Eurofase Taps Industry Veteran Tony Davidson as President

Retirement 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 Eurofase’s growth plans, the firm’s owners asked if he would come on board as President and bring those plans to fruition. “It’s exciting to grow a company. I find that family businesses [such as Eurofase] are very much entrepreneurial, 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 appreciating 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.

Eurofase’s executive team Joe and Jack Bitton, add, “Tony will assume the day-to-day leadership role for the company along with establishing the company’s long-term strategy for the future. His management style and experience will be a great addition to our family business…Eurofase has a strong management team in place today and with his addition we are extremely excited about the future.”

Davidson officially began his new duties as President on Monday, September 23.