Inter-Lux Expand The Team
(USA) - Inter-lux announce two new appointments as plans for expansion continue.
As suppliers to the North American market for high design and high quality lighting products and services, demand is high for lighting manufacturers Inter-lux, and thus they have announced two new members to the team this month to aid in this product expansion across the company.
Their newly appointed Vice President of Manufacturing is Robert Davis. With an early career beginning in design engineering work, product design, order processing and manufacturing, Davis has quickly worked his way up and made a name for himself in the design industry as a design engineer and department manager over the last seventeen years.
The next step in his career will see him managing all aspects of order fulfilment, utilising brand new ERP/MRP manufacturing software. Working with existing line managers, they will work to improve efficiency in the production lines as well as work closely with the Engineering Department to implement new products and processes.
Mark Zaroogian, Chief Operating Officer, comments: “We have grown our revenue significantly over the last three years, and in 2016 we invested significantly into the infrastructure necessary to attain the next level of services to our representative network and to deliver the best of class and product and services to our customers. Robert is exemplary of the quality and experience we are adding to our team and we are very excited to have him among us.”
The second addition sees Jim Toole stepping into the role of Chief Business Development Officer. As a consummate lighting professional, Toole has successful experience in product development, design, application, sales and management.
Toole’s career started with an education in industrial design, which led him into product development and thus growing into product and design management. He has an extensive career past in sales and general management for high design architectural and performance lighting brands over the last fifteen years.
In terms of management for Inter-Lux, Toole will be in charge of New York City, Boston and surrounding market areas. He will be working closely with Marketing Managers to continue with the expansion of sales and marketing campaigns as well as working with management to direct the Inter-Lux brand.
COO, Mark Zaroogian states: “We are very fortunate to welcome Jim Toole into our company, and to make him available to our Representatives and Customers. As our business grows, we are able to attract top talent into our organisation that can immediately impact our culture and our product. Jim is certainly a prime example of the type of person that will make a significant and positive impact. We are all looking forward to having Jim on the Team”.
www.inter-lux.com
SGM Launches Architectural Division
(Denmark) - SGM Light announced the launch of a new Architectural Division at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt’s Marriott Hotel played host to this years Prolight + Sound event in April. Just prior to the opening of this event, Danish lighting manufacturers SGM announced their launch of an Architectural Division. Participants of the event were introduced to the new division through SGM’s Architectural Strategy, which outlined, in depth, the reasoning why and how such a division will impact SGM Light’s and their global presence.
With such a great turn out and immediate response from audiences, it was clear the division was very well received. SGM Light is already well established with IP66-rated LED products, which are designed for permanent outdoor installations (POI’s), and are continuously expanding.
CEO of SGM Light, Peter Johansen said: “I truly see SGM as a global market leader not only in the entertainment industry, but also within the emerging architectural market for LED dynamic lighting. The fast growing demand for SGM POI products already speaks its own language, substantiating our decision of establishing a dedicated SGM Architectural Division”.
The new SGM permanent outdoor installation products contain very similar features to current standard SGM fixtures, such as the same optical performance and electrical components, the same brightness and power in colours, but all have been optimised with a resilient housing to protect them against the outdoor elements. They have been engineered against some of the harshest Danish weather conditions, from icy winters, dusty winds, extreme heat and salty seawater spray. Despite their weather protective housing, SGM have managed to ensure they continue with the Danish product design and lightweight construction to accommodate the high aesthetic demand from designers and architects.
Gooee Joins Philips SR Certified Partner Program
(USA) - Smart lighting firm Gooee has joined Philips Lighting's Sensor Ready certified program.
Smart lighting start-up Gooee, creator of the first ‘full stack’ cloud-based ecosystem that connects lighting manufacturers to the Internet of Things (IoT), has joined Philips Lighting’s SR (Sensor Ready) certified program.
The program lists companies, components, sensors, and control systems that are certified to work with Philips Xitanium SR driver. Partnership in the SR certified program is open to sensor manufacturers and network application providers who meet the SR criteria.
