Customer of the Month - March and April - Southern Lights of Burnsville

Congratulations to Southern Lights of Burnsville, Minnesota, our Customer of the Month!

As The Largest Lighting Showroom in The Midwest, Southern Lights features a 25,000 square-foot showroom to match its 25,000 square-foot warehouse! That’s over 25,000 square feet of displays to showcase lighting and home accessories!

Southern Lights was started in 1986 in Burnsville Minnesota by Craig Motz. He founded the business on three main principles; customer service, selection, and satisfaction. After several years of success, Southern Lights outgrew its first location and moved to a new location in Burnsville in 1999.

Southern Lights is a family owned business where the employees are proud to have longevity with the company. The staff consists of 44 people, half of who have been with the business for over twenty years. That’s over twenty workers with over twenty years of industry experience at a company that prioritizes ongoing learning through tradeshow attendance, product awareness and trend research. The result is an extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff!

Congratulations, Southern Lights of Burnsville!

We look forward to partnering with you for many years! Special thanks to Craig Motz, Scott Motz, and Ryan Zurn!

March’s Sales Representatives of the Month – Corinne and Larry Noreyko

Our Reps of the Month are the father-daughter duo, Corinne and Larry Noreyko of the Province of Quebec, Canada! Congratulations to them both!

JLarry got started in the lighting industry over 30 years ago! He started his agency after a few years of being a sales manager for a lighting manufacturer. Corinne joined him in the family business about 10 years ago. The agency has been representing Golden Lighting for about 8 years now.

Larry’s years working and networking in the industry has given him a lot of useful knowledge, friends, and contacts. That experience, combined with Corinne’s personality and customer service skills makes them a great team.

Congratulations, Corinne and Larry! May you have many more years of success!

Lighting with a Heart

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, 1StopLighting.com has teamed up with Golden Lighting to show some love! Together we are running a cause campaign to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Bay County. From Thursday, February 14th - Tuesday, February 19th 2019, every Golden Lighting-1StopLighting customer who uses the coupon code HOUSE is an automatic philanthropist! A portion of each sale will go to Habitat for Humanity of Bay County for hurricane relief.

Last year, the Florida Panhandle was hit by Hurricane Michael. The hurricane destroyed most of the housing in Bay County, leaving thousands homeless overnight. The goal of our fundraising is to raise money for rebuilding efforts through Bay County’s Habitat. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that helps provide decent housing to families in need. Families who participate in the Habitat program help build their own homes, pay affordable mortgages and are extremely grateful for the assistance.

Here at Golden Lighting, Habitat for Humanity of Bay County is the focus of all of our fundraising energy for the first quarter of 2019. We appreciate the help from our customers, friends, and family, but we are always striving to do more.

What cause(s) are you passionate about? Are you a Golden Lighting retailer who would like to partner with us to run a similar cause campaign promotion? Let’s expand our reach and amplify our voices for good! Together through networking and cross promotion, our industry can leverage its resources to raise awareness and fund the charities that are near and dear to our hearts. For more information, contact your Golden Lighting sales representative.

February’s Sales Representatives of the Month – John and Matt Hurley

Congratulations to the dapper father/son duo, John and Matt Hurley, our sales reps of the month for February!

John and Matt jointly represent Golden Lighting in Washington State, Oregon, and parts of Idaho. We reached out to John to find out more about the team.

We asked John how long he has been in the lighting industry and how he got started. He replied…” I have been an independent sales rep since August of 1980. Due to the nature of the industry, I was recruited through a "Family" connection.” LOL. Yes, John, that is the nature of this industry!

The Hurleys began representing the Golden Lighting brand in January of 2008. John says that his favorite Golden Lighting moment was when “my son, Matt received an email from Steve inviting him to an upcoming Rep Council meeting. Matt thought this was most likely meant for me, so I reached out to Steve. It was at that point that I learned I have officially "crossed over" to a definition I thought impossible (the old guy). Steve informed me that the invitation was meant for Matt, as they were looking for a "younger" perspective. Thanks Steve!” LOL. Steve just said, “younger” …

John’s a funny guy, but he is serious about fitness. He shared with us his passion for health and physical activity. According to him, he is “obsessed with Green Smoothies”. He even shared his recipe, which by the way was fantastic. When he is not working, he is working out. He spends a lot of time at the gym or riding his bike. “I find therapeutic,” he said, “and a great way to distance yourself from the day to day grind. This also allows me to justify and counteract some of my less than desirable pastimes. (Everyone will have to guess on that front).” Yes, we will! LOL.

Congratulations again to John and Matt Hurley!

January’s Sales Representatives of the Month – Kim and Terry Johnson

Congratulations to our Reps of the Month (Yes, Reps…plural), Terry and Kim Johnson!

We got the Johnson’s story from Kim, herself. “Here’s the scoop on Terry and Kim - We cover Northern California and Northern Nevada.

Terry started in the lighting rep business after answering an ad in the newspaper (yes, remember the olden days of newspaper ads?) for a lighting manufacturer sub-rep for Northern California. He was a retail store manager at the time and was looking for a change. And, so a lighting rep agency was born! That was 35 years ago.

What makes us interesting to many of our friends is that we work TOGETHER. Most cannot imagine this scenario. Husband and wife working, talking, solving problems, writing orders, assembling light fixtures, doing inventories…TOGETHER? But for us the lighting sales and service business has been a team effort. Terry and I will celebrate our 32nd anniversary in May! When we were married, I joined Terry in the business right away. Terry and I each have our individual strengths that make this partnership work. Yes, we are unique!

