News Release

ATLANTA, Oct 14, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI; "Company") a market leader in innovative energy-efficient lighting and control solutions, today announced it has acquired for cash Minnesota-based Winona Lighting, Inc., a premier provider of architectural and high-performance indoor and outdoor lighting products. Recognized throughout the architectural design community, Winona Lighting serves the commercial, retail, and institutional markets with a product portfolio of high-quality and design-oriented luminaires suitable for decorative, custom, asymmetric, and landscape lighting applications. Winona Lighting provides many of these products utilizing the latest LED technology for superior performance, long-life and energy-savings. Winona Lighting will continue operations in its existing facility focusing on key customers and competencies.

The acquisition is not expected to materially impact the Company's fiscal 2011 consolidated financial performance. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Providing superior, technologically-advanced lighting solutions through a broader specification portfolio is important to our growth strategy," said Vernon J. Nagel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acuity Brands. "The acquisition of Winona Lighting strengthens our presence with the design community, while providing opportunities to further leverage our capabilities and broad market access across their entire product portfolio. This includes the integration of design with advanced new technologies such as performance optics, solid-state lighting and lighting controls."

Founded in 1960, Winona Lighting grew from a stained glass heritage to one of the industry leaders in architectural and performance lighting products. Winona Lighting offers customers one of the widest ranges of styles and designs to complement any application--indoor or outdoor. The company has carved a niche in the marketplace for modified standard products allowing customers to mix and match standard components that meet their lighting and design needs.

"Ted Biesanz and I, along with the rest of the Winona Lighting team, are pleased to join the Acuity Brands family. We see this as an exciting opportunity to leverage Acuity Brands' strong capabilities, especially in advanced technologies, to support the continuing development of new and innovative lighting solutions for the architectural design community," said Steve Biesanz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Winona Lighting.

About Acuity Brands

Acuity Brands, Inc., with fiscal year 2010 net sales of over $1.6 billion, is a North American market leader and one of the world's leading providers of luminaires, lighting control systems and related products and services. The Company's lighting and system control product lines include Lithonia Lighting(R), Holophane(R), Peerless(R), Mark Architectural Lighting(TM), Hydrel(R), American Electric Lighting(R), Gotham(R), Carandini(R), RELOC(R), MetalOptics(R), Antique Street Lamps(TM), Tersen(R), Synergy(R) Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch(R), Lighting Control & Design(TM), and ROAM(R). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Acuity Brands employs approximately 6,000 associates and has operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements that may be considered forward-looking included statements incorporating terms such as "will," "expects," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "may," and similar terms that relate to future events, performance, or results of Acuity Brands. Specific forward-looking statements made in this press release include the opportunities to further leverage the Company's capabilities and broad market access across Winona Lighting's product portfolio. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations or projections expressed in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, customer and supplier relationships and prices; competition; market demand; and economic, political, governmental, and technological factors. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and management undertakes no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events.

SOURCE: Acuity Brands, Inc.

Acuity Brands, Inc.
Dan Smith, 404-853-1423
Dan.Smith@acuitybrands.com