SIC 3641 Electric Lamp Bulbs and Tubes

Encyclopedia of American Industries | 2005 | Copyright

SIC 3641
ELECTRIC LAMP BULBS AND TUBES

This industry classification covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing electric bulbs, tubes, and related light sources. Important products of this industry include incandescent filament lamps, vapor and fluorescent lamps, photoflash and photoflood lamps, and electrotherapeutic lamp units for ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing glass blanks for bulbs are classified in SIC 3229: Pressed and Blown Glass and Glassware, Not Elsewhere Classified.

NAICS Code(s)

335110 (Electric Lamp Bulb and Part Manufacturing)

Industry Snapshot

The electric lamp bulbs and tubes industry in the late 1990s was characterized by intensive competition but was also aided by a strong U.S. economy that lead to increased housing starts and a long-awaited resurgence in commercial office building construction. While technological innovations remained the heart of the competitive atmosphere, major manufacturers were focusing ever more heavily on strategic marketing campaigns to ease customer confusion and showcase their products in a crowded market. Moreover, customer perceptions of lighting products in general were targeted to promote electric lamp bulbs and lighting as a decorative item rather than a commodity.

About 53 companies were engaged in the manufacture of electric lamp bulbs and tubes in the late 1990s. They generated shipments of $2.98 billion in 2000, compared to $3.32 billion in 1998. This decline was largely as a result of the increasing presence of foreign competition. The number of employees between 1998 and 2000 fell from 15,946 to 12,768 as firms downsized to streamline costs and boost efficiency. Due to the high maturation of many market segments, manufacturers were looking to boost profits with high-tech lamps and bulbs that could burn longer, brighter, and more efficiently. The implementation of laws prohibiting the continued manufacture of more than 45 electric lamps that don't meet newly established energy standards will certainly create additional changes in the market in the years to come.

Organization and Structure

The light bulb and electric lamp industry provides a practical means of converting electric energy into usable light. In the late 1990s just under one-fourth of all the electricity sold in the United States was used for lighting. Besides illuminating businesses, schools, and homes, light bulbs are used in a plethora of applications and products—including automobiles, flashlights, sports fields, medical equipment, airport runways, and emergency exit signs.

The industry produces thousands of different bulbs, tubes, strobes, and flashes. But the three primary products sold by U.S. electric lamp manufacturers are incandescent, fluorescent, and electric-discharge lights and bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs produce light by heating a filament to a high temperature. The filament, which is usually composed of tungsten, emits a yellowish glow as electricity flows through it. The bulb is filled with an inert gas, such as argon, to keep the filament from melting and evaporating. Most incandescent bulbs...

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