Cree Lighting Plots Comeback

This comeback narrative is rooted in a significant ownership shuffle; Cree Inc., now Wolfspeed, sold its lighting division to IDEAL INDUSTRIES in 2019 to focus on semiconductors. More recently, in September 2023, IDEAL sold Cree Lighting to CLNA Holdings, an affiliate of Advanced Lighting Technologies (ADLT), positioning it within a global lighting portfolio with combined sales around $350 million. The new manufacturing agreements are a direct response to recent operational turmoil, which included extended employee furloughs and significant supply chain constraints that led to a large backlog of unfulfilled orders. The strategy aims to leverage an external US-based manufacturing partner to restore capacity for core products like streetlights and canopy lighting, stabilize lead times, and address what the company called "historic trade credit obligations" with its suppliers. For designers focused on human-centric lighting, Cree Lighting’s Cadiant™ Dynamic Skylight is a key product, designed to bring the sensation of natural sunlight into spaces without access to daylight. It simulates the dawn-to-dusk arc of the sun to support circadian rhythms, a critical element for achieving WELL Building Standard certifications, and won a 2020 LEDs Magazine Sapphire Award for Lighting for Health and Wellbeing. On the technology front, the company is pushing innovations like NanoComfort® Technology, which uses modular arrays of mid-power LEDs and sculpted optics to maximize efficacy while reducing glare and improving visual comfort in outdoor fixtures. For interior applications, their WaveMax® Technology utilizes a waveguide system with DiamondFacet™ optical elements to achieve uniform, comfortable light with high optical efficiency. Integration with building automation systems is addressed through multiple control options. The Synapse® SimplySNAP platform offers wireless mesh networking for outdoor and industrial applications, enabling daylight harvesting and sensor-driven control without requiring an internet connection for local operation. For wired, IP-based systems, their SmartCast® Power over Ethernet (PoE) platform integrates with frameworks like Cisco's Digital Ceiling, using a single ethernet cable for both power and data to connect fixtures to the IoT. Cree Lighting's Traveyo® series streetlights now offer a Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) option, allowing for individual and group control within robust, flexible lighting networks. This two-way communication capability enables real-time monitoring of each luminaire's operational status, a key feature for integration into larger smart city and building management systems. From a sustainability standpoint, the company's Racine, Wisconsin facility has achieved TRUE Silver certification for zero waste, diverting 95% of its waste from landfills. This aligns with a broader industry push toward a circular economy, as outlined in standards like CIBSE's TM66, which focuses on creating maintainable and repairable luminaires to extend product lifecycles. In a recent interview, Shirley Coyle, President of Cree Lighting Canada, explained that new owner ADLT intends to position Cree as its premium brand, focusing on technology leadership and quality. This strategy will be critical as they work to rebuild trust with specifiers and navigate a market where reliability and predictable delivery are paramount.