SESCO Lighting has acquired WHOCO Lighting & Controls (formerly W.H. Onley Company), effective as of 1 September 2022.
SESCO Lighting, headquartered in Maitland, Florida, said the move will further strengthen its growing presence in the Carolinas, with nearly 70 employees between the two states. Additionally, SESCO Lighting will expand with its representation of manufacturer partners like ETC, Canto, TMB and others.
WHOCO Lighting & Controls was founded more than 30 years ago by William ‘Bill’ Onley, and purchased by Josh and Amy Allen in 2017. “It has been an honour to have been entrusted with the company that Bill Onley spent his life building,” said Josh Allen, co-owner and COO. “We’ve been extremely proud to represent our wonderful manufacturers and to have grown the specialty lighting and controls market in the Carolinas these last five years. WHOCO and SESCO have always held close working relationships within our industry. This acquisition is a logical next step, ensuring that specifiers, dealers and customers in the Carolinas will continue to receive unparalleled support for their projects with the resources SESCO brings to the territory. Amy and I are excited for the WHOCO and SESCO teams and are confident that the Carolinas will continue to thrive with SESCO.”
“We are excited to be adding talented individuals from the WHOCO team to our organisation and further extend our relationship with industry-leading partners to the Carolinas,” said John Palk, president and CEO of SESCO Lighting. “Being able to bring into SESCO, and carry on the legacy and longevity of WHOCO that Josh and Amy cared for and further cultivated, is something we will take a lot of pride in. We will work closely with our manufacturer partners and clients to ensure this transition for them is seamless and successful.”
“Focusing on lighting controls has been a passion of mine since starting my career at SESCO,” said Rhonda Viveney, senior vice president of lighting controls. “Now with more than 45 dedicated lighting controls personnel, we are thrilled to be able to serve the Carolinas.”
Founded in 1967, SESCO Lighting is a lighting manufacturers’ representative company, with more than 375 employees, 21 branch offices and 10 support divisions. The company is 100% employee-owned covering Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Caribbean.
