MAR Lighting Becomes LUMA Reps

A second-generation lighting rep in California, Melissa Leib’s agency has evolved alongside the many changes that have occurred in the industry  — first as Leib & Associates in 1994 and later, in 2023, with a name change to MAR Lighting when a second principal came on board. When that business partnership ended several months ago, Leib seized the opportunity to rebrand to LUMA Reps.

While the line card hasn’t changed – and, in fact, has grown recently – the new name change offers clarity. For example, in an internet-centric world that revolves around Google searches and keywords, Leib & Associates and MAR Lighting did not specifically convey the business’ function. Leib & Associates did not reference the lighting industry and MAR Lighting could be misinterpreted as a retailer by consumers shopping online for lighting.

“I wanted a name that didn’t have a negative connotation — I realized that the word MAR can also mean to ‘mar’ or damage something,” Melissa Leib explained. “I needed a name that is easy for people to find, has something to do with lighting, has a nice flow, and is easily searchable. I have seen the word ‘luma’ a lot in the vernacular of lighting, and  I picked LUMA Reps because that’s what we are and where we are in the chain of command. Instead of confusing people wondering what our business function is, I decided to honor the rep part by using it in the name so people know that we are not selling lighting directly to them, but that our role is to advise and help specify. I wanted to be clear about what we do. We are the brand ambassador, we are sales, we are sometimes collections, we are the traveling salespeople for our vendors, we are industry cruise directors, and we are the travel agents when our vendors come out into the field. We wear a lot of hats.”

According to Leib, her agency has not altered course. “I’m not changing the structure of the business to go after a certain group that we haven’t gone after,” she said. “We are evangelical about our brands. We want everyone to know about all of our brands — even if you don’t buy them from us.  We want you to know about our brands and why you might choose to deal with us and our line card. That’s really the feeling behind the name change.”

One aspect of her agency that was not a deliberate change, but just happened organically, is that her agency is now all female. “I didn’t intentionally not hire men, it just happens that all five of us at the agency are women — but I’m leaning into that. While not officially certified as a WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business) or WBE (Woman-Owned Business Enterprise), Leib is open to pursuing that accreditation down the road.

LUMA Reps is comprised of three sales reps and two in inside sales, one of which has been with Leib’s company since 2020.  The phone number and mailing address for LUMA Reps is the same as it was with MAR Lighting, and existing email addresses will automatically migrate and update to @lumareps.com. However, a new website has launched here.