Bill and Terri Baas, owners of Candela Corp., Irvine, Calif., have acquired Sunray Lighting Inc., also of Irvine. Candela Corp. was spun off from Sunray Lighting in 1986.
Sunray Lighting will be merged into Candela Corp. and the name Sunray Lighting will be retired from the lighting business. The change becomes official on May 2.
The newly combined companies will operate out of Candela’s Irvine headquarters, as well as branches in Norcross, Ga., and Bethlehem, Pa. Three of Candela’s stocking locations will speed delivery times to Sunray customers. Call centers on the East and West Coasts give customers a 12-hour live ordering window.
Bill Baas said, “Changes in the marketplace caused us to take a look at the effectiveness of keeping two business structures going when one could do the job. Our customers will appreciate the availability of a full line of lighting products with one call, fax or e-mail.”
Sunray Lighting was founded in 1948 by Terri Baas’s father, John Tison. It operated as a full-line lighting distribution company until 1986 when the large and photo lamps, and ballast product lines were spun off to form Candela Corp. After the spin-off, Sunray specialized exclusively in miniature and sealed beam lamps, and sockets. Both companies distributed nationwide, primarily serving the electrical wholesaling market.
Bill and Terri Baas said the acquisition marks a shift in the family’s business legacy. They said putting the two companies back together allows the family’s second generation to carry on the family business ideal of great customer service while incorporating high-tech business practices that will take Candela into the future.
According to Terri Baas, Candela’s operating philosophy keeps the company on the cutting edge of technology. “Our computer and phone systems are state-of-the-art. Sunray customers can now enjoy the fastest service technology we can offer combined with friendly, highly trained customer service reps. Our electrical wholesalers, OEMs and lamp resellers have a wide range of electronic options to place and track orders,” said Terri Baas.
Sunray employee Jack Pakeltis will move to Candela as miniature lamp group manager. He will be joined by Ted Ridens who will serve as miniature lamp purchasing agent. Many Sunray customer service reps, warehouse and accounting staff will join the Candela staff.
Phone and fax numbers will remain in place for both companies. Now, orders for all lamp types can be placed on one purchase order. Miniature lamp inventory will be expanded to all three Candela locations by the end of June.
Candela Corp. was the subject of an April 1998 cover story in Electrical Wholesaling magazine.