By Sean Vincent O’Keefe
Photos courtesy of Leviton
In 1906, an immigrant named Evser Leviton opened a small tin smithing business on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in pursuit of the American dream. Working with his son, Isidor, Leviton began manufacturing brass mantel tips that allowed natural gas lights to be dimmed, offering users the convenience of choice. With Edison’s light bulbs on the rise, rather than being phased out by new technology, young Isidor saw an opportunity to innovate. In 1910, he designed a porcelain, screw-in lamp holder that building owners used to add lighting to closets, pantries and basements. The lamp holder’s pull chain operation made turning lights on or off simple for users. Within a few years, Leviton’s first big contribution to modern smart living had become common in apartment buildings across the United States.
As commercial construction boomed, Leviton supplied the switches, outlets, light sockets and other electrical parts going into new homes, offices, factories and schools. In doing so, Leviton effectively refined the modern standard of American living for the 20th century. Now, more than 120 years since the start, Leviton is still at it. Through the years, Leviton has continued to make life easier, safer and smarter for all of us. Along the way, we hardly even noticed.
“Leviton has been in the business of continuous improvement since the start,” begins Greg Rhoades, Director of Marketing for Smart and New Technology Products. In the 1930s, Leviton began offering wires, cables and cords, and in the 60s introduced GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) dimmer products. “From the pull chain lamp holder to the GFCI outlet, Leviton develops easy-to-install, easy-to-use products. Today, Leviton is a leader in smart home technologies that make life better.”
Rhoades has been with Leviton since 2006. In that time, he has seen a significant shift in smart home accessibility.
“Twenty years ago, the focus was on smart home security and energy management and the clients were people with estates,” says Rhoades with a chuckle. “Today, anybody can purchase products to make their home smarter at Home Depot, many of which, they can install themselves. So, as a manufacturer, we are not just selling products. Leviton is investing in people and places. We are dedicated to providing the education and support to the building community and the end-user alike.”
As Rhoades points out where Smart Home technology was once exclusive, as of 2025, it’s on its way to becoming ubiquitous. For product manufacturers in the smart home space staying ahead of trends means forecasting user needs years into the future. As digital spheres of life continue to expand, it’s easy to envision how technologies will be accessed.
“There are a lot of smart home technologies out there, but whether you’re using a Ring doorbell or a Nest thermostat, most people want to be able to access these things through their phone, which means over Wi-Fi. That gives us an infrastructure backbone to work with,” continues Rhoades. “Homeowners and builders trust us to develop safe reliable electrical products. We treat data privacy and security the same. We don’t farm this out. Leviton self-manufactures everything we produce from hardware to software. If we have an idea for something that would make life easier, we can start developing it right away.”
Though homeowners can buy some off-the-shelf products at hardware stores or online that they can install themselves, Rhoades never discounts the role of the systems integrator in smart home solutions.
“Integrators are experts at installing this stuff as an interconnected whole-home solution. We make light fixtures, GFCI outlets, electric car chargers, and future-ready breaker boxes. While we add convenience for the homeowner, we are also trying to give architects and home builders products that will differentiate and help sell their house.” Rhoades explains. “In a car, we have a dashboard showing us miles per hour, how much gas we have, and GPS maps of where we’re going. Yet, in our homes, we have no idea how much energy we are using until we review our bills. Have you ever wondered about the house while on vacation? Did you leave the lights on or have a space heater turned on? Is the water heater running? The My Leviton app ties all these systems to a single point of control. From the water heater and the air conditioning to the pool pump and car charger, owners can speed up or slow down the house anytime they want from anywhere in the world via Wi-Fi.”
Leviton isn’t the only product manufacturer with smart home software. Rhoades acknowledges many are contending to be the home operating system of choice. With a plethora of systems on the market, a common language is necessary to counteract the potential for chaos. Leviton is an early adopter of Matter, a firmware certification that ensures devices from different manufacturers seamlessly connect and interact with each other within a Matter-enabled smart home ecosystem. A Matter certification includes security testing for communications and data protection and validates compliance with specifications outlined by the Connectivity Standards Alliance.
“Matter makes sure all manufacturers are speaking the same language, which unifies systems and set up for the integrators and owners,” shares Rhoades. “Matter opens the door to custom scene control – adjust the thermostat, turn on certain lights, open the shades halfway, and so on with products from many different manufacturers. As smart home devices get smarter, this interconnected/interoperability will allow smart houses to suddenly do more than before with little homeowner involvement.”
Alongside universality to meet the ever-changing needs of modern homeowners, Leviton enhances versatility through modularity. Rhoades points out many home builders and designers agonize over the locations of outlets, switches, dimmers and smart home accessories – USB chargers, motion sensors and night lights. Until now, reconfiguring the details involved shutting off the power, and often calling an electrician.
“People want to have choices. Homeowners have been changing the wall plates to decorate their kid’s rooms for decades. Why can’t they change the whole function of the outlet just as easily? Modularity is where Leviton thrives,” says Rhoades. “Decore Evolve is a line of smart outlets available for installation in new construction communities that uses interchangeable modules that are easily reconfigured.”
The Decora Evolve Smart Switch allows owners to control lights from afar using the My Leviton app or voice assistant. The Smart Dimmer activates ambiance control while the Night Light provides a soft glow to help you get to the bathroom at two a.m. The Motion Sensor turns lights on or off in response to movement and the dual USB-A/USB-C charger can be added to any switch or outlet. Each of these is plug-and-play interchangeable with Leviton’s new modular switch plate.
“We’re not trying to cut out the electrician, we’re looking for innovations that make their jobs easier. Another new product is Lever Edge, a convenient way of wiring that will save up to 30 percent of installation time. This means less work and time on the job for installers,” continues Rhoades. “Electricians and builders who trust the performance of Leviton’s Decora switches and receptacles will love Lever Edge, for the new easier-to-install and safer design. This is push, click, done simple.”
Lever Edge outlets and receptacles have color-coded levers. A blue lever for the GFCI terminal helps prevent miswiring or line load reversal. The installer pushes the receiving terminal lever and inserts the wire tip until the lever clicks, firmly closing the connection. There are no screws or torque requirement concerns nor any exposed metal parts which helps prevent shorts or mishaps during hot testing. The wire opening design prevents wire insulation from being inserted into the terminals and the large strap makes Lever Edge outlets and receptacles easier to install over drywall imperfections. With interlocking tongue and groove design, multi-gang installations are easily aligned.
“Leviton wants to provide the best value solutions. We’ll never be the lowest cost, nor the most expensive. We provide very safe, reliable products that people can keep using for a long time,” Rhoades finishes. “Even with our breaker boxes and load centers, we understand the importance of adaptability. So that an electrician can build upon the backbone in the future as technologies and homeowner needs evolve. Leviton makes products that make life easier for the long term.”