We have represented Golden Lighting for 4 years. Our favorite Golden Lighting moment? We love coming to market! We think meeting the Golden Lighting staff at market is the key to communicating with them throughout the year. It is so great to “see” who you’ve been talking to on the phone for the other 50 weeks of the year! Because Golden Lighting is an expert at hospitality, with that added aura of warmth, working at market is a pleasure. Terry was also lucky enough to go back to Tallahassee for a rep council meeting allowing him to meet everyone in the company. Seeing the facility, what you are selling and the folks that make it happen, makes the sales effort go full circle.

Our personal life? We have one adult daughter and a new son-in-law who live about 20 minutes away (well, on a good Bay Area traffic day!), so being with them is certainly the highlight of our lives. They have recently joined Terry in his passion for playing golf. Terry is lucky enough to have a good friend who is a PGA pro…thus, recurrent complimentary lessons for him. Not to worry, he will NOT be quitting his day job anytime soon to join the circuit! We are also partial season ticket holders to the Oakland A’s - our little team with the ancient ballpark. Good friends and great family complete our work/life balance.

This week, we will be at Lightovation! Market is my forte. I love it! We haven’t missed a market in 35 years and I can’t wait to see everyone!”

Kim, thank you so much for your gracious words! Congratulations to you both! We look forward to working with you for many years to come. See you in Dallas!

December’s Sales Representative of the Month – Leslie Cherney

Leslie Cherney is well-known in the lighting industry because she is full of life. To talk to her is to like her. She’s fun, fashionable, and inviting. People trust her because she is knowledgeable and insightful. If, somehow, you do not know Leslie, here is your chance…

We interviewed Leslie for this award. You are going to want to keep reading. Her humorous and heartfelt responses were so good that we decided to pretty much stay out of it and let Leslie speak for herself…
“The short version of how I got started in the industry is I was born into it. I can thank my parents. My father, Mickey Cherney, was the Lightolier rep in Chicago during the 60s and 70s. During this time, my mother, Red, worked at Howard Electric on Kedzie Ave, and then Active Electric on Lawrence where my biggest joy was to pull the little strings to turn off every light fixture on the ceiling. This is when the habit of LOOKING UP first started.
We truly lived in a lighting family where our nightly dinner conversations went something like this,
RED: "It was busy at work today. The 487FTY/WZ came in."
MICKEY: "What about the 890-4092es?"
RED: "No, but I replaced it with the 5920-9013s"
[A LOT of eye rolling between my brothers and I around the dinner table.]
The big snow storm of 1978 sent my folks packing to Los Angeles. Mickey stayed a Lightolier factory rep until 1980 when he went independent. Red went to work for Brentwood Lighting.
While they were moving, I was in college. After graduating from Southern Illinois University (Yes, best four years of my life-GO SALUKIS!) with a degree in broadcasting, I worked at WTTW Ch11 for 8 years. Those were great years for local TV production in Chicago. I did TV studio production - which included set lighting for Siskel and Ebert, Soundstage, Frugal Gourmet, and Chicago Tonight just to name a few.
Within a few years, I got married, had a baby, and got divorced. And what does any grown up, mature, single mother do after a divorce? Move in with mommy and daddy. So, I headed west where my dad put me to work calling on customers, teaching me the ropes (or trying to, anyway), and giving me sales advice so sound that it has stuck with me almost 20 years after he passed away. He would say:
-Imagine your customer as a bird in your hand. If you squeeze too tight you crush them. Hold to loosely and they fly away.
-How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
He had the usual answer when I asked about his day on the road:
-I got three orders today: “get out”, “stay out”, and “don't come back”
I remember his big technological breakthrough:
-I bought something today called a facsimile machine! It lets me type in a phone number and send a piece of paper to the factories. After hours! Isn't that crazy?
Let's not forget his comments about certain showrooms:
-The place was so small, I had to leave to change my mind
-I walked in the door and fell out the window.
If I was having a hard time or a bad day, there was always his life advice:
-Leslie, it will all work itself out.
Well, Mickey was right about that. It did always work itself out and I now give my grown-up, successful, and accomplished daughter that same life advice. (Maggie is some sort of big shot UX/UI Strategist with a large media agency in New York, but I like to remind her that she's is still on my cell phone plan.)
Summer of 1989 is when I attended my first Dallas market. I wrote my first purchase order with a lighting showroom in the San Fernando Valley. I tripped over myself rushing to get home to show my dad the $300 PO. He proudly said, "I knew you could do it!" before nicely tossing it in the garbage because the customer was in the process of closing his doors, forever. But that’s all it took. I was hooked.
Along with the assistance of Western Lighting based in Irvine, I have the pleasure of covering San Diego to San Luis Obispo and I'm not complaining about my territory-I'm from Chicago and it's mid-December there. It's always spring time here.
Even with all the rapid digital changes to our industry, the basic needs of my customers are still the same as they were during the prehistoric pre-facsimile days of yore. The little things, like returning a call in a timely manner, are hugely important.
I started with Golden in the spring of 2010. Denny Rehm offered the line to me and I couldn't wait to get started. Since then, my first favorite thing about Golden is anticipating the new product releases. The presentations and catalogs are refreshing and joyful. The clever and thoughtful new designs, finishes options, perfect sweet-spot price points, and getting the catalogs to take out into the world.
My all-time favorite Golden moment is when three very important and well-respected lighting showrooms in my territory decided to display several complete collections. That was a great day for me!
I also enjoy how Steve Falk always manages to make me laugh. I love the Golden showroom in Dallas. It’s a charming and bright walk-through experience, not to mention they have the best snacks!
What do I do when I am not working? The old me would have said play music, play roller hockey, and play golf. But the new me says, I'm usually THINKING about planning a trip. No, I’m not actually planning anything. I’m just thinking about it. Does that count?
Actually, you can find me Facetiming my daughter who lives in Manhattan, talking and laughing with her about nothing. Other times you can catch me watching history documentaries, classic movies on TCM, at the gym, or walking the dog. Getting beat at backgammon by the boyfriend is another thing I appear to enjoy.
I also love doing home and office projects. The hardest challenge is picking out a new dining room chandelier. Can anyone help me with that?”

