On Tuesday, July 11, 2022, Strand Lighting, LLC. voluntarily filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in a Dallas, TX court. There are now many rumors and discussions swirling around the industry about why and what this means so PLSN reached out to Signify [the ownership of the Strand brand] to clarify the situation. They told us that this filing is a part of the ongoing unifying branding effort of Signify to centralize its entertainment lighting products in a single legal entity, Vari-Lite LLC, and with focus on the Vari-Lite brand for all new entertainment products.
https://youtu.be/PsMi1hY1A-A
In recent years, Signify’s entertainment lighting business has become the home to some of the industry’s most iconic entertainment lighting brands, including Vari-Lite, Showline, Selecon, and Strand. In 2019, Signify phased out the Showline and Selecon brands, while Vari-Lite and Strand continued to operate in their own business-focused brands.
In 2020, Signify decided to centralize its investments in entertainment lighting, moving forward with Vari-Lite LLC as the brand that would eventually be the sole legal entity to conduct and coordinate business for all Signify entertainment lighting. Then in 2021, Zero 88, the entertainment lighting controls and power management brand, joined the Signify entertainment business unit.
As of August 2022, Signify will continue this brand simplification journey and their commitment to focus all lighting products under one entertainment brand—Vari-Lite—to best reflect the way Signify operates their business. This means that all new entertainment products will only be branded as Vari-Lite. To avoid customer confusion, Signify, however will not be rebranding existing legacy products.
The company believes that this strategy creates a significantly stronger, more competitive global brand and provides Signify customers with a clearer company identity, and greatly improved and simplified experience. Vari-Lite is globally renowned for quality, reliability, expertise, and innovation in entertainment lighting and has earned deep brand loyalty.
These ongoing branding changes will roll out in phases over the coming months. Customers will not notice any change in their interactions with Signify’s entertainment group, as the existing Vari-Lite, Strand, and Zero 88 brands are already being supported by one operational team, cumulating from the strong experience inherited from all the brands.
Further information from Vari-Lite: https://www.vari-lite.com/
