on view
Stunning Corporate Headquarters in Iowa
This corporate headquarters in Iowa recently completed a major renovation and expansion of its office and showroom, transforming the downtown campus into a modern, engaging space for employees, partners, and visitors. The 74,000-square-foot renovation adds expanded workspaces, new conference and collaboration areas, a coffee bar, and a striking five-foot LED globe that anchors the main entrance and highlights projects from around the world.
As you enter the building, lighting helps create a welcoming and productive environment throughout the headquarters. The B3SC Square downlights from USAI Lighting provide a clean, welcoming first impression. In the cafeteria, Theo fixtures from Visa Lighting add a decorative element that complements the space. The open office areas feature Sol™ RD acoustical fixtures from Luminart, combining illumination and sound absorption to support a comfortable work environment. Additional solutions from Brownlee, Contech, Cooper Lighting Solutions, Finelite, Isolite, Lumenwerx, LVS, PureEdge Lighting, and Scott Architectural Lighting are integrated throughout the project, helping bring the design vision to life. Wattstopper Digital Lighting Management (DLM) serves as the backbone of the lighting system, delivering reliable, energy-efficient, and user-friendly controls throughout the facility.
The Players:
Architect: SVPA Architects
Engineer: KEDbluestone
Electrical Contractor: Eagle Electric
General Contractor: Neumann Brothers
insight to light
You Dream, Finelite Delivers – in 10 Days
Interview with Brian Duron, Vice President of Sales, Finelite
What sets Finelite apart in the market?
What really sets us apart is that we can ship most architectural products in 10 days—not as a special quick-ship program, but as our standard way of doing business. That is possible because of strong vendor partnerships, disciplined component sourcing, and a factory culture built around continuous improvement. Once materials are in-house, we can often build products in two to three days, and we’re always looking for small ways to make the process better. I also think our design flexibility is a major differentiator. Architects work in lines, and our linear products can become part of the architecture, disappear into the background, outline spaces, create patterns, or form configurations that other product types simply can’t.
“Many of our product ideas and refinements begin with feedback from agents, specifiers and customers.”
Are there any new or upcoming products you’re especially excited about?
I’m excited about the addition of RGBW to our product mix, including RGBW availability across the HP2, HP3, and HP4 lines. We’re also adding wet-location capability for HP2, which is something the market has wanted for a long time. Another development I’m excited about is continuous lens, because it can make installation easier and faster for contractors. That feature took real engineering and marketing thought to get right. I’m also glad to see the HP-1 micro louver rounding out the portfolio and giving designers another refined option.
What do you enjoy most about working with Mercer Zimmerman and spending time in our territories?
It always comes back to the people. I value the relationships with Mercer Zimmerman’s leadership, specification team, and inside sales team, and I admire the culture the agency has built. From my perspective, Mercer Zimmerman treats employees well, values their opinions, and approaches manufacturers as true partners and friends rather than simply vendors. I also see strong engagement from specifiers in the territory, and they clearly view Mercer Zimmerman as a trusted resource.
How did you find your way into the lighting industry, and how long have you been with Finelite?
I always say lighting found me more than I found lighting. I started in graphic design, building websites, cut sheets, and marketing materials for a high-end residential lighting company in Houston. Because I was comfortable with different software programs, I began helping the company move beyond hand-drawn processes, and that led me to ask more questions about lighting. Eventually, I moved into lighting design and discovered how creative it could be to shape a space with light. I’ve been in the lighting industry since 2000, with experience as a designer, agent, and manufacturer rep, and I joined Finelite in January 2021.
What is one thing you want customers to know about Finelite?
I want customers to know that we listen. Many of our product ideas and refinements begin with feedback from agents, specifiers, and customers. If someone has an idea that isn’t already in the portfolio, I want them to bring it forward. As a former lighting designer, I enjoy exploring new patterns, features, and configurations and working with engineering to see what’s possible. Our phrase “You dream, we deliver” really captures that mindset. Even a napkin sketch can become the start of a collaboration, and our goal is to help partners imagine what those lines of light can become.
fact-ology
Why Over‑Bed Lighting Controls Go Sideways — and How to Prevent It
By Brian Diltz, Controls, Mercer Zimmerman
Choose one control path — digital or low‑volt — not both. Mixing them guarantees RFI’s, rework, and unnecessary cost.
A patient’s pillow speaker can do a lot: call a nurse, change the TV, and control the lights. But here’s the real reason over‑bed lighting controls so often go sideways — and the simple choices that prevent rework.
Understanding the Fixture Itself
Over‑bed fixtures typically include several illumination elements — Exam, Ambient, Reading, and Night Light — and each ships with its own driver so it can be switched or dimmed independently. These are usually standard 0–10V drivers; nothing exotic, just multiple zones packaged inside one housing.
So far, so good.
Where Problems Begin
Many fixture manufacturers offer an add‑on called a Low‑Volt Interface or LVPC/LVC module. It’s a small board inside the fixture that accepts simple contact‑closure inputs from devices like pillow speakers. On paper, that sounds convenient. In practice, it introduces several challenges:
- The module has its own built‑in sequence of operations, which may not match the engineer’s intended room‑wide SOO.
- Programming options are limited to a few dip switches.
- Synchronizing multiple fixtures becomes difficult — they can drift out of sync.
- Dimming behavior can be confusing for patients.
- And most importantly: it doesn’t play well with digital control systems.
This is where projects lose time, money, and patience.
A Better Digital Approach
If the project uses a digital lighting control system — Wattstopper+, Wattstopper DLM, ILC EVO, Cooper Wavelinx, ETC Paradigm — you don’t need the fixture’s Low‑Volt module at all.
A device like the Wattstopper LMIN‑104 Input Interface accepts the pillow speaker’s contact closure and lets the technician program any desired sequence of operations, including controlling other room zones beyond the over‑bed fixture.
In other words:
- It replaces the Low‑Volt module
- It enables the pillow‑speaker input
- It keeps all control logic inside the digital system, where it belongs
And because this is the part people miss:
If you’re using a digital lighting control system, do not order the fixture’s Low‑Volt accessory. They cannot coexist.
When a Contact-Only Approach Does Make Sense
There are cases where the Low‑Volt module is perfectly appropriate:
- The over‑bed fixture is the only fixture being controlled
- The desire is to use basic analog lighting controls throughout the room
In these situations, the module’s built‑in SOO may be acceptable — as long as it’s intentional. Just pair it with compatible contact switches (Curbell WPA, Wattstopper LVSW, etc.).
lighten up
Employee Spotlight – Ashley Young: Director of Customer Service, Springfield Office
After more than 15 years working at Mercer Zimmerman, what has made your journey here so rewarding?
The relationships that I’ve developed over the years. MZ has great customers and works for wonderful factories. These relationships make projects fun. If we run into hiccups along the way, we all work together to solve the issue and keep the project moving. While we have a great team at MZ, the customers and factory partners I’ve worked with over the years feel like part of the team as well.
What’s one piece of career advice you’d give your younger self?
My advice to my younger self actually comes from my Papaw. He always told us grandkids that if we had a good work ethic, we would go far, and that’s something I’ve carried with me every step of the way. I’d remind myself that consistency and character matter just as much as talent.
What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?
Relaxing with my family. Having a weekend when we have nothing going on, when we watch movies together, grill, or ride our horses, is the best. It’s the perfect way to catch up with my girls and husband after a busy week.
What’s your favorite movie or TV show of all time?
A League of Their Own – I played softball in high school, so I love seeing girls own it on the field. Also, the movie is hilarious!