Gooee joins other program members on a growing list of building management systems, city management systems and sensor and control manufacturers, including TVILIGHT, Telematics Wireless, Steinel and Magnum Energy Solutions.
Jon Couch, Senior Vice President of Connected Devices at Gooee, said: “Gooee continues to develop its partnerships to share the strengths, knowledge and expertise required to enable rapid advancement and success in enterprise IoT connected lighting, the new generation of communication.”
Phil Cross, OEM Commercial Director, Philips Lighting UKI, added: “The Philips SR Certified Partner Program gives our OEM partners a clear path into the dynamic and rapidly growing world of connected lighting.”
Schuler Shook Expand Melbourne Team With Appointment of Nicolò Brambilla
(Australia) - Nicolò Brambilla appointed to Schuler Shook's Melbourne office as Senior Lighting Designer.
Schuler Shook has announced the appointment of Nicolò Brambilla to its Melbourne office as Senior Lighting Designer. Nicolò is expanding Schuler Shook’s award-winning specialty lighting services to Australia, where Schuler Shook currently provides theatre planning and AV design.
Nicolò has nearly fourteen years of experience in the lighting industry, and has worked both in Australia and internationally in Milan, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, China and Southeast Asia. His specialty lighting design work for the past seven years in Melbourne has encompassed a range of project types including hospitality, retail, worship and sport.
Nicolò believes in designing lighting that is well integrated with the architecture, and he is motivated by the impact of light on emotion and on the human being as a whole.
Schuler Shook’s Melbourne office comprises a group of creative, well-respected designers, including Jim Hultquist, ASTC, LEED AP, Senior Theatre Consultant; Simon Austin, AV and Theatre Systems Consultant; and now Nicolò Brambilla, IALD, as Senior Lighting Designer.
Recent and current projects in the office include Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Renewal, Hamer Hall, Cairns Performing Arts Centre, Bunjil Place Theatre, Sydney Lyric Theatre, and Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide.
Occhio Kicks Off Growth Plans With EMH Partners
(Germany) - Occhio GmbH introduce private equity firm EMH Partners as a new partner.
Occhio GmbH has kick-started a new phase of growth with the introduction of Munich and London-based private equity company EMH Partners as a new partner.
EMH will invest growth capital running into the tens of millions, and has acquired a minority share of 44%.
Axel Meise, founder and CEO of Occhio, believes that this new partnership will help elevate the firm to the next level. “We are among the fastest growing companies in the lighting industry, but we are nowhere near having exhausted our potential yet,” he said.
“With EMH Partners, we have gained a strong partner that does not just bring along capital, but also an entrepreneurial mindset, and will actively help us to continue expanding.
“We want to make the unique possibilities of lighting design that Occhio offers accessible to as many people as possible – because quality of light means quality of life.”
EMH Partners is an entrepreneur-led private equity firm that invests in fast-growing SMEs. The company is pursuing a long-term ‘build and scale’ strategy, and assists its portfolio of companies with the internationalisation and digitalisation of the entire value chain.
“We are delighted that we will be able to contribute to writing the next chapters of Occhio’s success story,” said Maximilian Kuss, Managing Partner of EMH Partners.
“With its strong brand, its consistent design concept and innovative lighting and control technology, Occhio is an exceptional case in the lighting industry. We will be assisting in the company’s expansion domestically and abroad, above all with our expertise in digitalisation.”
As part of its new partnership with EMH Partners, Occhio will expand its brand presence, continue increasing sales via selected partners, invest in complementing its product portfolio and continue to digitalise the value chain, while pushing ahead with plans for internationalisation. In the long term, the company aims to generate more than half of the group’s sales outside of Germany.
Philips Lighting Launches New Wireless Connected Lighting System
(USA) - Philips Lighting launches new wireless connected lighting system for global office lighting systems market.
Philips Lighting has launched a new wireless connected lighting system aimed at today's global office lighting systems market, worth more than $5billion.
