Page 88 - Lighting Magazine June 2018

Bright Light,
Big City
Located on the third oor of Philadelphia’s new Design Center
is Bright Light’s rst trade-only showroom.
BY HANNAH RACHEL CARROLL
A er 100+ years serving the public, electricians, and builders in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Dela- ware, Maryland, and New York through its 18 locations, Colonial Electric Sup-
ply broke with tradition when it recently opened a Bright Light Design Center speci cally to the trade in Center City, Philadelphia.
For a lighting distributor dealing predominantly with retail and walk-in tra c, opening a trade-only showroom is very unusual. It’s a good thing the per- son heading up the operation, the company’s Vice President David Bellwoar, is anything but ordinary.
“I’ll admit, I’m a bit silly,” says Bellwoar, who exudes quirky charm — the kind that commands a ention and naturally works a room. He’s a man of unabashed style who enjoys homemade espresso, pranking his employees, and discussing lighting manufacturers
he’s most passionate about. His Bright Light division makes more than $10 million a year, yet Bellwoar considers himself a simple, local businessman.
“I think it comes down to how I was raised,” he says, citing the work-hard-play-hard mentality. “I’m honestly just a li le guy trying to t into the industry.”
Since 1972, his family has grown Colonial Elec- tric Supply across ve states, with more than 300 employees, 40 delivery trucks, and nearly $1 billion in sales annually. Bellwoar doesn’t just t into the industry — he’s part of lighting royalty. His right to sit on the throne, though, is earned.
“My grandfather said positions of power in this company would go to any Bellwoar who wanted it, just as long as they worked for it,” he explains. “There’s no default entitlement at Colonial. We each went to college, put in the time, proved our dedica- tion, ran with new ideas, brushed ourselves o when
The Bright Light Design Center o ers highly curated light- ing displays against the Philadelphia skyline.
86 enLIGHTenment Magazine | June 2018
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