Page 30 - Lighting Magazine September 2018

ALA
Torch Bearers
Connecticut Lighting Centers can a ribute its success to three generations of the Director family joining together to move the business forward.
BY MARK OKUN
It is refreshing to see a family business continue successfully through generations, and that’s exactly what is happening at Connecticut Light- ing Centers in a big way. Amidst a tumultuous
business climate that the digital economy has un- earthed, everything is di erent than it was in 1972 when the company began.
In full disclosure, I spent 10 years working with the Director family — an experience that impacted me greatly on a personal and professional level. It also provides me with a unique vantage point of which to tell this story.
Arthur (Art) Director and his wife, Edythe, founded Connecticut Lighting Centers in Hart- ford, Connecticut in 1972. During the early years, Art balanced family, business, and civic responsibilities while building friendships and al- liances with local businesses, fellow showrooms, and lighting manufacturers. Out of the couple’s two children, only David stayed in the business.
As time moved forward and the new concept of a “lighting-only store” grew, so did Connecti- cut Lighting Centers, where David eventually assumed leadership as President. David’s skills allow him to play an important role: he leads his team from the front with both purpose and course while in the background, he serves as the nal
David Director, with his parents Art and Edythe
28 enLIGHTenment Magazine | SepteMber 2018
www.enlightenmentmag.com