The Philips InterAct Office system enables building managers to reduce energy use by up to 70%, optimise operations and create a more comfortable environment without major office renovation. Available first in the US, it targets the 15 billion square feet market for existing offices in North America. The system, with lamps and luminaires equipped with sensors, is installed and operated by Philips Lighting as a managed service, dispensing with the need for customers to make upfront capital investments.
The network of sensors triggers the system to switch or dim the lights and gathers granular data, such as energy use and room occupancy, and this information is displayed on a user-friendly dashboard. If all offices in North America were updated by 2030 with this technology it could save businesses a collective $6.4billion on energy, equivalent to the output of 36 medium-sized power stations or CO2 emissions of 44 million tons (US).
"Our new system delivers instant energy savings and requires no upfront investment from customers, who pay an easy monthly payment funded by the savings," said Emmanuel Sabonnadiere, CEO of Philips Lighting's Professional business.
"However, energy savings are just the tip of the iceberg. Our 'Light as a Service' model frees customers to focus on their business, while information from sensors in the luminaires gives them unique insights into the use of energy and office space to enhance operational efficiencies."
With Philips InterAct Office, real estate owners don't have to rip and replace existing cabling. The system uses wireless gateways that connect the lamps and luminaires. Information acquired by sensors in the luminaires (such as light level, occupancy and energy consumed) is encrypted, then processed and stored securely in the cloud and presented to customers in a simple intuitive dashboard. Being cloud-based and modular, the system is highly scalable and can serve multiple locations worldwide.
The wireless Philips Interact Office system is available now in the US with other markets following later this year.
Japan Lighting Fair 2017 - A success
(Japan) - Japan Lighting Manufacturers Association proclaim 13th Lighting Fair exhibition a success.
The Japan Lighting Manufacturers Association and Nikkei Inc. held their 13th international lighting exhibition, Lighting Fair 2017, from March 7th to March 10th this year at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Hall.
The four-day event saw great success with an attendance of over 70,000 people from various industries spanning architectural design, electric work and installation, retailers, distribution, manufacturing, and more.
Exhibits included work from 212 Japanese and international companies and organisations comprising 712 booths in total.
There were numerous announcements made over the course of the event including the latest lighting products, systems and components.
Along with the variety of displays provided by the exhibitors, visitors appreciated new lighting tech added by semiconductor lasers and natural light LEDs. The Japanese International Association of Lighting Designers also showed off collaborative projects from major Japanese lighting manufacturers and designers.
The event played host to a number of courses and talks for attendees. To kick things off, audiences were introduced with event talks from sports promotion leader, Saburo Kawabuchi and internationally acclaimed Japanese lighting designer Motoko Ishii. Following on over the next four days, there were 50 courses on offer, covering a variety of themes including International Lighting Design Seminar, and co_re_ca_light Stage and Studio – the most the event has ever accommodated in previous years to date. The co_re_ca_light Booth tour (covering the inside perimeter of the exhibition hall) and the co_re_ca_light After Dark Tour (covering the exterior) proved to be the most popular with participants, with the designers as guides to the venue, holding both.
All in all, the event was a success for both designers and exhibitors with satisfied audiences leaving with an abundance of information on new and current lighting products and future concepts to come.
www.messe.nikkei.co.jp/en/lf/
LightingEurope Board Appoints New President
(Europe) - LightingEurope board announce appointment of new President.
The LightingEurope Executive Board has appointed Peter Hunt as new President for a term of two years.
Hunt is COO of the UK Lighting Industry Association (LIA) and CEO of Lumicom, the UK WEEE Compliance Scheme for the lighting industry.
“With his background as a lighting entrepreneur and his experience in the LIA, Peter understands very well the interests of both our company and our industry association members,” said Jan Denneman, the outgoing President of LightingEurope.
“As he has also developed a joint lighting strategy with the UK Government, which directly led to the launch of the LIA Training Academy in September 2016 and a new state of the art test laboratory, I am confident he will make a strong contribution to reinforcing LightingEurope’s outreach to EU policy-makers to shape and deliver a growth strategy for the lighting industry in Europe.
