Chicago, Ill. – Pilipuf-Grist & Associates, a leading lighting agency serving the Chicago, Northern Indiana and Central Illinois region, announced today that Jim Haworth and Marc Pilipuf have purchased the agency that Nick Pilipuf and Duane Grist began in 1971. Haworth, one of the industry’s top lighting executives, will leverage his keen lighting business acumen and reputation to propel the agency forward on a trajectory of sustained growth and success. His skills compliment Marc Pilipuf’s extensive agency, engineering, sales, technical, lighting, and controls experience.
“I’m very proud of what Duane and I started over 40 years ago. I’m certain that the agency will continue to be a successful lighting leader in Illinois with the combined knowledge and experience of my son, Marc, and Jim Haworth, who I have known for many years,” said Nick Pilipuf.
“With Marc and Jim at the helm, I’m confident that the lasting legacy of success that Nick and I have built over the years at this agency will carry on into the future,” said Duane Grist.
Haworth, who was recognized by the White House in 2011 as a National Champion of Change for his efforts to steer the country towards a more environmentally and economically sustainable future. Jim has held various senior management positions within the lighting industry including CEO and Chairman of Lighting Science Group, and CEO of the JJI Lighting Group. Prior to joining Lighting Science, he was vice president of marketing and strategy at Philips and was responsible for all upstream marketing functions of the lighting business and led the company’s mergers and acquisitions activities.
Haworth is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a BBA from Loyola University of Chicago and an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University. He is a member of several professional associations.
“Over the years I’ve been a great admirer of Pilipuf-Grist & Associates—they represent the top manufacturers in the business and have an excellent reputation with customers,” said Haworth, now co-owner of Pilipuf-Grist & Associates. “Buying the agency is a tremendous opportunity to put my knowledge and experience to work along side Marc’s technical and sales expertise to build an agency that offers not only exceptional service, but the very best indoor and outdoor lighting and controls solutions.”
Marc Pilipuf has twenty years experience in the lighting industry—18 of those years with the agency as one of its top sales people serving some of the brightest architects, engineers and lighting designers in the industry. He has unparalleled knowledge of lighting controls, specification design and engineering design, as well as expertise in manufacturing, and management. Pilipuf holds a BS from Michigan State University in Mechanical Engineering and an MS from the University of Virginia in Bio-Medical Engineering.
“I grew up in this company, watching my dad, Nick, and Duane build this agency from the ground up,” said Marc Pilipuf, co-owner of Pilipuf-Grist & Associates. “I feel like this is what I was meant to do, and I am honored to be taking over the business with Jim and building on the legacy of success that my dad and Duane have established.”
Nick Pilipuf has retired from the business; while Duane Grist will remain on to ensure an orderly transition to the new ownership. In conjunction with the ownership changes, Jim Sychta and Patti Geier, long-time employees of the agency, will become principals.
For more information on Pilipuf Grist & Associates, please visit www.pilipufgrist.com or email the company at info@pilipufgrist.com or call the office at (847) 228-1199. Also, you can follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
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