Page 44 - Lighting Magazine November 2018

PILLARS OF INDUSTRY! (continued)
ALA Conference Report
ManufactuReR
Chris Primous of MaxLite has spent 15 years shar- ing his knowledge of lighting and energy from an engineering perspective by serving on various ALA Commi ees. His career spans work as an Applications Engineer for Acuity Brands through project management duties at Hubbell Lighting as well as ICF consulting group, Permlight Products, and Intematix.
“I was told during my rst week at Lithonia [part of Acuity] that once you get into the lighting busi- ness, you never get out,” Primous joked. He told the audience how much he enjoyed working with the ENERGY STAR program in Washington, D.C. and is “grateful for the industry.” In closing, he remarked, “I am completely humbled and appre- ciative to be able to work with all of you.”
SaleS RepReSentative
“I am a third-generation lighting veteran,” said Mi- chael Estrin of Estrin Zirkman Sales as he stepped up to the podium. “I began working as a lighting rep back in 1988, but my father and his brother started a new concept [a lighting showroom] when I was seven years old,” he shared. “My rst job was cleaning out ashtrays and by the time I reached college, I was working there on nights and weekends.”
In 1988, Estrin called an old family friend – the late Ira Phillips – and asked for a job as a factory rep for Quoizel. A er a few days of deliberation, Phillips hired Estrin. “I was there for ve years and learned many valuable lessons,” he recounted.
Estrin went on to rep Kichler for several decades and credited its recently retired CEO Tony Davidson for “always being there with advice and encourage- ment,” he commented. “I’ve met so many tremendous people from around the country and around the world. I would not have been able to achieve my success without my wife, Mandy, who would always remind me that there was more to life than lighting.
“Behind every person is a village of people,” Estrin remarked, referring to those who have helped him along the way — from past and present business part- ners Frank Calabrese and Jim Zirkman to his retail customers, his fellow reps, and “all the people I’ve worked with for over 30 years. I wouldn’t have had so much success without you. As technology has been evolving over the past 10 years, it has reminded me to adapt. My father always told me, ‘Figure it out.’ Don’t be afraid of change. I implore you that the old formu- las for success will not work today. Join the ALA and become active in it. Don’t allow others to control your fate. Reward those who earn it and respect those around you. I’m grateful to have you all in my life.”
42 enLIGHTenment Magazine | noveMber 2018
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