GE Consumer and Industrial's drive to lead the way to general illumination with LED solutions kicks off with a symbolic and meaningful name change. Going forward, GELcore, LLC, will operate as Lumination, LLC. The new name reflects the fast–growing business unit's vision of imagination with light and embraces GE's heritage of innovation and optimism for the future.
"Our name change emphasizes an important element of our growth strategy," states David Elien, president of Lumination. "Our focus since our inception has been lighting applications that leverage the benefits of LEDs to drive real value for customers. We remain committed to delivering best–in–class LED lighting solutions in key segments such as signage, architecture, transportation signals, and retail display, while also setting our sights on global distinction in the emerging general illumination market segment."
Lumination, under its old name, brought its first white LED solutions to market with its Tetra® Power White LED solution for channel letter signage. Further progression toward white LED preeminence occurred when the company's white LED refrigerated display case solution earned widespread acceptance. Eight of the top 10 US supermarkets have reacted positively toward testing and use of the Lumination solution, and Wal–Mart Stores, Inc., committed late last year to install the company's refrigerated display case solution in over 500 stores in North America. It will be the world's single largest installation of white LEDs replacing fluorescent in a display lighting application.
Other factors contributed to the timing of the name change:
· Lumination expects to introduce numerous white LED signage, commercial refrigeration, architectural, and general illumination solutions in 2007, as well as a white LED emitter that targets high quality–of–light general illumination applications;· Lumination's investment in new products will increase more than 50% in 2007 vs. 2006;
· GE strengthened its global position in LEDs in late 2006 by investing $100 million in the Lumination business and by forming a strategic alliance with the Nichia Corporation, the world's largest LED manufacturer and a leader in phosphors and optoelectronics.
Lumination's LED system expertise and its ability to help customers significantly reduce energy and maintenance costs have contributed to the development of numerous important customer relationships. Leading companies such as Hilton Hotels Corporation and The Home Depot have entrusted Lumination to provide outdoor signage solutions for all new construction work. Entire states such as Kentucky and large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles have used Lumination solutions to retrofit traffic and pedestrian signals.
The company has grown more than 30% annually since it was founded.
Initiating the name change makes customers aware of Lumination's intent to be a global leader in the emerging white LED general illumination market segment—the great frontier of commercial, industrial and residential lighting.
"We're going to capitalize on our ability to provide GE ‘ecomaginationSM’ LED solutions for signage, architectural, transportation signals, and retail display applications," notes Elien. "This will be especially important as we move down the path toward general illumination with viable LED alternatives to incumbent lighting technologies such as fluorescent. While the technology shift won't happen over night," he says, "Lumination will be at the forefront of the transformation."