We can help, Leslie! Congratulations, again! This award is well-deserved! Thank you for partnering with Golden! May you have many more years of success!

Customer of the Month – November - Shades of Light

Congratulations to November’s Customer of the Month - Shades of Light!

Shades of Light started from humble beginnings in 1986 as a small, single retail location in historic Richmond, Virginia selling unique, high-style lighting designs. Since that time, the company has grown to become a national, multi-channel retailer of lighting and other home decor products, including rugs, furniture, mirrors, fans and wall decor.

True to its heritage though, the company has remained singularly focus on its curated collection of high-style products and unique lighting designs. Over several years of growth and after having outgrown its prior two locations, the company’s corporate office, distribution center and production operation are now all located at the company’s 83,000 square foot headquarters facility in Midlothian, Virginia where they continue inspire customers to distinguish their own unique style through a carefully curated catalog, e-commerce website, hospitality sales and Virginia-based bricks-and-mortar retail locations.

Congratulations Shades of Light! May you all have many more years of success!

To learn more about Shade of Light, please visit their webpage, www.shadesoflight.com.

November’s Sales Representative of the Month – Todd Bierowski

Congratulations to Todd Bierowski, our Rep of the Month for November 2018!

Todd is also the proud owner of Décor Lighting Sales, www.decorlightingsales.com, based in De Pere, Wisconsin. Décor Lighting Sales is over 30 years old with a territory that includes 9 states (WI, MN, ND, SD, IA, NE, KS, MO, IL).

Part of the honor of being selected Golden Lighting’s Rep of the Month is being interrogated by our team. We questioned Todd about all aspects of his life and we learned a lot. First, Todd is big on teams and partnerships. It’s evident in the way he lives his life and the way he runs his business. Todd has spent a lot of his life (personal and career) in the role of team player and now team coach.”

We are always curious to find out how “lighting people” get started in the lighting industry. Todd said, “I have been involved in sales my entire career. However, I began representing lighting manufacturers in 2004 to help my Father-in-law, John Meyer, expand the agency to create a more diverse customer base in terms of geography & demographic. With the changing economy we saw an opportunity to increase our coverage area and bring more value to our partners in doing so.”

As owner of Décor Lighting Sales, Todd has the ultimate coaching position. His team of lighting reps have a great reputation within the industry. When asked about his favorite part of the job, Todd replied, “I feel fortunate to work in an industry and have a team in which partnerships with customers & manufactures alike continue to have great meaning/value! Our industry is a “throwback” in that our relationships have been developed over many years of working together and there is a sense of loyalty. Thus, there is a trust factor that is built with our partners and we are viewed as an extension of their businesses. They rely on us to help them increase sales & maximize profitability by managing inventory, helping to create efficiencies & utilizing promotional opportunities where fit. Developing these partnerships and building trust while guiding our partners toward continued success is very gratifying to me and my team of associates. We enjoy the opportunity to think outside the box and create unique strategies for each of our partners!”

We asked Todd to share his thoughts about being a part of our team here at Golden for the last 8 years. Todd said, “When Golden comes to mind I immediately think; “TEAM”. The Golden commitment to customer service and doing the right things to ensure that the customer has a GREAT experience is outstanding.” Of his home and personal life, Todd said, “My time is largely spent with family. I am married. My wife, Blake and have 2 daughters (Avery-14 and Egan-12). My spare time is spent coaching in various roles; 18 years as an Asst. College Football Coach at St. Norbert College and coaching both of my daughters in basketball. [He lovingly teases that before coaching his girls, he had a lot more hair.] My family and I spend a great deal of time in the outdoors; boating, waterskiing, skiing. I am also very active in my community, serving on several different boards, as I believe that we cannot make a difference unless we are willing to get involved and get our “hands dirty”. “Leave it better than we found it” has been my mantra!”

“Leave it better than we found it” is a great mantra for us all to live up to, Todd! Congratulations on earning Golden Lighting’s Rep of the Month Award! You are a valued member of this team!

Customer of the Month – October – Brothers Lighting & Fan Gallery

Our customer of the month for October is Brothers Lighting & Fan Gallery in Fort Myers, Florida! Just as the name suggests, Brothers Lighting is a family business. The company is owned and operated by the Bebber family (Liz, Chuck and Andy). The family has been in the lighting business since 1990, when they started the company with a family friend who they would later buy out.

Although the company has physically moved to a new location, the way that the Bebbers treat their customers has not changed. Chuck Bebber says, “Our showroom is successful because we always treat our customers as we like to be treated. We have an open, friendly, and direct approach that our customers appreciate and respect.”

Over the years Brothers Lighting and Fan Gallery has earned many accolades on a local and national level. They are extremely well-known locally where the showroom has been named Best of Southwest Florida by the Fort Myers News-Press Readers for 15 consecutive years! When interviewed, Chuck said, “Just today, a customer came to my office to thank our family for having such a quality staff and nice showroom. We have done many jobs for this island resident and he wanted to express his gratitude for the superb excellent service that we had shown his family.”

With 28 years in the industry, the family’s experience garners plenty of respect. We were interested to pick Chuck’s brain for information, so we asked him about his favorite client. He said, “Our favorite client is Carol’s Design. Their members are complete professionals and their clients are the easiest to work with. Their projects are completed on time and the property owners are always happy.” Chuck also told us about his favorite Golden memory. He said, a couple of years ago, we had an incredible closeout list and that he was “able to buy so many showroom winners at deep discounts” allowing his showroom to have a very successful sales promotion. Chuck says, during the sale, he was even able to, “outfit a friend’s restaurant back in Miami with many of those pieces.”

