Solais Lighting has announced the appointment of Al Near as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

Near joins Solais after more than 30 years in the lighting and controls industry, where he has held leadership roles across manufacturing, sales, channel management, acquisitions, and business development. He will lead the company’s commercial sales organization and work alongside Solais leadership to continue expanding the brand’s presence across North America.

For Solais, the move is years in the making.

Near and Solais first began working together during his time as Chairman & CEO of Hossley Lighting & Power Solutions, the valuable Solais partner and rep agency in its home territory. Over time, the relationship grew far beyond the typical manufacturer-rep dynamic. The companies worked closely together through product launches, market expansion, strategic planning, and major shifts across the lighting industry.

In January 2025, Near joined the Solais Board of Directors and became even more involved in helping shape the company’s direction during a period of significant investment in sales, marketing, engineering, and new product development.

“Al understands this business from every angle,” said Sam Newberry, CEO and President of Solais Lighting. “He’s built relationships throughout the industry over the last 30-plus years and has earned a tremendous amount of trust and respect along the way. As Solais continues investing into our product offering, as well as commercial presence, bringing Al into the company full-time felt like the right move at exactly the right time.”

During his time at Hossley Lighting & Power Solutions, Near helped grow the organization into one of the largest lighting and controls rep firms in the South-Central United States while expanding operations across eight states. His background also includes being Founder and President of PANexus Strategies and executive leadership roles at The Lighting Quotient, Sharp Electronics Corporation, USAI Lighting, Hubbell Lighting, and Acuity Brands.

“I am genuinely excited to join Solais! I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Solais for a long time and watch the company continuously push forward,” said Near. “Solais has a compelling story in the specification-grade architectural space, and I see enormous opportunity to grow the brand’s reach through stronger partnerships and deeper engagement with the design and specification community. What excites me most is the ingenuity and quality of work already on display here.  My job is to help carry that story to a much broader audience across the industry. I’m excited to officially join this talented team and help continue building on that momentum.”

Solais® is the preeminent market-driven manufacturer of architectural-grade lighting solutions in North America. Our primary focus lies in the development of products that seamlessly merge form and functionality. Technologically oriented and nimble, Solais innovates at every opportunity to replace outdated ideas in lighting, never compromising on aesthetics or performance.

Solais has become a turnkey provider to leading brands in the commercial, retail, residential, hospitality, supermarket, museum, and utilities markets throughout the world. Motivated by an unwavering commitment to cutting-edge innovation, we strive to transform our client’s environments with LED lighting solutions that meet at intersection of engineering and design.

For additional information on Solais, visit www.solais.com.