Siemens AG, Munich, Germany, sold off the lighting-fixture and ballast manufacturing operations that were part of its Drives and Standard Products Group. The fixture business was sold to Lighting Corporation of America (LCA), a subsidiary of U.S. Industries, Iselin, N.J., and the group's two electronic ballast plants went to Siemens' Osram GmbH subsidiary.
LCA bought the Siemens Lighting operations for approximately $67 million. LCA's acquisition of the division that generates approximately $185 million in annual sales is part of a strategy by U.S. Industries to build LCA's presence worldwide, said David Clarke, chairman and CEO of U.S. Industries. LCA's primary area of activity has been North America. The Siemens acquisition gives it a strong base of operations in Europe, particularly in Germany.
Osram acquired two ballast plants, expanding its capacity to manufacture electronic ballasts and boosting its efforts to develop new lighting systems. The plants are in Traunreut, Germany, and Panyu, China. Both plants build electronic ballasts for linear fluorescent lamps, and Osram already purchases most of the ballasts made there.