The DAK Group announced that it has completed the sale of Steel Craft Industries to A.L.P. Lighting Components, Inc., a leading privately-held manufacturer of lighting components based in Niles, IL.

Newark, NJ-based Steel Craft is the country's largest manufacturer of unwired fluorescent lighting fixture assemblies. Founded in 1946, Steel Craft was a driving force in the industry's rapid deployment of fluorescent technology, serving the industrial, commercial and residential lighting fixture markets with a broad fixture line. Despite its strong reputation and market position, Steel Craft has in recent years been adversely affected by its high-cost unionized manufacturing environment and the dramatic increases in steel prices.

A.L.P., founded in 1955, is a leading supplier of components and fabrication services to the lighting industry, including injection molded and aluminum louvers, extruded and thermoformed lenses and lighting panels, fabricated steel and aluminum components, including a wide array of baffles, reflectors and brackets, as well as the industry's largest selection of vapor tight enclosures assemblies and wiring devices for fluorescent, incandescent and HID applications. A.L.P. operates manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, GA, Pennsauken, NJ and Monterrey, Mexico and operates warehouses in Atlanta, Pennsauken, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Steve Brown, A.L.P.'s CEO, points to the merger as one of the more significant steps in his company's efforts to expand its product offerings and improve service levels to the OEM Lighting Manufacturers. "We are excited by the prospect of combining Steel Craft's rich experience in product design solutions with those we have developed at A.L.P. over the decades. Steel Craft has earned a reputation for helping its clients achieve success through smart product design and time-tested manufacturing techniques, producing solid, quality products."

Scott B. Simpson, Managing Director of DAK, added, "This is an example of situations we see with increasing frequency in the market. The rapid acceleration of the rate of change requires many historically successful companies to quickly review their strategic options, as market dynamics have suddenly changed. In this case, the lower manufacturing costs of the Atlanta and Mexico facilities, combined with A.L.P.'s extensive offerings of proprietary components, results in an enhanced value proposition for the industry."