November 18, 2024
Jim Williams builds out leadership while onboarding key lighting brands across regions
Launching and scaling a lighting agency across four territories in less than two months is no small feat. From securing office spaces to acquiring equipment to building line cards and assembling a team of driven professionals, the challenge requires precision and speed. During a weekend conversation with Inside Lighting, Jim Williams, founder of JAW Lighting, shared how his team is meeting these challenges head-on as they launch operations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Columbus as Cooper Lighting Solutions’ new representative in these regions.
The Tennessee operation of JAW Lighting officially began representing Cooper Lighting on November 1, 2024, with offices established in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. On December 1, JAW Lighting will also take over representation in the Ohio Valley territories of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Louisville. These moves mark a major step for both JAW Lighting and Cooper Lighting as they shift agency representation in the region.
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Williams told Inside Lighting that he is building an agency based on high-quality people and a vision to serve and support stakeholders with renewed vigor in the market.
Strategic Leadership Across Markets
To manage its rapidly expanding footprint, JAW Lighting has brought on seasoned professionals to lead its regional operations. The leadership team reflects a mix of local expertise and industry veterans who align with the agency’s vision of quality representation.
Above: Walker Moore, photo credit, LinkedIn
Walker Moore, Vice President: Moore brings over a decade of experience in business development from Chicago-based Walsh Construction, where he collaborated with Jim Williams. Following Williams’ transition from Chicago to Nashville, Moore joined JAW Lighting to help build and expand the agency. His role spans all four territories, focusing on fostering relationships with developers, general contractors, and architectural firms.
Above: Mike Felton, photo credit, LinkedIn
Mike Felton, VP of Ohio Valley: Felton will oversee operations in Columbus and Cincinnati. A veteran with 11 years at Acuity Brands, Felton has a long-standing professional relationship with Williams, who led Acuity’s Chicago agent, KSA Lighting & Controls. Though Felton resides in the Cleveland suburbs, there are no plans for JAW Lighting and Cooper Lighting to team up in the Cleveland/Akron market at this time with Felton expected to become intimately familiar with Interstate 71 throughout the Buckeye state.
Above: Jason Tatge, photo credit, LinkedIn
Jason Tatge, VP of Tennessee: Responsible for Tennessee operations, Tatge oversees the Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga offices. With a background managing a CED profit center in Nashville, Tatge aims to establish a strong foundation for the Tennessee market.
Kentucky: In the Bluegrass State, Williams stated that he has enlisted Craig West, Brian Fort, and Zeb West, all formerly of longtime Cooper Lighting agent, Engineered Lighting Sales. West is playing a key role in Kentucky’s development, managing sales hires, line card alignment, and the establishment of a Louisville office.
Tennessee Line Card:
Outside of Cooper Lighting, numerous independent lighting brands have aligned with JAW Lighting in Tennessee including:
- Acclaim Lighting
- Advantage Environmental Lighting
- Amerlux
- Atlantic Lighting
- Auroralight
- Bartco
- BASO
- Designplan Lighting
- Evenlite
- Graffiti
- Green Frog Systems
- Klik USA
- Kuzco Lighting
- KW Industries
- Lumenwerx
- Moss Objects
- Nova Flex LED
- Omnilight
- Phoenix Lighting
- Specialty Lighting Industries
- U.S. Arch / Sun Valley
- XAL
Many of these brands were formerly represented by Tennessee Lighting Sales.
Building Teams for Growth
JAW Lighting’s hiring strategy emphasizes quality over quantity, focusing on talent that aligns with the agency’s vision. In Tennessee, the agency has selectively hired individuals from Tennessee Lighting Sales, the former Cooper agent, while also recruiting from outside the territory. For example, Andrew Dyer, previously with Cooper’s Virginia agent, JJM, has joined the team to cover the Tri-Cities area of eastern Tennessee.
In Ohio and Kentucky, JAW Lighting is blending industry veterans and new talent. Felton’s Ohio presence and extensive network are expected to accelerate team building in Columbus and Cincinnati. The Kentucky team, with Craig West’s influence, is also focused on recruiting and establishing a strong presence in Louisville and beyond.
Market Shifts
JAW Lighting replaces three long-standing Cooper agents in the Ohio Valley: Spectrum Lighting in Columbus, K2SA Lighting & Controls in Cincinnati, and Engineered Lighting Sales in Kentucky. The decision reflects Cooper’s strategic shift towards consolidating its representation under Williams’ leadership, leveraging his track record as the former CEO of KSA Lighting & Controls in Chicago.
Jim Williams
As Jim Williams scales operations, his focus remains on solidifying its presence across its four territories. The agency’s rapid expansion underscores Cooper Lighting’s confidence in Williams and his leadership team to deliver results in competitive markets. The hiring frenzy across Tennessee, Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Columbus is expected to continue, with additional roles being filled to meet the demands of a growing geographic footprint.
With its first month of operations in Tennessee already underway and Ohio Valley and Kentucky territories coming online in December, JAW Lighting is setting the table for a fresh presence in the region.
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