Musco Lighting

Musco Lighting
Private
Genre Sports lighting, mobile lighting, motion picture lighting
Founded 1975
Founder Joe Crookham and Myron Gordin
Headquarters Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States
Slogan We Make It Happen
Website musco.com

Musco Lighting is an American privately owned company, based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa, that is noted for providing permanent or temporary lighting at major sports events and stadiums including the Super Bowl and Olympics.

The company derives its name from Muscatine County, Iowa, where it was founded and still maintains a large manufacturing plant.

Company projects range from the largest sports lighting project in the world to small little league parks. In addition to its Academy Award, it has also won an Emmy Award for its providing temporary lighting for night time NCAA games, including games at Notre Dame Stadium, Ross-Ade Stadium, Ohio Stadium, Kinnick Stadium and Bearcat Stadium. The company illuminated the Statue of Liberty during its rededication, four Super Bowls, and was the official lighting company for the 1984, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games[1]

History

The company was started in 1976 by Joe Crookham and Myron Gordin. Together they bought the Muscatine Lighting Manufacturing Co. in Muscatine, Iowa.[2][3]

In 1977 it began marketing its newly created Sportscluster which it says was the first factory-assembled and factory-wired light cluster (previously lights in stadiums et al. had to be assembled one at a time).

In 1979 it improved the lighting process by adding aiming components at the factory and then locating serviceable electrical components in an enclosure near the base of the light pole.

In 1981 it launched Musco Mobile Lighting with the Musco Light in which lighting fixtures were erected from trucks. Among its first client was the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium.[4]

In 1983 it lit its first Super Bowl, provided lighting for Space Shuttle launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the filming of All the Right Moves.

In 1984 it was the official light supplier for the 1984 Olympic Games.

In 1986 Myron Gordin, Joe P. Crookham, Jim Drost and David Crookham received a scientific and engineering award during the 58th Academy Awards for "the invention of a method of transporting adjustable, high-intensity Luminaires and their application to the motion picture."[5]

In 1988 several light trucks lit Richmond International Raceway.

In 1991, Charlotte Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith and then track president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler approached Musco with the challenge of illuminating the 1.5-mile track for the 1992 Winston, promoted as "one hot night". Without using traditional poles that would obstruct the sight lines of the spectators, especially those camping in the track's infield, Musco designed a system where light from the 1200 permanent fixtures were lower to the ground, using reflectors that did not blind either the drivers or the fans. The company took on the $1.7 million project at cost, parlaying it into a demonstration for the organizers of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.[6][7][8]

In 1998 it created the world’s largest outdoor sports-lighting project when it provided the lighting for the Daytona International Speedway.

From 2000 the Nashville Superspeedway has used the Musco Lighting.

In 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks Musco provided seven light trucks and staff to illuminate both The Pentagon and World Trade Center[9]

From 2006 the Iowa Speedway has used the Musco Lighting.

In 2007 it provided the lighting for the Losail International Circuit, the largest permanent outdoor sports lighting project in the world. It also donated $12 million to William Penn University in Oskaloosa to build 200,000 feet of new structures. It was the largest grant in school history.[10]

In 2009 the Musco Lighting was added at The Milwaukee Mile.

In late 2009 and early 2010, they installed permanent lighting at the famous Churchill Downs horse track, in time for the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

On 25 September 2010 Lights are added at Kansas Speedway.

Custom made Musco LED lighting fixtures will permanently illuminate the roadway of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. On July 26, 2012, the lights were powered on for testing and displayed to the news media. The lighting is designed to be glare free to oncoming drivers and minimally visible/distracting when viewed from the rear (in driver's mirrors).[11]

Lighting Projects

Professional baseball

Minor Leagues

Professional football

Motorsports Venues

Other

William Penn University All Athletic Fields, Oskaloosa, IA

References

  1. ↑ Lithonia Lighting and Musco form alliance - Retrieved December 11, 2007
  2. ↑ Musco plans $15 million expansion - Lighting company’s employment could triple in Oskaloosa -Associated Press - August 24, 2006
  3. ↑ Iowa Supreme Court Cases - September 23, 1998 - findlaw.com
  4. ↑ A History of Innovation - Retrieved December 11, 2007
  5. ↑ http://imdb.com/Sections/Years/1985/academy-awards Academy Awards, USA: 1986
  6. ↑ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/miller/getin2it/story?id=2943481
  7. ↑ http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7942377/nascar-1992-all-star-race-lights-nascar
  8. ↑ http://goodleddownlight.seesaa.net/article/268440263.html
  9. ↑ Joe Crookham - National Park Foundation - Retrieved December 11, 2007
  10. ↑ William Penn recipient of $12 million - Oskaloosa Herald - November 16 2007
  11. ↑ http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=resources/traffic&id=8750896
  12. ↑ http://www.musco.com

External links