Fall River, MA., January 1, 2004 - The year 2004 marks a century of innovation and achievement in the lighting industry for Lightolier.

Originally incorporated as The New York Gas Appliance Company in 1904 by Austrian immigrant Bernhard Blitzer, Lightolier is recognized today as a leader in lighting that is both functional and attractive.

"Very few companies survive a century of dynamic changes and volatile business cycles. Fewer yet, demonstrate the leadership, growth and success that Lightolier has achieved. As the current generation of Lightolier people we are truly proud of our company's achievements during its first century," said Lightolier President Zia Eftekhar.

The 100-year story of Lightolier also tracks the path of the lighting industry itself, the rise of modern architecture, and the changes to the patterns of home life, work and leisure during the twentieth century.

A pioneer in the development of original designs and creative marketing techniques, Lightolier was a well recognized brand of high-end residential lighting by its fiftieth anniversary. Beginning in the 1950s, the company focused on commercial and architectural products, producing waves of innovative designs. These include early fluorescent designs, flexible decorative lighting, Multigroove downlights (and their many descendants), Lytespan track lighting, advanced office lighting, and microprocessor-based lighting controls.

"Lightolier has taken the risks that come with innovation and leadership for a century. Everyone in our industry owes a debt of gratitude to this continuing lighting leader as we explore new and better ways to light our world," said Dr. Mark Rea, Professor and Director of the Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

"Lightolier innovations have changed the lighting - indeed the very appearance - of stores and other viewing spaces with flexible accent lighting. The same is true of other lighting developments in working and living spaces," comments Dan Blitzer. Blitzer is writing the history of the company, Lighting That Makes a Difference - the First Hundred Years , which will be published in print and electronic media in 2004.

Recent Lightolier efforts have applied advances in electronics and light sources to the individual control of lighting equipment and to creating smaller and more elegant fixtures. For example, iGEN, introduced in 2003, provides total dimming flexibility and permits office occupants personal control of the fixtures immediately overhead. "This year as we celebrate a century of accomplishment, we will also reaffirm our commitment to enhancing Lightolier's leadership position as it begins its second century," said Eftekhar. In 2004, Lightolier will offer the company's largest product introduction in its history. The centerpiece of its 2004 product releases will be a comprehensive introduction of the next generation of HID downlighting.

Lightolier will celebrate its centennial with professionals and industry partners at events around the country and at its headquarters, where the Lightolier TechCenter SM is receiving a complete renovation.

Headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lightolier provides creative lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and residential lighting needs. Lightolier is on the World Wide Web at www.lightolier.com . Lightolier is a Division of the Genlyte Group Incorporated, (Nasdaq: GLYT), holds a 68% interest in Genlyte Thomas Group LLC, which is a leading manufacturer of lighting fixtures and controls for the commercial, industrial and residential markets. Genlyte Thomas sells products under the major brand names of Capri, Chloride Systems, Crescent, Day-Brite, Gardco, Hadco, Ledalite, Lightolier, Lightolier Controls, Lumec, Shakespeare Composite Structures, Stonco, Thomas, Vari-Lite, and Wide-Lite in the United States and Canlyte and Thomas in Canada. The Genlyte Group Incorporated is traded on Nasdaq National Market System under the Symbol GLYT.