Page 14 - Lighting Magazine October 2019

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IN MEMORIAM:
RUTH SPIRA OF LUTRON
EUROFASE APPOINTS INDUSTRY VETERAN TONY DAVIDSON AS PRESIDENT R
etirement isn’t for everyone. “I don’t golf, fish, or gamble, but I like
building a business and love lighting,” admits Tony Davidson, who retired from Kichler last year after a long tenure at its helm. “I’ve missed the people in the industry, and perhaps got a bit homesick,” he jokes.
After initially serving as a consultant for Toronto-based lighting manufacturer Euro- fase’s growth plans, the firm’s
owners asked if he would come on board as President. “I find that family businesses [such as Eurofase] are very much entre- preneurial, and that has always been appealing to me,” he says. “There is good business chemistry between the ownership team and myself. I feel very much at home,” he states.
Speaking of home, although Davidson and his family still reside in Cleveland, he has been enjoying exploring Toronto and ap- preciating the city’s culture. ‘It’s a young [person’s] city and very diverse,” he notes. He also welcomes the very different product style that has distinguished Eurofase in the marketplace. “I look at it as a lifestyle line [serving] more of the luxury market,” he says, adding, “I like that you can take a bit of a risk with product styling.”
The decision to jump back into the industry full-time wasn’t a hard one to make. “I really like their business culture and the family side of it. This is an easy fit for me,” he says.
Davidson officially began his new duties as President on Monday, September 23.
“There is good business chemistry between the ownership team and myself. I feel very much at home.”
C
oopersburg, Pa.-based resident Ruth Rodale Spira, Co-Founder and Co-Chairwoman of Lutron Electronics, died August 31 in Allentown,
Pa., at the age of 90. Ruth was pre-deceased by her husband of 60 years, Lutron Chairman, Co-Founder & Director of Research, Joel Spira, in 2015.
Born on December 9, 1928, to J.I. and Anna (Andrews) Rodale, Ruth earned a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Wellesley College and was awarded an Honorary Doctor- ate from Muhlenberg College. Following her graduation, she joined Rodale Press which was founded by her parents. In time, she became Editor of the periodical Organic Gardening & Farming and saved up her money for a trip of a lifetime. Always adventurous, Ruth traveled to Paris at age 26 in the 1950s as a single woman, which was almost unheard of at the time. During her trip, she became fluent in French and developed a love of French and Asian food. Upon her return, she settled in New York City and became a researcher for an encyclopedia company. Soon after, she met her husband, Joel.
Joel and Ruth started Lutron in the spare bedroom of their Upper West Side apartment. Together, they grew Lutron from a local Coopersburg, Pa.-based entrepre- neurial business that sold two products to the global leader in lighting and shading controls.
In the early days, Ruth was hand-on in the quality con- trol area, making sure all products were properly tested. Considered to be the cornerstone of the company, Ruth created and implemented Lutron’s familial culture of inclusiveness and community, welcoming everyone through the door as family.
Ruth’s impact on the company could be felt worldwide. She established Lutron’s Marketing Com- munications department and went on to develop much of Lutron’s marketing materials. She took great pride in mentoring people and welcoming them into the Lutron family. She also took great pride in giving back to the local community. For decades, she was active with numerous organizations, including the Allentown Art Museum, the Allentown Arts Commission, the Pennsyl- vania Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Lehigh Valley Wellesley College Group. She had served as a trustee for Cedar Crest College and as a board member for the DeSales University Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. She was also an active member of Lutron’s Advisory Council.
12 enLIGHTenment Magazine | october 2019
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