Congratulations to Brothers Lighting! We appreciate the opportunity to honor businesses like yours! We appreciate showrooms that loyally partner with the Golden Lighting brand. May you all have many more years of success!

To learn more about Brothers Lighting & Fan Gallery, please visit their webpage, brotherslighting.net.

October’s Sales Representative of the Month – Audrey Sclarow

Congratulations to Audrey Sclarow of Sclarow and Sclarow, Golden Lighting’s Sales Representative of the Month!

If you have ever met Audrey, you will probably agree that she makes a great impression! Poised, but friendly, she is one of the nicest, most gracious people! We loved having the opportunity to get to know Audrey better during our interview process.

Audrey has a long history in the lighting industry. She and her husband, Stu, owned and operated a 22,000 square feet lighting and furniture showroom for over 25 years, followed by another 20 years as a sales rep after they sold their store and became sales reps. Audrey says that for years they worked as a team, with her husband focused on lighting and her focused on home furnishing and accent lighting. Audrey became a welcomed addition to our rep force a little over three years ago when her husband, Stu passed to her the Golden Lighting torch. Audrey says, “The Golden Lighting family has embraced me and we are an illuminating team!”

Audrey enjoys her job and it shows. She says that one of her favorite aspects of the business is relationship building with her customers and making sure that have what they need. Knowing the importance, Audrey prides herself on developing rapport with her customers of which the foundation is mutual trust and respect. Audrey says, “My ability to build lasting relationships with my customers enables me to continue to grow my business.” She says her experience buying and selling products as a furniture and lighting store owner, “provides insight to the wants and needs of customers.” She continues, “I know, from first-hand experience, that customer service and attention to detail are primary concerns for my clientele.”

Audrey’s territory includes parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Who is Audrey outside of work? In Audrey’s own words, “My most loved and gratifying time is time spent with my family, especially my two “delicious” grandchildren. I enjoy walking, reading, exploring the city of Philadelphia, taking advantage of its historical buildings, museums and theatre.” We asked Audrey what she thinks is interesting about herself and we love her response, “What is interesting about me is that every day is filled with sunshine and I take pride in spreading my enthusiasm to the people that I meet.”

Congratulations, Audrey! You are a great member of the Golden Lighting Team!

Customer of the Month – August – Lights ON Banks

We are proud to announce that August’s Customer of the Month is Lights ON Banks! Lights ON Banks is a stylish boutique-like showroom in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 2013, the showroom features a curated selection of light fixtures displayed with just a few pieces of home décor.

High on style, the uncluttered space features a gleaming twelve-foot long granite sales counter that is usually flanked by Norton, the Maltese-Schnauzer dog-in-residence as well as other folks that just like to stop by the showroom.

We interviewed owners Rob and Suzanne Van Rycke regarding their business. We asked them how they got started and learned that the company began out of adversity. Suzanne was the store manager for a now rival lighting showroom and was unexpectedly forced out after a change in management. She and her husband decided to carry on in the lighting business by opening a store of their own. Despite initially only being able to carry a few lines, the business has grown into a success.

Last year, Lights ON Banks surpassed the two-million in sales mark after only four years. The business attracts an upscale clientele with homes in the million-dollar plus range. Designers and builders bring their clients to view and receive lighting recommendations from the knowledgeable staff of six. Others just walk in based on word of mouth.

What is the key to the business’s success? One key is social media marketing. After last year’s ALA conference in Vancouver, Rob and Sue were inspired to focus on advertising via social media. In November, the couple launched their Instagram page which now has close to 800 followers organically and gets over 5,000 views per week! They followed up in January with the launch of www.SimplyStunning.Lighting , a website that showcases projects, designers, builders, and suppliers. Golden was honored to be the first supplier represented on the site. The couple says, “Simply Stunning has now grown its own legs as a noteworthy site, cross-linking many of the support services and suppliers in the region with our lighting projects.” The business has a social media specialist who promotes the brand.

Another key is the beautifully styled professional photography on display across platforms. Rob says, “Most of our photos are shot on-site at client’s homes, and we professionally photograph at least one home per week.” Of styling the rooms, he says, “Many of the homes in this area are “view” homes – either of mountains, valleys or lake – so we are very careful with our lighting selections to allow the views to take precedence.” Readers may be interested to hear more of Rob’s thoughts on lighting trends. He says, “Mixed metals are a definite trend, as is black. ORB finishes are fading fast, but the newer winter gold finishes are strong.” He says, “Also gone, and has been for several years now, is the adherence to using one “family” of lighting throughout the home. Each room is treated separately and we often visit our customers’ sites, usually during construction, to gain an appreciation of the setting before choosing the lighting. Usually there is a connection thread, something subtle, that makes the lighting choices “flow”, and this is where our sales team’s many years of experience pay off. It’s not something that happens at the typical retail lighting store, and requires building rapport and trust with the client and having a vast visual inventory in your head.”

Congratulations and thank you to Suzanne and Rob Van Rycke, and the Lights ON Banks team! We love partnering and learning from businesses like yours. We wish you many more years of success!

To learn more about Lights ON Banks, visit their webpage, www.lightsonbanks.com.

