Mr. John Morgan gave a dynamic presentation on Acuity Brands investment strategies in Mexico and China on April 5th, 2004 at Kennesaw State University. The Coles College of Business hosts key business leaders several times a year for the Tetley Distinguished Leader Lecture Series held on campus for students, faculty and guests. Mr. Morgan presented an overview of the factors his company took into consideration when deciding whether or not to expand operations into Mexico and China. The company started in Mexico first, and later established a representative office in Shanghai in 2003. In a short time the company’s China operations have expanded quickly, and are expected to grow substantially. The company began its international operations in the 1980s with exports from its Conyers facility.
Acuity Brands, Inc., with fiscal year 2003 net sales of over $2.0 billion, is comprised of Acuity Brands Lighting and Acuity Specialty Products. Acuity Brands Lighting is a world leader in lighting fixtures and includes brands such as Lithonia Lighting®, Holophane®, Peerless®, Hydrel®, American Electric Lighting®, and Gotham®. Acuity Specialty Products is a leading provider of specialty chemicals and includes brands such as Zep®, Enforcer®, and Selig Industries™. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Acuity Brands employs approximately 11,000 people and has operations throughout North American, Europe and Asia.
