Key lighting industry leaders joined forces to emphasize their long-term commitment to a single lighting marketplace at the Dallas Market Center, which hosts the next lighting market Jan. 13–17.

Executives with Crystal Clear, Hinkley Lighting, Kichler, Murray Feiss and Quoizel Lighting held a joint press conference Nov. 16 to encourage others in the lighting industry to stay unified in favor of Dallas as the premier lighting market.

Rick Wiedemer, president of Hinkley and chairman of the DMC Lighting Board of Governors, stopped short of saying the Las Vegas World Market Center was the impetus for the group's posture.

"High Point has always been out there, and now other marketplaces are developing," Wiedemer said. "What we're saying is for lighting fixtures, we think there only needs to be one North American market, and we're already located in Dallas and invested there. We support an exclusive market in Dallas today, tomorrow and for the long term."

Many of the more than 260 lighting companies in DMC have extended showroom leases or expanded their presence in the last 18 months.

"The physical infrastructure of our showrooms, the unique Dallas marketplace dynamic, the logistics of travel and time spent at market, and the marketing efforts to promote our business in Dallas all operate effectively because of the single marketplace model," said Murray Feiss, CEO of Murray Feiss Import Co. "The last thing this industry needs is an additional market."

Results of a comprehensive state-of-the-industry survey to identify business trends and opportunities will be released at the January Lighting Market in Dallas. Hundreds of lighting manufacturers and showroom owners participated in the survey, conducted by Puder and Associates of Longwood, Colo.

"The current business climate demands sound, strategic decisions based upon past success and future opportunities, and not based upon unproven facilities or creating a fragmented marketplace calling for increased expenses," Kichler Lighting Chairman Barry Minoff said.

"Together, we have invested significant resources to create a single marketplace in a geographically central location with a critical mass of lighting manufacturers," Quoizel Lighting Chairman of the Board Ira Phillips said.

Fragmenting the marketplace would increase expenses and result in a negative return on investment, agreed Sy Mayerson of the Mayerson Group International and Crystal Clear Lighting. "A constantly changing business climate needs the secure foundation of historically successful facilities with proven track records," Mayerson said.

Wiedemer said the concerted effort was intended to bring the lighting industry back into focus.