August’s Sales Representative of the Month – Chris Tuttle

Congratulations to Chris Tuttle, this month’s Sales Rep of the Month! Chris is well-known in the lighting industry and has been representing the Golden Lighting brand in Southern Virginia since 2010. Even if you know Chris, there are a couple of things that you may not know. For instance, did you know that his family owns Greenbrier Lighting in Chesapeake, VA? Chris says that he started out in the lighting industry by working part-time in the Greenbrier warehouse when the store opened in 1993. Another interesting tidbit is that Chris was once a professional golfer. During those first couple of years of working part time for Greenbriar, Chris was also traveling around southeast United States following his dream of playing professional golf. Chris became a sales rep in 1998 when he was recruited by a local sales rep that often called on his parents. That gives him over 25 years of industry experience (20 as a rep). We asked him about his favorite style of lighting. Although he has more traditional lighting in his own home, he gravitates more to transitional and modern lighting. Through it all, traveling has remained one of his favorite parts of the job. He says, “I enjoy traveling around to see my customers who have become my friends over the years.” When he is not working, Chris still enjoys a good round of golf or working on home improvement projects around the house. Congratulations, Chris and thank you for your years of service to Golden!

Golden Lighting Announces the Results of Latest Design Competition

For the second year in a row, Golden Lighting, has teamed up with FSU to host a collegiate level lighting design competition. The Golden Lighting team worked with Florida State University faculty members, Jill Pable and Maxim Nasab to teach undergraduate students the basics of lighting design.

In the competition, students were prompted to design a bath vanity fixture that uses LED technology. Students were asked to use what they learned in Lighting Fundamentals and CAD2 classes to plan and design LED bath fixtures of their own. The contestants were judged based on the creativity, functionality, and the marketability of their products. Golden Lighting’s design team reviewed all of the entries and named Pivot, by Katie Hall, as the competition’s winner.

“We would like to thank the students and staff of FSU’s Interior Design Program,” says Danielle Dzurik, Creative Manager of Golden Lighting. “Ultimately, we chose Ms. Hall’s design because it carefully married creativity with function in a design that has mass appeal,” says Dzurik. Ms. Hall’s design features a minimalistic design of two overlapping, elongated linear diffusers in white opal glass and a rich gold leaf finish. The name of the sconce comes from the pivot mechanism which allows users to customize the look of the fixture by locking the front arm in place at any chosen angle.

Concept boards of all of the design contest entries are currently on display in Golden Lighting’s Dallas, Texas showroom for June 2018 Lightovation. Golden Lighting awarded a cash prize to First-Place winner Katie Hall for her design, Pivot. Her design will be prototyped and is scheduled to hang with her concept board by next January’s Dallas Market.

Market Choice Awards!

Congratulations to the Market Choice Awards winners and thanks to all of you who voted for Golden Lighting's Cadence and Cosmic!

Customer and Rep of the Month Program

Here at Golden, we are doing something new and exciting for the new year! We are initiating a Customer and Rep of the Month program to honor some of our loyal and hardworking customers and reps. Throughout the year, we will be featuring our best and brightest!

June’s Sales Representative of the Month – John Ingles

Congratulations to John Ingles, Golden Lighting’s Sales Rep of the Month for June! John Ingles is well-known in the industry for his intelligence, personality, and his business savvy. The LightSource has represented the Golden Lighting brand for 5 years. Of his experience with Golden, John said, “My partner and friend, Jon Healy, and I have been enjoying the ride and gro-wth with Golden Lighting and our customers.” The LightSource covers all of New York, Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey. We asked John how he got started in the industry. John said, “About 20 years ago, my uncle, Ron Ingles, represented a few of the major lighting companies that we know today. Taking into consideration his future retirement, along with my extensive retail sales experience, he recruited me into the industry. I have been principal of the LightSource for 18 years.” You can count on John Ingles to be a straight-talker. We asked him about his favorite part of the job and he told us, “Call me old fashioned, but I still get a thrill out of closing the deal…#highfive!” John has been in lighting sales for a long time, so of course he has insights regarding the industry. We asked him about 2018 lighting trends. He said, “I see a return to vintage styles, but with a ‘soft industrial’ twist. Think sleek lines and starbursts in gold and bronze. Modern LED lighting will continue to trend as well. And let’s not forget lighting combined with the latest modern technology.” John is well-known as a sales rep, but we wanted to know more about his personal life. We asked John what he does in his spare time and he was quick to say, “I love spending time with my two daughters, Samantha and Jacqueline.” John continued by telling us, “I am definitely an outdoor person. I enjoy everything from the beach, to volleyball to a good old-fashioned BBQ with family and friends…Sunsets…Bourbon…and my dog Snoop.” Congratulations, John, and thank you for partnering with Golden! We look forward to many more years of growth!

May’s Sales Representative of the Month – Joe Miotto

Joe Miotto is Golden Lighting’s Sales Rep of the month for May! Congratulations to Joe who represents Golden Lighting in the province of Ontario, Canada! Joe has been in the lighting business since 1997 when he started out as a co-owner and sales representative for Micheline Lampshade Studio in Toronto. He held that position for 9 years before spending the next 7 years as a sales manager for Dainolite Lighting. Joe left Dainolite to start his own sales agency and he began representing the Golden Lighting brand in 2013. That’s quite a bit of industry experience, so we asked Joe some questions about the business. We asked Joe his favorite part of his job and he replied, “My favorite part of my job is dealing with all of the Customers and Factories that I represent. I enjoy the challenge of working to help my customers to make them as profitable as possible.” We also asked Joe about his favorite style of lighting, upcoming trends, and the style of lighting he uses in his own home. He said, “I personally like Transitional and Modern looking fixtures. These are the looks you will see in my home. Regarding trends for 2018, I believe the demand will be for softer finishes like “golds” in Transitional looking fixtures, and Chrome and polished nickel will continue to be strong for Modern LED looks.” When Joe is not working, he enjoys traveling (especially to Europe). He also plays ice hockey and enjoys hiking, cycling, baseball, football and soccer. Congratulations, Joe! Thanks for all of your hard work on behalf of Golden Lighting!

