Lighting Science Group Hires Successful Industry Sales Veteran—Tom Benton

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla., Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: LSCG), a leading American maker of LED-based lighting, has hired Tom Benton as vice president of professional sales.  Benton will play a key role in the management of existing commercial and industrial customer accounts, and the pursuit of new accounts.  He will report to Ted Russ, Lighting Science Group's chief business development officer.

Prior to joining Lighting Science Group, Benton worked for 14 years at lighting company Cooper Industries and was most recently the vice president of marketing for the wiring devices division. Prior to his most recent position at Cooper Industries, he was director of business development for the $1 billion indoor and outdoor lighting division and director of marketing for the company's industrial, complex environment, outdoor, and modular wiring brands.  

"Tom's tremendous sales and marketing background in the lighting industry will be very important to the Company's continued success during this period of rapid sales growth," said Ted Russ, chief business development officer of Lighting Science Group. "We have some of the most advanced and affordable LED lighting products in the world and the Company is dedicated to building the best sales force to bring them to market. Thomas will have an immediate and positive impact on our sales growth."

Benton, his wife Alison and their four children reside in Atlanta, Georgia.  He has an MBA from Emory University and a B.S. in Science and Marketing from Indiana University.

About Lighting Science

Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: LSCG) designs, develops, manufactures and markets LED lighting solutions that are environmentally friendlier and more energy efficient than traditional lighting products.  Lighting Science Group offers retrofit LED lamps in form factors that match the form factor of traditional lamps or bulbs and LED luminaires for a range of applications including public and private infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor applications.  Lighting Science Group Design Works business unit designs, develops and manufactures custom LED lighting solutions for architectural and artistic projects.  Lighting Science Group is headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida; the Company's European operations are based in Goes, The Netherlands; and, the Company has a sales office in Sydney, Australia.  Lighting Science Group has over 400 workers in its Satellite Beach, Florida manufacturing facility that build lighting products from domestic and imported parts. Lighting Science Group is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company. More information about Lighting Science Group is available at www.lsgc.com.

Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  The statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding the performance of LSG and the performance of LSG's products using terminology such as "will," "should," "would," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," or "believe."  Such statements reflect the current view of LSG with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.   Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements.  In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider various factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements.  Readers should carefully review the risk factors detailed under "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K and subsequent Form 10-Qs on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

SOURCE Lighting Science Group Corporation