Jessica Mularski – Renova

Recently I was reviewing our Q3 Pulse of Lighting Report and there were a few things that jumped out at me. They included:

• Impact of tariffs (I know, duh!) but some comments about Made in America manufacturers.
• The most promising segment of the market is small and medium-sized projects – new and renovation.
• Opportunities in the institutional segment
• A continued trend to value-engineering and contractors doing more design / build.

At the same time, while perusing LinkedIn I saw a posting from Jessica Mularski, the president and owner of Rhode Island-based Renova. She was highlighting that they just received their certification as an MBE / Woman-owned business. And they are a Made in America lighting manufacturer.

So, serendipity. An intriguing story.

I asked Jessica if she would be interested in a profile for our US Lighting Trends publication as we seek to bring ideas to reps / lighting agents, distributors, contractors and lighting specifiers.

As a good owner and marketer, she said yes and gave me lots of content. And then I said to myself (and yes, myself answers me), since Renova sells through distributors, and distributors are seeking lighting creativity and value-engineering resources, as well as the MBE and Made in America designations can help win business, let’s share a little on ElectricalTrends.

So, here’s some insights on Renova and how Renova can help distributors. More will be in an upcoming issue of US Lighting Trends, so I encourage you to subscribe if you currently do not receive.

Overview and History of Renova

Renova Lighting was founded in 1998 by Rick Edwards and a group of visionary business partners with a mission to pioneer energy-efficient lighting solutions across the United States. For over two decades, we dedicated ourselves to innovation, starting with a strong foundation in fluorescent lighting before seamlessly transitioning into the LED era. We retrofitted our existing product lines to embrace this shift, ensuring our solutions remained at the forefront of efficiency and performance. Tragically, Rick passed away in 2022, leaving behind an incredible legacy of quality craftsmanship and forward-thinking design. On June 1, 2023, my husband Jeremy and I acquired Renova, honored to steward its future. As a family-led operation, we’re committed to honoring that heritage while infusing our own passion for ethical manufacturing and customer-centric innovation. Today, Renova specializes in customized LED lighting for commercial, architectural, and industrial applications, all produced in-house at our Rhode Island facility. We design, engineer, fabricate, assemble, quality-control, and ship every product—ensuring unparalleled reliability and personalization.

Certification as a Woman-Owned Business: Transition and Impact

Our recent certification as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Woman Business Enterprise (WBE)—alongside our Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) status—marks a pivotal chapter in Renova’s evolution, especially following our acquisition in 2023. This isn’t just a formality; it’s a reflection of our transition to new leadership under my guidance as a woman entrepreneur, building on 25+ years of established excellence. This certification is profoundly important to us because it aligns with our core values of inclusivity and opportunity, opening doors to government set-asides and diverse supplier programs that level the playing field for small, innovative manufacturers like ours.

For our manufacturer reps, lighting agents, and distributors, it means enhanced marketability—they can position Renova as a strategic partner for projects requiring diversity compliance, giving them a competitive edge in bids. Customers benefit too: specifiers and end-users gain access to high-quality, compliant products that help meet regulatory goals without compromising on performance. It fosters trust, signaling our commitment to ethical practices and community impact. Ultimately, it’s a win-win that strengthens partnerships and drives sustainable growth.

What Differentiates Renova?

In a crowded market, Renova stands out through our unwavering commitment to customization, vertical integration, and exceptional customer service. We don’t just assemble—we fabricate sheet metal in-house, allowing us to tweak everything from sizes and gauges to controls, paint finishes, lumen packages, color temperatures (CCTs), and CRI values to meet precise project demands. Our LED solutions boast exceptional efficiency. As a certified WBE/WOSB, we’re primed for set-aside opportunities, and our products fully comply with the Buy American Act (BAA), Build America Buy America Act (BABAA), and Trade Agreements Act (TAA). We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours, provide tailored lighting plans to streamline project design, and offer on-site support—visiting customers to take measurements and provide expert guidance when needed. What truly sets us apart is our white-glove service: from concept to delivery, our team handles every step, ensuring American-made quality that’s resilient to supply chain disruptions. It’s not mass production—it’s bespoke brilliance for those who demand it.

Made in Rhode Island

Leveraging Differentiation, MBE, and “Made in America”

Absolutely, our reps, distributors, and specifiers are increasingly leveraging these strengths to secure projects, and it’s yielding real results. Our MBE/WBE status helps general contractors fulfill diversity requirements, freeing up budget flexibility elsewhere, while “Made in America” appeals to clients prioritizing ethical sourcing and reliability. We’ve seen this play out in bids for public sector work, where compliance gives us an edge.