April’s Sales Representative of the Month – Vince Hall

Congratulations to Vince Hall, Golden Lighting’s Sales Rep of the month for April! Vince Hall is genuinely a great guy whose sincerity and personality always shines through. He makes such a great impression that we were surprised to realize that he has only been a Golden Lighting sales representative for 5 years. Congratulations on 5 years, Vince, but before that, we were certainly missing out! Vince says that he got started in the lighting industry when he was just 19! His first job was in a lighting warehouse. Management took notice of his communication skills and he was quickly shifted to the showroom to work in sales. Becoming a sales rep was a natural transition for Vince and he has been working with an independent agency for 13 years. When you have access to someone with Vince Hall’s experience, you don’t hesitate to pick his brain. We asked a few questions starting with what’s his favorite part of the job. He said, “Interacting with my customers. Showing new product and following up on orders is equally as important as understanding their business challenges and watching their kids grow up. In many respects, they are like an extension of my family and it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to communicate with them and watch their businesses grow.” While we had his ear, we asked Vince a few other questions about lighting. We found out that Vince prefers transitional to traditional styles. In his own dining room, he has a rustic wood fixture to pair with a painted dining room table. Vince predicts that the rest of 2018 will be good for transitional fixtures with soft golds, whites, and grays. Although dedicated, Vince is not all work. When he has a break, you may find Vince traveling. He enjoys a good round of golf, tennis, and cards. We are pleased to honor such a great rep! Congratulations, Vince!

April’s Customer of the Month – Hermitage Lighting Gallery – Nashville, Tennessee

We are pleased to announce that our Customer of the Month for the month of April is Hermitage Lighting in Nashville, Tennessee. Family owned and operated, Hermitage Lighting was founded in 1944. The company has been in business for almost 75 years.

Specializing in light fixtures, home decor, appliances, and custom designs, Hermitage Lighting is located in a 40,000 square foot building. The company’s Lighting Division, Appliance Department, Electrical Division, Hardware Division, Internet Division, and Kitchen and Bath Division all share the same showroom allowing them to be a one-stop shop and meet a variety of customer’s needs. The showroom serves as a residential and remodeling source for Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

Hermitage Lighting Gallery is the winner of the Reader’s Favorites Awards in Greater Nashville House and Home, a Home Decor winner in Best of City search, Nashville, and is an ARTS finalist.

Congratulations, Hermitage and thank you for partnering with Golden Lighting! To learn more about Hermitage Lighting, visit their webpage, https://www.hermitagelighting.com/.

March’s Sales Representative of the Month – Cher McLelland

Meet our Rep of the Month for the month of March, Cher McLelland of Cher McLelland Sales, LLC. Based out of Utah, Cher has been in the lighting industry since 1972. Golden Lighting has had the pleasure of working with Cher for the past 3 years.

We asked Cher about her favorite room to light and her favorite style of lighting. She says she loves lighting for the kitchen and her tastes lean toward traditional to transitional.

We would like to thank Cher McLelland for being a great Golden Lighting Sales Rep!

March’s Customer of the Month – Lightstyle of Orlando – Orlando, Florida

We are pleased to announce that our Customer of the Month for the month of March is Lightstyle of Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Lightstyle has been a landmark in Central Florida since 1962. In 2000, Mr. Tom Rensenhouse purchased Lightstyle of Orlando and took over the operations. He later expanded to two other locations in Central Florida.

The North Orange Avenue location is managed by the very capable, Hollie Gonzalez, who was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions. Hollie has been at Lightstyle for 17 years. She actually started out in the accounting office and worked her way up to general manager. She said, “I fell in love with all aspects of the lighting showroom.” We asked Hollie what trends she foresees for 2018 and she said, “LED and Contemporary are super-hot right now. Mixed metals are also very strong this year.” Hollie says that she does not have a favorite room to work with when lighting a house. Instead, she “loves to light up the customer.” Hollie says she likes to see the customers get excited and happy when they have worked together to select the perfect light for their space. She says it does not matter if it is a task lamp or a grand chandelier, she loves it when the customer is happy. Hollie spoke of a recent experience, “I had a lady leave dancing yesterday she was so excited!” She says she also enjoys seeing the installation photos that her customers provide.

Lightstyle of Orlando is amazing and so are the people who run it! Their knowledge of the lighting industry and their desire to offer customers outstanding selection, quality, value and service has made Lightstyle a lighting leader in Central Florida. We appreciate their loyalty to the Golden Lighting brand and hope to continue to partner with them for many years to come!

To learn more about Lightstyle of Orlando, visit their webpage, https://www.lightstyleoforlando.com/.

February’s Sales Representative of the Month – Bob Mirizio

Congratulations to Bob Mirizio, Golden Lighting’s Rep of the Month for February! Bob is the well-known, always smiling, good-natured leader of the sales rep team, Bolyn Sales Group/Big Fish Group.

Curious about how he got started in the industry, we interviewed Bob and he entertained us with this story…. “I started out in the 70's wanting to be a pilot and as many of the reps in the industry, I stumbled into lighting quite by accident. With my design experience, I started designing, manufacturing, and importing lighting at Studio of Lighting in Miami. After 7 years I decided to start a rep agency for the entire state of Florida. Our agency has grown to 5 people over the years and we are the only agency that still covers the entire state. I have had the pleasure of being a Golden Lighting Sales Rep for 12 years. I have watched the company grow from a small builder line to what it is today. Golden has become a great showroom and designer source. Golden excels in design with fair prices, quality, and service that is beyond the best in the industry.”

We didn’t select Bob as rep of the month because he reps in Golden Lighting’s home state of Florida. We chose him because of his expertise in lighting. For that same reason, we asked him to share a few things about his years of experience in the industry. He said, “My favorite thing about my career is that I travel and meet with some of the best owners in the lighting industry. We discuss options for the future of our mutual success and partner with factories to meet our full potential.” He continued, “I've been blessed to have worked in many facets of our industry and to understand all sides of the business. I look forward to the challenges of future lighting endeavors. Along the way, I have had the opportunity to make many friends among manufacturers, distributors, and reps. We have the best reps in our agency.”

