Today it was announced by Gov. Nathan Deal that Acuity Brands, a Georgia-based global leader in lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor applications, will expand its operations, creating 500 new jobs in Rockdale County, 200 jobs in Dekalb County and investing more than $16 million into the counties over the next five years.
“When a successful Georgia operation such as Acuity Brands decides to expand its facility and its employment roster, it’s a win for all concerned, especially for our workforce,” Deal said. “I have no doubt that our top-ranked business climate and cutting-edge logistics sector will continue to support Acuity Brands for many years to come, and we look forward to its continued success.”
As part of a plan to create a workplace that will drive collaboration, innovation and technological advances, Acuity Brands will build a world-class engineering and technology center at a site it owns in Decatur and will invest in facility upgrades at its complex in Conyers.
“We have great people who drive our success and have helped make us the industry leader,” said Acuity Brands President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vernon J. Nagel. “Our goal with these investments is to provide our people with the best work environment possible and the tools and technologies necessary to drive our future success. We also believe that a world-class workplace and our team-centered culture will help us continue to attract the best talent to come work with us. We greatly appreciate the support of the state of Georgia and DeKalb and Rockdale counties, for their assistance to help make these projects possible.”
The company’s goal is to provide an open work environment that enhances collaboration, spark innovation and help associates bring new technologies to market at a faster rate.
In Conyers, Acuity Brands will invest $5 million for redesign and retrofitting beginning later this year. Over the next several years, Acuity Brands will make significant investments in redesigning and retrofitting over 125,000-square-foot in the four main buildings on its campus to include open workspace design, new infrastructure, enabling technologies and new furnishings to accommodate the addition of 500 new employees.
In the Decatur project, Acuity Brands will retrofit an existing 167,000-square-foot building to become its new state-of-the-art Engineering and Technology Center. The building will undergo a total transformation that will incorporate leading workplace design, technology and systems into the new facility. The $11 million Decatur project will begin immediately, with completion scheduled for mid-2015.
Acuity Brands has a corporate affiliate office for the Georgia Tech Denning Technology and Management Capstone program and works very closely with Georgia Tech students. With the establishment of its Center of Excellence office, the company seeks to further its relationship with Georgia Tech.
Lauren Salas Lambiase, senior project manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), assisted the company on behalf of the state of Georgia, Charles Stallworth, senior project manager at Georgia Power’s Economic Development group, along with Marty Jones and Gina Hartsell of Conyers Rockdale Economic Development Council (CREDC).
“The fact that a leading global company has chosen Georgia to expand, as well as establish its technology innovation operations, speaks volumes about our thriving technology environment and pro-business climate,” said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Carr. “More than 3,500 engineering graduates came from our universities and technical colleges in FY 2013. This, coupled with a strong network of companies and a highly skilled workforce, will keep Acuity Brands ahead of advancements in technology and global competition.”
About Acuity Brands
Acuity Brands, Inc. is a North American market leader and one of the world’s leading providers of lighting solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications. With fiscal year 2014 net sales of $2.4 billion, Acuity Brands employs approximately 7,000 associates and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The company’s lighting solutions are sold under various brands, including Lithonia Lighting®, Holophane®, Peerless®, Gotham®, Mark Architectural Lighting™, Winona® Lighting, Healthcare Lighting®, Hydrel®, American Electric Lighting®, Carandini®, Antique Street Lamps™, Sunoptics®, RELOC® Wiring Solutions, Acculamp®, eldoLED® and Acuity Controls.