To amplify effectiveness, reps could emphasize storytelling in pitches: Highlight case studies of how our custom fab reduced lead times by 30% on a hospital retrofit, or how BAA compliance streamlined approvals for a municipal park upgrade. Distributors might bundle training sessions on the human-centric benefits of the Sunlike chip we offer, educating specifiers on ROI beyond lumens—like enhanced occupant well-being. Specifiers could integrate our differentiators into early RFPs, using tools like our online configurator for quick custom mocks. More co-branded webinars or trade show demos showcasing our Rhode Island fab in action would further ignite enthusiasm.

Unique Renova Projects

Our custom capabilities have landed us on some truly remarkable endeavors. For instance, we’ve outfitted nearly every police precinct in a major East Coast metropolis with energy efficient fixtures that enhance visibility for 24/7 operations while blending seamlessly into architectural aesthetics. In the Central Park offices, we designed lighting solutions to illuminate their interior space. Hospital projects are a highlight: We have retrofitted thousands of fixtures that prevented construction from going into the ceilings. On the educational front, we’ve illuminated offices, classrooms, and athletic areas at Ivy League-level institutions, incorporating dimmable, energy-efficient arrays that withstand heavy foot traffic. They aren’t off-the-shelf installs—they’re tailored triumphs that showcase our fabrication prowess.

Identifying Needs and Bringing Renova In

Clients and specifiers typically recognize the need for our expertise during the conceptual or schematic design phase, when off-the-shelf solutions fall short—for reasons such as unique spatial constraints, strict compliance requirements (e.g., BAA, BABAA, or TAA for federal projects), or advanced performance needs like high-efficacy, human-centric lighting for wellness-focused spaces. Common triggers that lead folks to call Renova include budget demands for tailored efficiency, the need for customized sizing, diversity procurement goals, or post-bid discoveries that imported products are impractical due to tariffs, supply chain delays, or compliance issues.

The “Ideal” Project Profile for Renova

Our sweet spot is mid-to-large-scale public or institutional projects (e.g., $100K+ lighting budgets) in sectors like government offices, military facilities, healthcare, education, or municipal infrastructure—especially in the Northeast but scalable nationwide. Ideal clients are progressive specifiers or GCs navigating set-asides, BABA compliance, or sustainability goals, seeking 50+ custom fixtures with tweaks like varied gauges, sizes, integrated sensors, or human-centric LEDs. Think a federal office retrofit prioritizing ethical sourcing, or a hospital expansion needing circadian-optimized, tamper-proof designs. These projects value our end-to-end control for on-time delivery and allow us to flex our fab muscle, delivering 20-30% energy savings while hitting diversity metrics. It’s where we shine: Impactful, compliant, and infinitely adaptable.

Lighting Trends for 2026

Opportunities abound in federal expansions and smart-building retrofits. Renova is primed: We’re rolling out our innovative Sunlike chip this year—offering 98 CRI, Rf 96-98, Rg 99-101, and 132 lm/W in a cost-effective, violet-free package that accelerates natural-light adoption without premium pricing. By 2026, we’ll introduce heat-mapping sensors for fixtures, revolutionizing security (e.g., detecting anomalies in active-shooter scenarios) while tying into energy management. We’re investing in R&D for modular, upgradeable platforms to future-proof installs, partnering with reps for specifier education, and scaling our Rhode Island fab for faster customs. It’s an exciting horizon—we’re not just adapting; we’re leading with ethical, American ingenuity.

How Can Renova Help Distributors Win More Lighting Business?

I then asked Jessica, what should distributors know about Renova? Her feedback:

“Renova’s innovative products, compliance expertise, and responsive service empower distributors to win more lighting business by locking in specifications and meeting project demands efficiently. Here’s how:

