October 21, 2014 – Acuity Brands announced it is building a “world-class” engineering and technology centre at a site it owns in Decatur, Ga., and will invest in facility upgrades at its complex in Conyers, Ga., as part of a plan “to enhance a workplace that will drive innovation and technology advances”.

“This multi-year investment will help Acuity Brands foster a cutting-edge work environment for our people that will accelerate our collaboration and innovation processes, as well as help us retain and attract world-class talent,” said Vernon J. Nagel, president, chair and CEO (photo).

In the $11-million Decatur project, the company will retrofit an existing 167,000-sf building to become its new Engineering and Technology Centre. Located at One Lithonia Way, the building will incorporate “leading workplace design, technology and systems”. The project will begin immediately, with completion scheduled for mid-2015. Acuity will relocate about 200 software and electrical engineers, technologists and support staff to the Decatur facility from its Conyers location once construction is completed.

Beginning later this year—and over the next several years—Acuity will invest in redesigning and retrofitting the four main buildings on its Conyers campus to include open workspace design, new infrastructure and technologies, as well as new furnishings.

Acuity says it will also receive various incentives from the state and the counties involved in support of its investment.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and employing about 7000, Acuity’s lighting solutions are sold under various brands, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Gotham, Mark Architectural Lighting, Winona Lighting, Healthcare Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Carandini, Antique Street Lamps, Sunoptics, RELOC Wiring Solutions, Acculamp, eldoLED and Acuity Controls.