Page 42 - Lighting Magazine September 2018

ALA
Committed to Excellence
Three generations of family stand behind AFX, currently celebrating 80 years of innovation with plans to continue on for many more decades to come.
One of the most iconic names in profes- sional football history is Coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1967. His style of
leadership – which centered on e ort and commit- ment – inspired the very best performance from his players. He knew how to get his team to execute his plan to perfection, out-perform their opponents, and play mistake-free football.
Those sentiments that Lombardi shared about teamwork, winning, and honor have gone far beyond football; his leadership style has been emulated by companies in nearly every type of business imaginable.
In the lighting industry, one of the most iconic names is AFX (formerly known as American Fluo- rescent), whose leadership has similarly built a culture based on a commitment to excellence for the past 80 years. The now third-generation, family-owned company has continually grown and evolved its services, o erings, and approach in response to – and sometimes ahead of – what the market demands. Illinois-based AFX has done a remarkable job of reinventing and transforming it- self while remaining rmly rooted in the values that have been at the core since the beginning.
A winner of numerous design and innovation awards over the years, AFX’s portfolio includes indoor and outdoor xtures along with designer- oriented and basic products for commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and residential applications. These designs have helped re-de ne energy-e - cient lighting and re-invented the decorative xture category by combining aesthetics with the latest LED technology and top-notch design engineering.
Back to the Beginning
William Rusnak grew up in a Chicago banking fam- ily, and as a young man owned a furniture store. While a ending the 1933-34 Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago, Rusnak rst encountered the concept of uorescent lighting. He decided to take a chance and invest in what he guessed would be a signi cant impact of the newly discovered technology. Rusnak opened the doors to American Fluorescent in 1938.
His son-in-law, Jerry Solomon, joined him two years later and became instrumental as the busi- ness gained a foothold in the industry. Solomon became President in 1959 and, under his leader- ship, the company built a reputation as an innovator.
BY MARY JO MARTIN
40 enLIGHTenment Magazine | SepteMber 2018
www.enlightenmentmag.com
Bill Solomon with his family.