Joe Holguin joined Prudential Lighting in 1955, with the distinction of being the 2nd employee in our founding year. He led our CL (Custom) fixture department for not just years, but multiple decades. His sons, Mike and Steve, came to work with us as well, in a roundabout way. Ironically, they were employed at a nearby competitor in the 80s, where (even more ironically) Jeff Ellis – yep, our Jeff Ellis – was working. Rumor has it he needed a break from working with his dad. The upside is seeing how others do things. For better or worse, there’s learning to be had and experience to be gained. Mike and Steve made such a positive impression on Jeff, that what he decided to come back to PRU, he brought them along with him.

After starting out on the CL team, Steve eventually transitioned to Engineering, heading our UL certifications, and Mike became our “Manufacturing MacGyver.” He’s a problem-solving ninja, with comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts knowledge of our equipment, toolmaking devices and jigs. Basically anything that leaves everyone else hand on chin, tap-tap-tapping, still goes to Mike and team to figure out.

Steve’s son, Steve Jr., joined the Shipping department and eventually migrated to Engineering like his dad. Four Holguins (plus some of their friends!) have been a vital part of the PRU family for seventy years. And if you tally their years individually, it’s well over 100+ combined. Quite the legacy.

Wave2Pro takes the beloved Wave2 fixture to the next level, delivering more power, precision, and control than ever before. Designed for versatility and high performance, this elevated classic offers significantly higher lumen packages, maximizing both efficiency and output.

Key Enhancements:

• Independent Up & Down Light Control—Fine-tune illumination levels with dual circuiting, allowing separate dimming of uplight and downlight. Ideal for classrooms and multimedia spaces.
• Customizable Light Distribution—Four new indirect distribution options (Hard, Medium, Soft, and Soft Asymmetric Ceiling Wash) let you create the perfect lighting effect.
• Higher Lumens, Higher Efficiency—Achieve greater illumination per foot for enhanced performance.
• Premium Controls & Color Options—Integrated smart controls, plus a wide range of premium colors with no setup fees.
• Advanced Lighting Technologies—Choose from RGBW ChromaHue, Tunable White TuHue, and BIOS SkyBlue™ BluHue for enhanced visual comfort and wellness.
• Sustainable & Compliant—Declare labeled and BABAA compliant, ensuring environmentally responsible and future-ready lighting.

Wave2Pro is the ultimate blend of classic design and cutting-edge technology. Whether for classrooms, offices, or architectural spaces, it delivers precision lighting with a sleek, modern aesthetic.

 

Stories from Jaime Ditterline, Systems Manager

Favorite moments:
Some of my best Prudential memories are from those late, late nights doing inventory. The longer we’re there, the more delirious we all get. One year, we had a small crew working into the wee hours. A few of us went to walk the factory to make sure the lights were off and exits locked up. As we walked, we started hearing voices we didn’t recognize. It stopped us cold. We all went silent, hearts pounding, wondering if the building could be haunted. We were all very aware of the building being old and full of history.

As we were caught somewhere between fight and flight, we looked at each other and then crept toward the voice cautiously. We heard it again and froze, unsure of what to do next… as we got closer, we realized that what we were hearing was not voices from the past as the voices were using slang from today.

I am not sure which of us figured out that we still had walkie-talkies in the shop that were plugged in and charging. There was one picking up a signal from – well – somewhere in this dimension! We all burst out laughing but, still slightly spooked, hustled back to the office where the lights were on.

Other highlights with my team? Making Groundhog Day our team holiday, singing random kids’ songs to each other to get them stuck in each other’s heads (mostly that is me and despite what they tell you, my team loves it…fruit salad? Yummy, yummy…), sharing snacks from around the world, rocking onesies to do inventory, and our annual tradition of toasting the end of the year with a bubbly glass of sparkling apple cider.

Favorite people:
I am so thankful for my team! I’ve been privileged to partner with an incredibly hard-working group of people I genuinely love, who invest so much to make the department awesome, while also making me laugh.

I will be forever grateful for my time at this company since it led to me meeting, and eventually marrying my husband Hector. He may have initially drove me crazy in the lunch room, going on and on about what everyone’s food was made from, but we eventually started to talk about other things and discovered we had a lot in common. At one point, he was tasked with teaching me wiring, and I knew that if we made it past then, we would be good forever. That was 13 years ago, and while I am still not entirely sure about wiring, I am sure that we are forever.

Favorite fixture:
My favorite fixture ever will, of course, always be the Vader because I spent my high school days quoting Star Wars at parties… I was not invited to many parties.

We sat down with 2 generations of Ellis family members. Here’s what they had to say on turning 70.

The Ellis family generally steers clear of the spotlight. They don’t really like talking about themselves – don’t want the attention on them. They much prefer to focus on the trajectory of the business, and all the people who are working so hard to see the company thrive, positioning Prudential well for the next 70+ years. And in recent interviews, they made it clear that it’s not just the executive team they’re thinking about day to day.

As a family-run business, it’s not surprising that they would want it to feel like a family. So they make an effort to be visible out on the floor, engage with employees as often as possible, and keep up the company traditions employees look forward to and enjoy. They know not just faces, but the names that go with those faces. They know who’s a cousin or spouse or parent of whom, and how many generations of particular families have come to work here over the years. There have been husbands and wives, brothers, fathers and sons all working side-by-side.

CEO Jeff Ellis met his wife Tammy here at Prudential over forty years ago. Jeff’s daughter Jolie is the CFO, and his nephew Ben runs Inside Sales. They have early memories of helping out as kids. Jeff recollects, “I started working here at 8 or 9 years old, going though construction papers and marking the C10 codes, working factory jobs in the summer. When phones rang and my parents were busy, I got to pick up after the fourth ring. I’d take a message and pass it along to someone who could help. I even worked weekends, driving around LA with my dad, looking for jobs under construction. We’d write down the contractor’s name, then follow up, trying to beat competitors to the punch.”

