WEST WARWICK, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Value Lighting, the premier private-label LED lighting solutions provider, announced today the appointment of retail veteran Jeff Epstein as Chief Commercial Officer. Epstein comes to Global Value Lighting from The Home Depot, where he spent the past 30 years successfully driving operational change, developing teams, and exceeding sales targets across multiple divisions and departments, most recently lighting. Epstein is the latest strategic hire at Global Value Lighting as the company expands its team in order to provide broader distribution of its patented, award-winning filament-style LEDs and comprehensive portfolio of over 200 LED products, to retail partners in North and South America.
Global Value Lighting (“GVL”) is a joint venture between Lighting Science Group and their Chinese partner, MLS. Lighting Science, with over 400 patents, is a US based leader in developing innovative, next-generation LED lighting products, while MLS is recognized as one of the largest producers of LED packages and vertically integrated LED solutions in the world. This combination of technology and scale is unmatched in the market today.
“GVL will offer our customers incredible LED solutions at factory direct prices,” says Epstein. “And we’ll be able to provide those partners the entire suite of Lighting Science technologies and new leading edge products before they hit other consumer markets.”
As Merchandising Vice President at The Home Depot, Epstein developed strategy, directed operations and managed a $6+ billion P&L supporting Home Depot’s 1,977 US stores through multi-channel activities. His extensive retail leadership experience, particularly in the LED lighting category, is a powerful asset as GVL looks to further expand its penetration in what is expected to be an explosive LED market over the next several years.
“The partnership with MLS has created a tremendous amount of interest and excitement in the lighting industry and has enabled us to attract the best and brightest candidates to GVL,” said Lighting Science Chief Executive Officer Ed Bednarcik. “I am incredibly honored to have someone with Jeff’s deep knowledge of the retail business join our team. He will add immediate value in leading us to be even better partners for our current and future retail customers.”
About Global Value Lighting
Global Value Lighting, the joint venture with Chinese LED manufacturer MLS, capitalizes on Lighting Science’s extensive technology and intellectual property, including the company’s nearly 400 LED lighting technology patents, and MLS’s cost-structure and scale as a global LED lighting company. The company is based in Rhode Island. Global Value Lighting combines the retail relationships, channel partnerships and strong customer base that Lighting Science has developed in North America over the past 15 years, with MLS’s best-in-class manufacturing, processes and cost-efficiencies.
About Lighting Science Group
Lighting Science Group is a global leader in innovative LED lighting solutions that designs, manufactures and brings to market advanced, intelligent products for consumer and commercial applications. We are committed to using the science of light to improve the lives and health of people and our planet by inventing breakthrough, biologically-friendly LED lamps and lighting fixtures. Lighting Science is headquartered in West Warwick, RI, with research and development facilities in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and offices in China. Find out more about us and our products at www.lsgc.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the Lighting Science Blog.