• Easy-Install Solutions for Labor Savings: Our easy-install products save contractors significant labor costs, making Renova fixtures attractive for distributors’ bids. We retrofit both our own and other manufacturers’ fixtures, enhancing compatibility. The KVN solid body post-painted retrofit kit, a single unit that fits into existing fixtures with a quick connect and a few technical screws, installs four times faster than field-built kits. The WBW 13.5-inch wrap covers nearly any ceiling hole, eliminating time-consuming mudding and patching, streamlining retrofits and reducing project costs.
• Custom Solution Development: We create tailored solutions for unique challenges, ensuring spec compatibility. In the Bronx Community College project with GoodMart, we designed a custom pendant and provided stem relocations to address asbestos wiring for a spline ceiling, locking in specs and meeting specific design goals through close collaboration with stakeholders.
• Co-Bidding for Competitive Bids: Our WBE/WOSB and MBE certifications allow us to co-bid with distributors, enhancing bid desirability for diversity-driven contracts in federal, state, or municipal projects, giving a competitive edge in set-aside opportunities.
• Flexible Pricing for Large Jobs: We offer flexible pricing on large projects, ensuring cost-competitive bids that align with budgets while maintaining high-quality, American-made fixtures, increasing win rates.
• White-Glove Service: Renova responds to inquiries within 24 hours, provides tailored lighting layouts, and commissions wireless controls if needed. For products like the KVN retrofit kit and WBW wrap, we provide detailed installation guidance and proof-of-concept sampling.

How Could Renova Help a Distributor “Value-Engineer” Opportunities and Help Them Win?

Renova’s customization and compliance capabilities enable distributors to value-engineer projects, optimizing costs and performance to win contracts while locking in specs. Here’s how:

• Cross-Specifying and Custom Solutions for Cost Savings: Our ability to cross-specify fixtures on existing specifications saves distributors time by providing compatible alternatives without redesigns. We retrofit both our own and other manufacturers’ fixtures, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems. We also create or source solutions for project-specific challenges, adjusting sizes, 20-inch gauge flanges, or post-paint options to fit existing profiles, reducing material and labor costs. Our below-ceiling replacements eliminate expensive above-ceiling work, enhancing cost-effectiveness.
• Compliance for Streamlined Approvals: Our compliance with Buy American Act (BAA), Build America Buy America Act (BABAA), Trade Agreements Act (TAA), DLC, and Energy Star standards allows distributors to propose compliant alternatives, streamlining approvals for public sector projects and locking in specs.
• Inventory Flexibility: Storing products at our Rhode Island facility reduces distributor overhead, enabling leaner bids and supporting tight project timelines with just-in-time delivery.

What Should a Distributor Know About Renova That They Are Probably Not Hearing from the Renova Lighting Agent?

Distributors may miss key aspects of Renova’s value from lighting agents. Here are three critical points:

• Solution Development Expertise: We create or source tailored solutions for complex challenges. In the Bronx Community College project with GoodMart, we addressed asbestos wiring with custom stem relocations and a pendant design for a spline ceiling. We went on-site numerous times and held weekly meetings with electricians, Ramboll, GoodMart, NYPA, and college staff to ensure a tight summer deadline was met and the customer was happy, locking in specs efficiently.
• THRIVE Chip for High-Value Performance: Our Sunlike chip (98 CRI, Rf 96-98, Rg 99-101, up to 132 lm/W) offers human-centric lighting for wellness-focused spaces like schools or hospitals, a unique selling point for locking in specs that agents may underemphasize.
• Comprehensive Support: We provide wireless controls commissioning, on-site expertise, and inventory storage at our Rhode Island facility, reducing distributor costs and ensuring timely delivery to meet project needs.

How Can Distributors Learn More About Renova (Assuming They Haven’t Heard from Their Lighting Agent or Don’t Know Who Their Lighting Agent Is)?

Distributors can connect with Renova directly to explore our capabilities. Here’s how:

• Visit Our Website: Our website http://www.renova.com details our products, certifications (WBE/WOSB/MBE, BAA/BABAA/TAA, DLC, Energy Star), cutsheets.
• Direct Contact for Collaboration: Reach out via phone, 800.635.6682, or email sales@renova.com for free consultations. We can discuss project needs, co-bid for diversity requirements, or connect distributors with regional agents.
• On-Site and Sampling Support: We offer on-site visits and proof-of-concept sampling to demonstrate solutions like easy-install fixtures or Sunlike chip performance, helping distributors build spec-ready proposals.
• Industry Events: Renova participates in trade shows (Boston Light Source, LEDUCATION, etc.) where distributors can explore our fixtures and discuss our capabilities.

Take Away

Frequently smaller, shall we say “niche” lines get lost on a lighting agent line card. And sometimes curiosity unveils opportunities.

With the lighting market being in slow / no growth mode, perhaps a niche line can help you create, or capture, an opportunity?

If you’re a lighting manufacturer and would like to be featured in US Lighting Trends, share a thought leadership article, or advertise to reach our 26,000 readers, reach out to me or Linda Longo.