mailto:ecdotcom@gmail.com”>By Joe Salimando
At least 29 exhibitors at the March 13-15 National Facilities Management & Technology conference/exposition (NFMT), held annually at Baltimore’s convention center, were manufacturers showing their lighting products. There were many electrical energy-oriented and energy-efficient product makers displaying their products and services, too.
The lighting tally does not include electrical distributors with booths dominated by lighting displays or energy services providers talking about lighting retrofits as one of several services offered.
Above: One of numerous energy-oriented providers at the NFMT show
Included among the exhibitors were:
- EMCOR Group, a national company that provides electrical contracting services. It also has a large mechanical contracting arm and a facility services operation.
- Truland, an electrical contractor and a significant player in the Baltimore-Washington area.
- Grainger also had a big presence, but the company’s effort was not necessarily sharply focused on lighting. This makes sense, as facility managers are prime customers for the full range of Grainger products and services.
Above: NEMA’s enlighten America initiative was one of only a few lighting displays on the NFMT show floor that did not feature a blinding amount of actual light. At left: Ron Runkles, NEMA’s lighting industry director.
Some of the electrical distributors in attendance included:
- B&B Lighting Supply (a minority-owned company)
- Capital Tristate (Mid-Atlantic unit of Sonepar)
- CN Robinson Lighting
- Dominion ES
- Graybar
- Rexel
- WESCO
Our TedMag.com reporter did not notice a presence for:
- CED or its USESI unit, operating locally through Maurice Electrical Supply and other acquired companies under the Electrical Wholesalers brand.
- Colonial Electric Supply—headquartered in Pennsylvania, but making inroads into the Baltimore-Washington metro areas lately, including an acquisition of Annapolis Lighting
- Shepherd Electric Supply—headquartered in Baltimore
- United Electric Supply Co.—headquartered in Delaware with several Maryland branches.
While there were hundreds of exhibitors at the event—including marketers of everything from asphalt and elevators to waste management services and water products—it was light on news.
A few highlights from the event, included a speaker from Harris Lighting who noted his company’s plans to roll out an LED product made in the United States. The rollout could come in the next two. He hinted at various spectacular features the product will bring to the LED market several times in his talk.
There were several sessions on LEDs at NFMT. One included Dr. John Curran, whose appearance at the NECA show in San Diego was detailed in a previous Special Report.
NEMA’s Enlighten America effort was also present on the show floor and in a session that combined speakers from Leviton, Lutron, and Wattstopper.
Lutron’s session was devoted to the role of lighting in demand response—a hot topic these days for those who consume mass quantities of electricity.
While electric vehicles were present in at least one booth, our TedMag.com reporter did not see a display for commercial EV charging stations for public or fleet use.
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