Lutron Electronics has announced plans to acquire Ketra to help it offer a more comprehensive product line, including customizable lighting and control for residential and commercial applications.
Lutron Electronics has announced plans to acquire Ketra to help it offer a more comprehensive product line, including customizable lighting and control for residential and commercial applications.
Ketra, founded in Austin, Texas, in 2009, offers “natural light” solutions in residential and commercial environments. The lights include white, pastels and saturated colors, which can be adjusted for variable spaces to meet different needs.
Ketra uses a common light emitter technology platform across all its products, which can be controlled via a proprietary ZigBee network. Its technology can even calculate the exact performance of the RGBW LED emitters times per second, allowing users to control individual LED lights in real time.
It was a natural move for Lutron Electronics to expand its product portfolio with Ketra’s light sources and controls, said Ed Blair, senior vice president of Lutron.
“This acquisition allows Lutron to take care of its customers with the most comprehensive portfolio of light control solutions in the industry. Moreover, it uniquely positions Lutron for the greatest success in the market’s areas of growth, like simulated natural light, smart homes and buildings and tunable white,” said Blair in a statement.
After this acquisition, Lutron will become a manufacturer of both light sources and light bulbs for the first time in the company’s history.
Lutron’s established global reach will give Ketra the opportunity to bring its solutions to more markets. The company aims to bring tunable white light into the mainstream.
Ketra light sources are compatible with the Lutron HomeWorks QS total home control system and Lutron Quantum total light management system. Lutron will further evaluate Ketra’s other solutions such as fixtures, controls and keypads, and incorporate them into Lutron’s offerings.
Lutron plans to keep Ketra’s R&D center in Austin. The company already has engineering locations in Boston, Philadelphia and Florida, with the headquarters are located in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania.
“Ketra’s range of quality light complements the Lutron light control product offering and enables our customers to create a more comfortable, productive and pleasant environment at home and at work. We’re excited to deliver this expanded light control solution to the industry,” said Mike Pessina, co-CEO and President at Lutron Electronics, in a statement.