Congratulations, Bob! Thank you for your years of service and loyalty to the Golden Lighting brand! We hope to continue to grow with you and your team!

February’s Customer of the Month – Avenues Lighting – Jacksonville, Florida

Our Customer of the Month for the month of February is Avenues Lighting! Avenues Lighting’s motto is “We don’t just sell lighting. We sell solutions.” It is this hard-working, can-do attitude that endears the company to its customers, that has allowed the business to stand the test of time, and which has made Avenues a growing force in the lighting industry.

Avenues Lighting is Jacksonville, Florida’s premier lighting showroom and fan dealer. Combined, the showroom’s sales staff has over a 100 years of lighting experience! The 16,000 square feet showroom houses a huge selection of brand name lighting, fans, mirrors, and other home accessories. Golden Lighting is happy to be among the suppliers whose products grace the elegant showroom.

Owners, John and Mark Blanchard have been in the lighting industry since 1976, so we asked Mark a few questions about lighting. We asked him about his favorite room to light in a house and he replied, “The kitchen…specifically the kitchen island seems to be given the most attention by our customers, its where they live in their home and has the most exciting options.” When asked about his favorite lighting trend, he replied, “LED. With the advent of LEDs and their flexibility…it has really opened up design opportunities.”

Happy 10-year partnership anniversary, Avenues Lighting! You have been working with us at Golden Lighting since 2008 and we hope you continue for many more years!

To learn more about Avenue’s Lighting, visit their webpage, https://www.avelighting.com/.

January’s Sales Representative of the Month – Steve Knighten

January’s Rep of the Month is Steve Knighten. Everybody knows Steve. He loves the lighting industry and navigates it beautifully. Steve is a member of the rep agency, Parker Brothers & Associates. The Parker Brothers firm has been representing Golden Lighting since 1983. In 2004, Steve, who owned and operated retail lighting stores, sold his stores and joined the Parker Brothers team as their principal agent.

His previous work as a lighting retailer gives him unique perspective and insight as a lighting sales rep. So, we asked Steve a few questions about the industry. Here’s what we asked and here is what he had to say…. We asked Steve about his favorite style of lighting. To which he replied, “My favorite style of lighting has evolved over the years. Selling Golden Lighting in Virginia and the Carolinas over the years, I have seen the market gradually change from very traditional lighting to more transitional and contemporary. This has happened for a couple of reasons. First, the move to LED lighting has created more transitional to contemporary designs and secondly with tv shows of remodeling homes and ‘fixer uppers’, more people have been exposed to transitional and contemporary lighting being used in those programs. So, my favorite lighting style used to be traditional, but now I lean toward transitional and contemporary.” We also asked Steve if he foresees any trends for the new year. Steve said, “I see the trends for 2018, in Virginia and the Carolinas, to be clean lines with lighter finishes. I think an increase in Rustic/Industrial/Vintage styles as well.” It’s an honor and a joy to have someone of Steve’s caliber representing the Golden brand. Parker Brothers & Associates has been associated with Golden Lighting for 35 years and we look forward to continuing the partnership for many more!

January’s Customer of the Month – Brecher’s Lighting – Louisville, KY

January’s Customer of the Month is Brecher’s Lighting in Louisville, Kentucky. Brecher’s is huge in the lighting industry! In fact, the company has been in business since 1866 and is the largest supplier of decorative lighting in the state of Kentucky! That’s almost 152 consecutive years in business!

The company started off manufacturing fireplace mantels, hearths, and gaslights, but as advances in technology took place, the company began manufacturing combination gaslights and electric lighting.

Brecher’s is currently owned and operated by Bill Branham. We interviewed William Branham about his favorite lighting style. He said, “Personally, I am really into all the Mid Century Modern looks going on right now. I’ve got a version of a Sputnik hanging in my house. For me, clean, simple lines are always a must. I hope the clean lines stick around for a while! Same with the gold tones!”

Brecher’s has been a source for lighting since 1866 and has been doing business with Golden since 2006. We look forward to continuing the partnership for many more years! To learn more about Brecher’s Lighting, visit their webpage, www.brecherslighting.com.

Golden Lighting Welcomes New Hire, Savannah Saeger

We would like to welcome Savannah Saeger to the Golden Lighting team! Savannah is our new E-Commerce Analyst. She is a part of our Ecommerce team and her primary function is to monitor and analyze our online sales.

Savannah just graduated from Florida State University last December with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems. We have had a little over a month to get to know Savannah at work. She has a great attitude and work ethic. In addition, she has a good sense of humor, is extremely punctual, and equally as helpful. To get to know Savannah a little better outside of Golden, we asked her what she likes to do in her spare time. She said, “If I am not at work, you can probably catch me on my way to the beach with my two-year old puppy, Macy, by my side.”

Well, Savannah, cheers to new beginnings! Congratulations on your new degree and welcome to the team!

Golden Lighting Announces New Quality Manager and New Hire

Golden Lighting announces that Matthew Perrin, valued member of Golden’s Supply Chain has been promoted to Quality Manager. Perrin’s new role will focus his attention on maintaining high quality standards throughout all aspects of the organization.

Another change to Golden’s Supply Chain is the addition of new hire, Juan Zurita, a 2015 graduate of Florida State University. Along with other tasks, the new Supply Chain Specialist will provide technical support. Congratulations to Matthew Perrin and Juan Zurita!

