this initiative. The collaboration between both companies aims to bring advanced lighting solutions and new technology to the market, leveraging Acuity Brands' position as North America's largest lighting manufacturer.
"Indoor horticulture is firmly aligned with where we want to focus as a company — the intersection of technology and sustainability," said Palombo. "Our overarching goal is to use technology to solve problems in light and space [and more things to come] for our customers, communities, and our planet. We believe and understand the growing importance of indoor horticulture in today's world and the role it plays in our communities. We have a strong focus on sustainability and using technology to reduce our carbon footprint for both our business and our customers. Indoor horticulture lines up with this in a major way."
Acuity Brands launched their horticulture lighting-focused brand, Verjure, a few years ago, and were looking to increase its presence and focus at the right time. With the addition of the Arize® products into their portfolio, they feel well positioned to support every indoor horticulture application.
"Our next plan will be to leverage our strong focus on innovation, quality, and manufacturing to continue to build upon these platforms and take performance and reliability to the next level to meet customer needs," Paolombo added.
"At Hort Americas, we understand the need to scale to compete in the global horticulture LED grow light industry," Higgins commented. "Therefore, it made sense for us to partner with North America's largest LED light manufacturer. This partnership, combined with the products offered by Acuity Brands, will play a key role in enhancing greenhouse connectivity, especially as AI advances and value increases for additional sensors.
"Also, by leveraging Acuity Brands' advanced technology, Hort Americas is strengthening its product offerings. At the same time, we're able to enhance our customer service and support capabilities as the exclusive distributor for Arize® lighting."
An enlightened collaboration
Growers need a lighting partner they can trust from both a performance and reliability standpoint. They also need to know their lighting company will be around to service their needs and stand behind the products.
"Being the largest lighting manufacturer in North America with some of the most trusted and most recognized brands, we feel we can be that partner of choice," Palombo said. "We feel the grower will have peace of mind with a product warranty backed by Acuity Brands. Quality and reliability are at the forefront of everything we do. Also, by producing much of our portfolio in North America, we can service our customers quickly and reliably, with scale to support any opportunity."
"This partnership allows Hort Americas to continue providing top-quality products, backed by a strong warranty that gives growers peace of mind. Together, we're also capable of scaling quickly and changing to meet market demands," Higgins said.
At the same time, both companies are making a strong effort to promote sustainability in horticulture.
"We're committed to environmental stewardship, which is reflected in Acuity's EarthLIGHT mission that promotes eco-friendly practices within the horticulture lighting industry," Higgins added. "This demonstrates a dedication to sustainability that benefits both growers and the planet." The initiative is complemented by Hort Americas tailored customer service and industry knowledge. This is especially important as demand grows for more efficient and effective horticulture lighting solutions.