Jolie recalls, “My grandparents shared an office and would come out holding hands to make announcements. They very much doted on each other. My grandfather would ride a bike around the factory floor because it was so big at the time. He was the businessman. She watched the money.” Connecting the past to the current business, she adds with a smile, “So I guess it makes sense that it’s still an Ellis woman today taking care of the money.”

When the family speaks of the legacy they want to leave – even in separate interviews, the message was remarkably consistent. Yes, they commented on a desire to continue investing in innovation and growth. Yes, they will continue to be a truly USA lightning manufacturer (BABAA compliant with USA components). But the core of their closing comments was very much employee-focused. They each shared the desire to take care of people, continuing to provide generous benefits, so when people are ready, they can look forward to a comfortable retirement. Jolie shared that the family has received letters from former employees thanking them for the profit-sharing plan that enabled them to travel and truly enjoy retirement.

While each had a similar thought, Ben captured the heart of it, saying, “I think treating people well is the most important thing. I want us to be known as good people who did the right thing the right way.”

 

Check out our brand evolution over the past 70 years, from simple starter-mark to snazzy dimensional P with lighting and shadows. You can see how each logo is influenced by the trends of that particular era as a statement of cultural relevance.

Here’s a recap of where we’ve been and some of the thinking behind each mark.

1955 – Minimalist lines
Our introductory logo had an Etch-a-Sketch vibe, even though the mark was created four years before the toy was invented. It feels reminiscent of blueprints, as if drawn using the drafting tools of the trade in this time period of booming economic growth.
Its boxy outer shape reflected the functionality of our 1950s product line, a nod to the utilitarian, frill-free extrusions we manufactured at that time. In contrast, the rounded shape of the P mimics the era’s ubiquitous fluorescent tubes.

1962 – Slanted swoop
We rolled out iconic version two years into the Kennedy administration, as bright orange Tang graced America’s breakfast tables and all eyes were on the space race. Those heavy strokes and slanted swoop we now call “retro” were all the rage back then.

This mark had some serious staying power, holding its own through Woodstock, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam years, Studio 54, the pinstriped Gordon Gekko era, women’s shoulder pads, and gyrating 80s hair bands. (Fun fact: this throwback version is still on our packaging boxes!)

1993 – Marquee effect
In the early 90s, the World Wide Web worked its way into the mainstream, with the now-nostalgic sound of the “dial-up.” That newfound digital access prompted electronic connectivity like we’d never seen before. Against this backdrop, a glitzier logo emerged, bringing some razzle-dazzle to our humble first initial.

With this version, we leaned further into the idea of lighting, with a slightly dimensional P made up of lines of light. The series of “bulbs” suggested longevity, and an increasingly bright future for the company, despite the economic dip the country was facing.

2002 – Sleek and stylized
Inspired by the exploded view approach to technical illustrations, which dimensionalized the components, we focused on a cross-section of the metal extrusions we create daily at our plant right here in LA.

The mark’s overt focus on manufacturing is no accident, as US fabrication is a significant point of difference for us. We take great pride in complying with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), and providing steady employment and generous benefits for our team.

2015 – Mood lighting
To better convey our new strides in innovation, we evolved the metal housing P, adding a dramatic flair with lighting and shadows. The timing coincided with the emergence of LED, and transformation of the entire industry.

The mark has served us well, as we continue to roll out additional advances in fixture styles, distribution, tunable features and “Light as Art.”

 

 

All Prudential Lighting standard fixtures comply with Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA). See page 5, item 2 of FEMA’s “BABAA Best Practices.”

We are more than an assembly house, we are a full-service manufacturing plant. We break, punch, and weld steel, roll and weld aluminum extrusion, we combine modern lasers, CNC robotics with 20-ton presses from the 1970s, and powder coat paint, all in-house as an IBEW union shop in Los Angeles, CA. Most of our vendor partners are local, in LA County. Only LEDs, drivers, and a few other materials are sourced outside the USA. Standard fixtures do not include emergency batteries, sensors, or other added components. Fixtures with these options may still meet BABAA, please consult with us.

We can supply a letter certifying BABAA compliance per FEMA’s requirements when you provide us with an order.

Proud to be manufacturing and partnering with USA suppliers since 1955.

*(noun.ˌ ō-ˈjē: someone or something that is an original or originator and especially one that is highly respected or regarded) 

Most of these employees have worked at Prudential for 20+ years individually and combined 569+ (or over half a millennium?) of loyal years dedicated to creating light for buildings all over America.   

We have added several videos to our YouTube channel HERE on wall washing and grazing techniques, cove lighting (featuring our PruCove and MicroCove) and our new BionicPro… stay tuned for more content.

We are Prudential Ltg. An American company. Still making everything right here in America. Like we have since 1955.

In times of crisis, times of change, times of not knowing what to think or expect next, we will continue to forge ahead. Because forward is the only direction we know. We will keep planning. Keep building. Keep focusing on the future. We’ll continue to stand by our convictions and support our people in every way possible. We’ve been family run for four generations. And our people out in the field and right here on the floor – they are an extension of that family. Today, we are where we are because they’ve made it possible. Not just as people who imagine, but people who make it happen.

Introducing distinctive patterns for our P4000 Sky Rounds & Quads. Precision laser cut and powder coated to match the fixture, these inlays add an extra flavor to our SkyOculus rounds and squares.
P4000 Patterns HERE
Quad Patterns HERE