Christa Pineda Named People's Choice Award Winner

Earlier this year, Golden Lighting teamed up with Florida State University faculty members, Dr. Jill Pable and Amy Huber of the Department of Interior Architecture & Design to host a collegiate-level lighting design competition. Lighting Fundamentals students led by Dr. Jill Pable who were also enrolled in Professor Amy Huber’s CAD2 course were asked to design LED bath fixtures.

Judged based on creativity, functionality, and marketability, three winners of the contest were announced this summer. Golden Lighting later announced a plan to ask retailers and sales representatives in the lighting community to vote for their favorite design to determine the winner of Golden Lighting’s People’s Choice Award.

This summer, during June Lightovation, Golden Lighting displayed all of the FSU students’ lighting designs in its showroom at the Dallas Market Center. All of the concept boards were displayed and Golden Lighting showroom visitors were given an opportunity to vote.

Congratulations to Christa Pineda, creator of the “Infinity” sconce and winner of Golden Lighting’s People’s Choice Award. Ms. Pineda was also awarded Honorable Mention by Golden Lighting judges during the initial lighting design contest.

“We would like to thank Dr. Jill Pable, Professor Huber and all of the FSU students who participated in this year’s contest. We are excitedly looking forward to next year,” said Golden Lighting’s Creative Director, Danielle Dzurik.

Golden Lighting and FSU Lighting Design Competition 2017

This year, Golden Lighting teamed up with the staff and students of Florida State University for its lighting design competition. FSU students were invited to design LED bathroom fixtures. Students were taught the basics of lighting design and asked to use what they learned to create a design. Contestants were judged based on the creativity, functionality, and the marketability of their products. “We learned a lot the first year,” said Golden Lighting’s Product Design Manager and contest judge, Danielle Dzurik. She continued, “One of the most important things was that we needed to very clearly state our requirements and expectations. We chose to work with Florida State University because the school has a great design program and it is local”. All of the design concepts are on display in Golden Lighting’s Dallas showroom. The winners of the contest were recently announced. Golden Lighting awarded a cash prize to First-Place winner Brianna Langman for her design, Vertex. A prototype of the design hangs with the concept board. “The design impressed because of its ability to take the environmental consideration of the bathroom mirror into account and use it as a design feature,” said Dzurik. The two honorable mentions, Shannon Burger and Christa Pineda each received gift cards for their designs.

What Customers Say About Golden Products

What do a lot of buyers do before making an important purchase? We look around to see what’s available. We find what we like, compare that item to others based on price and features. BUT, before making that final purchase, many of us check the reviews. Product reviews allow us to see right on the product page what verified buyers have to say. These reviews can lend insight that goes far beyond marketing text, dimensions, or product photography. Reviews are helpful to shoppers, but can also be useful to the creators of the products. Here at Golden, we attempt to remain tuned in to the needs and desires of our customers. What do customers say about Golden Lighting products? Well, to find out, we read and analyzed our online product reviews. This allowed us to see our strengths and in a few cases, our opportunities for improvement. Just for fun, we took 5,600 of our online product reviews and created this word cloud. The larger the word in the cloud, the higher the frequency of use by our product reviewers. To those who take the time to write product reviews, we would like to say thank you for your business, your feedback, and your awesome reviews!

Golden Lighting and University of Central Oklahoma Lighting Design Contest

Earlier this year, Golden Lighting partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma’s Interior Design Department for a lighting design contest. The contest challenged sophomore design students led by professor Mary Katherine Crouch to create a wall sconce or bath vanity light fixture on-trend with today’s home fashions. Students were asked to come up with fixtures that were LED either by native sources or through retrofit LED bulbs.

The contest consisted of several phases or rounds. Students were asked to hand-sketch and then use newly-learned software to present their concepts to judges. To simulate a professional design experience, design students received feedback throughout the process allowing them to refine their designs after each round. Entrants were judged based on the creativity, functionality, and overall marketability of their products. “It was a hard decision,” said Golden Lighting Design Manager and contest judge, Danielle Dzurik. “Throughout the process, we saw a lot of inspired designs. The students were issued a challenge and had a really creative response,” said Dzurik.

Who were the winners and what did they win? Two winners were selected. Honorable mention and runner-up, Hangyeol Jeong received a cash prize for his Tropazoid design. His concept is on display in the Golden showroom. Sophomore interior design student, Nadia Beg received first place for her Moon Dance Lighting sconce. Her design concept and prototype were displayed in the Golden Lighting showroom for the Dallas Market Center’s 2016 June Lightovation. The dimmable LED wall sconce features a unique, jewelry inspired silhouette that is new to the lighting market. With a round opal diffuser and trendy gold finish, the geometric design combines sophisticated beauty with functionality.

“Buyers fell in love with the design," said Dzurik. As a result of the positive response to Nadia’s prototyped design, Golden Lighting is currently investigating/evaluating manufacture of the fixture. “We have gotten such a positive response from both the students and our customers that we are looking into running the contest again,” said Dzurik.

Golden Lighting Becomes the Newest Lighting One Vendor

Steve Falk, Golden Lighting’s VP of Sales has focused on increasing market penetration. When hired, Falk agreed to oversee and grow Golden Lighting’s showroom sales channel. His customer-centric approach to sales has led to Golden Lighting becoming the newest Lighting One vendor. “Golden Lighting is a great company with great product and great people. We want to make sure that we form valuable, long lasting relationships and we are sure that we have done so in our new partnership with Lighting One,” says Falk.

The Lighting One Cooperative is comprised of over 240 independent lighting showrooms located throughout the United States and Canada. Falk says, “Lighting One’s belief in strong Showroom Members is in perfect alignment with the core vision of Golden Lighting.” Lighting One’s members should be aware that Golden Lighting has taken a very aggressive approach as a Lighting One supplier and powerful benefits are available. Members of the Lighting One Cooperative have access to the industry’s top manufacturers and now Golden Lighting has joined the ranks.