Neda, Jilla, and Fred Farzan celebrate Nora Lighting’s 30th year in business at a Lightovation open house.
COMMERCE, Calif. — Nora Lighting founders Fred and Jilla Farzan, along with daughter Neda Farzan, head of Nora Business Development, are celebrating the company’s 30th year in business with a renewed Commitment to Service, Quality and Value, a phrase that has defined the company and its product line over three decades.
Under the direction of Nora CEO and President, Fred Farzan, and Executive Vice President, Jilla Farzan, the Nora brand has become synonymous with the industry’s most complete line of energy-saving LED products for residential and commercial installations.
This 30th year will see the further expansion of Nora’s already-comprehensive line of LED products, along with a newly re-engineered integrated assembly center. A state-of-the-art lighting showroom and training facility are also scheduled to open this year at the Commerce, CA, headquarters.
A Family Business From The Start
Launched in a small storefront in West Los Angeles, Nora Lighting has been a family business from the start. Jilla Farzan oversaw the entire operation from purchasing to sales and shipping until Fred joined Nora full-time in 1993.
In those days, the Farzans wore many hats: Fred helped load customer trucks with products at the dock while Jilla prepared the company’s first 20-page catalog. Today, the Nora Buyer’s Guide has more than 400 pages.
“We have been very fortunate to remain a family-owned and operated business for 30 years,” says Fred Farzan. “From the beginning, we worked to define the character of the company and stay true to our motto: Large Enough To Do It Right, Small Enough to Care.”
In 2001, Nora moved to a spacious 150,000 square-foot facility in Commerce, just south of Los Angeles. Today, the Nora team is 150 people strong and the company utilizes nine distribution centers throughout the United States.
Originally a residential lighting company with just two housings and two trims, Nora has become an industry leader in the development of energy-efficient residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, and healthcare lighting.
“The secret to the company’s success has been our extended family,” says Neda. “At Nora, we treat everyone with respect and honesty, like our own family. That includes customers, reps, staff and vendors. And in return, we earn their trust.”
Neda joined the Nora team in 2013 after working in corporate consulting and completing her M.B.A. at the Columbia University School of Business. Born Neda Nora Farzan, she proudly shares her name with the company.
“Nora means light in Hebrew,” she noted.
A Dedicated Team of Professionals
“Nora Lighting is officially a second-generation family business,” says Jilla Farzan. “We are committed to staying true to our core values over the next 30 years and will continue to design and develop innovative and energy-efficient luminaires for all applications and price points.”
“Nora could never have accomplished so much without the support of our dedicated staff,” said Fred Farzan. “We have been very lucky in assembling a team of experienced professionals who have helped Nora Lighting become both an industry and community leader.”
The company has more than 30 employees who have worked with Nora for more than 10 years, and six team members who have been with Nora for more than 20 years.
Since the company’s founding, Nora Lighting has supported community programs and philanthropic organizations across the country. Under the direction of Jilla Farzan, the Nora Community Outreach Program has offered support through product donations and financial aid to groups such as Habitat for Humanity and many others.
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