Are light bulbs made in the USA?

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A look at light bulb manufacturing in the U.S.

Introduction

Are light bulbs still made in the USA? Have you ever stood in front of the light bulb display in your local hardware store, looking at the vast array of bulbs, and wondered where do they all come from? Maybe you want to support local manufacturers or avoid long supply chains and their carbon footprint.

Well the answer to whether any of these light bulbs are made here in the USA is possibly, but not very likely. A small number of light bulbs are still being manufactured in the Unites States. The SYLVANIA brand has one factory in Versailles, Kentucky. GE Lighting is still operating a factory in Bucyrus, Ohio. And TCP, who make bulbs for Walmart, has an assembly plant in Cleveland, Ohio.

Made in the USA? Companies who Manufacture and Assemble Light Bulbs in the United States

SYLVANIA

LEDVANCE own the SYLVANIA brand. They have one U.S. based light bulb factories in Versailles, Kentucky. In 2017 the company kept the factory alive by transitioned 200 jobs. Moving them from manufacture of traditional lighting products to the new LED technology. Currently, these LED light bulbs contains both U.S. and imported parts. The company sells bulbs under the brand names of SYLVANIA, LEDVANCE and OSRAM. Their bulbs are widely available from home supply stores, supermarkets and online.

Up until October 2019 Sylvania also had a factory in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. The parent company, LEDVANCE, announced its closure on April 23 2019. With a loss of 175 jobs. Additionally affecting 125 employees who worked at the company’s manufacturing plant in Juarez, Mexico. The Pennsylvania factory opened in 1907. They produced critical electrical components for artillery shells during WWII . Initially The workforce was mainly of women. Consequently the local town nicknamed the place “Girls Town USA”. Interestingly GE bought the factory in 1910 and made light bulbs there until 1921 when they sold the plant.

GE Lighting

GE sold its lighting business to Savant Systems, a privately held company, in May, 2020. Savant Systems retained the GE Lighting name and became the parent company. They have their headquarters in Hyannis, Mass. Also, as part of the sale, GE transferred their plant in Bucyrus, facilities in Cleveland and Logan, and a distribution center in Canada. Along with around 700 employees.

The plant in Bucyrus, Ohio has been open since 1942. Moreover GE added 130 jobs in 2010 when they invested $60 million bringing the T8 linear fluorescent bulb line to the plant. GE further expanded the plant in 2014, under an agreement with Walmart over the sale of GE Energy-Efficient Soft White light bulbs. In 2019 GE moved the production of it’s A-19 LED bulbs to China, laying off 60 employees and ending the production of residential LEDs in the United States. The plant employed around 200 people before the closure of the A-19 line and the current number is around 130.

Update – April 2022

Savant, who are the owners of the Bucyrus plant, told the press that they are planning to close the plant. Subsequently giving a projected date of 30th September 2022. Additional detail given in this article from LEDs Magazine.

TCP Inc.

TCP (Technical Consumer Products Inc.) Inc is one of the top 10 LED light bulb manufacturers in the world. A few facts. The company have been in business since 1993. Secondly their US headquarters are in Aurora, Ohio. As well as making their own brand of light bulbs, the company supply Walmart with light bulbs. Moreover these bulbs sell under Walmart´s own brand label. The company assembles light bulbs and fixtures in its US based facility in Aurora, Ohio. Finally, the company is privately held and has around 200 employees.

Made in the USA? Companies with Design and Distribution in the United States

So, we hope that goes some way to answer are light bulbs made in the USA?

However, not all companies are large enough to consider manufacturing their own products. That said, they still have design, development, distribution, warehousing, sales, marketing and accounting in the U.S. The following companies have a presence and employees in the United States.

Kasa

Kasa was formed in 2015 and is based in Silicon Valley in California. The company specializes in smart, connected products such as smart plugs, smart bulbs, smart light switches and smart cameras. They have four million active Kasa customers around the world. The design work for their smart products is done in California. Their products are available at Amazon, BestBuy and Walmart. The KASA smart home app is downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Sunco

Sunco make indoor and outdoor light bulbs, as well as commercial, garage and specialty lighting. A few facts about them. Firstly they are a family owned and operated company. Secondly they have been in business for over 20 years. Thirdly are based in Valencia southern California. Finally they employ 46 people. Their products are available from Amazon, Walmart or direct from their website.

Bulbrite

Bulbrite was started by Andrew Choi, an immigrant from Korea who came to NYC in the late 60’s to pursue the American Dream. The company has its offices, warehousing and distribution in Moonachie, New Jersey. Andrew´s daughter Cathy now runs the business which employs 58 people in the U.S. Products are available at Lowes, The Home Depot, Amazon, Walmart, Staples and online retailers.

Luxrite

The Luxrite brand is part of All Start Lighting, a company founded in 2005. Also, they are a family-owned business who make a wide range of energy-efficient LED bulbs and fixtures. Their offices are in Avenel, New Jersey. The company has 25 employees. Luxrite light bulbs are available from a wide range of locations. For example, Lowes, Home Depot, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Wayfair, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, online sellers or direct from their own website.

Globe Electric

Global Electric have been operating since 1932. Back then they supplied electrical accessories to contractors, commercial operations and retailers in Quebec, Canada. The company started operating in the United States in 2004 with the opening of sales offices in Atlanta, Boston and Chicago. The company also opened a warehouse in Carson, California in the same year. Whilst the company manufactures its light bulbs in China, they also employ 189 people in North America. Their bulbs are available at Lowes, Home Depot, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Wayfair and their own website.

Non-Residential Lighting

Cooper Lighting Solutions

Cooper Lighting Solutions is a business unit of Signify who are part of Phillips. They have been in business for more than 60 years and have more than 1,100 employees in North America. They have 27 different brands including HALO, Lumark and McGraw-Edison. As well as producing indoor and outdoor lighting, controls and solutions. The company’s head office is in Aurora, Colorado with additional offices in Peachtree City, Atlanta, and Vicksburg, Missouri. They have manufacturing facilities in Hicksville, New York. Their products are for commercial purposes and are available through their website.

In Conclusion

So, are light bulbs made in the USA?

In short. No. The last factory in Kentucky is holding on by its finger nails.

Still, while bulbs may not be made here there are still a lot of American companies working in lighting.

Article Sources

North American LED Suppliers from Thomasnet