“I am very pleased to continue as Vice President for another year and support the needed paradigm shifts in lighting as well as with regulators.”
After the appointment was announced, Peter Hunt added: “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to help drive our new strategy for the EU lighting industry, which seeks to move the agenda on from pure energy efficiency towards increasing the value of lighting to society. By this we mean that we want to see a move towards more intelligent lighting systems and installations which bring benefits in terms of a better quality lit environment while recognising the human response to light.
“We also want to see a move away from over-regulation to enable our fast-moving technologies to develop. The lighting industry has seen more than its fair share of regulation in recent years and has delivered energy savings beyond any other sector. Now is the time for EU policy makers to recognise that fact and to allow the industry to focus on consolidating those energy savings while supporting the development of smart, human-centric lighting and improving lighting quality.”
iGuzzini Launches New Light Experience and Training Centre in Bahrain
(Asia) - iGuzzini open first Light Experience and Training Centre in the Gulf region.
The first fully working iGuzzini Light Experience and Training Centre in the Gulf region has officially opened in Bahrain.
The Centre, opened on Wednesday 12th April, was launched in conjunction with iGuzzini’s longstanding distributor Al Bait, and is located within its showroom in Palace Avenue in Manama to reinforce the company’s presence and commitment to the Middle East.
The official launch included a networking reception and a series of seminars dedicated to lighting and its culture, and was held under the patronage and the presence of H.E. Domenico Bellato, Italy’s Ambassador to Bahrain.
According to Richard Holmes, Regional Director of iGuzzini Middle East: “The launch of the first iGuzzini Training Centre and Light Experience is a milestone in the history of iGuzzini Middle East and galvanises the strength and credibility of the relationship between iGuzzini and Al Bait.
“I am personally very proud of what we have created together in the true spirit of teamwork and I am sure this facility will be a real asset and a tool that will help the growth of business for all.”
The new iGuzzini Training Centre is intended to become the company’s main hub for the entire Gulf region. The space will be not only utilised for all the internal training and the team’s technical/educational activities, but will also be the company’s main educational platform in the region, with an extensive programme of workshops, seminars and lectures dedicated to the entire lighting community.
On the occasion of the space’s launch, iGuzzini, in conjunction with Al Bait, hosted an Evening of Light Entertainment. The event featured an educational programme exploring various issues related to lighting and architecture. The seminar, led by Sergio Padula, Technical Director at iGuzzini Middle East, was followed by interactive sessions in the Light Experience and Outdoor Lab.
A signature tool developed by iGuzzini, the Light Experience is the place where light can be touched, felt and experimented, as visitors are taken through a spatial and sensory journey covering a wide range of lighting effects on different materials. A dark room with the latest generation iGuzzini devices and graphic lighting displays, The Light Experience is the tangible cornerstone of the company’s mission, which aims at recognising the pivotal role of lighting as a social innovator.
The Outdoor Lab is a permanent workshop where the visitors will be able to see several Street/Urban Lighting fittings displayed and operational. In addition to the street lighting, floodlights also play a major role in the outdoor lab, as there will be the possibility to interact with the fittings, their accessories and the lighting effects.
Rako Controls RAK-8
Rako Controls were proud to launch the RAK-8 at ISE 2017. The new RAK offers a more space efficient and flexible, centrally wired installation option. Fitted in the same boxes as the standard RAK-4, the RAK-8 has eight outputs and can be fitted with any combination of four different types of plug-in modules to suit a variety of loads. Modules for leading, trailing and digital dimming will be available as well as a module for curtain and blind control.
Invent Design DiGidot C4
DiGidot C4 lighting controllers provide all that is needed in LED pixel and show control. These controllers convert Art-Net to SPI (supporting 30+ different LED protocols, such as WS2812 and APA104). DiGidot C4 Extended offers show recording up to eight universes per device. It easily plays through the many trigger functions, like UDP and Contact Closures. With its build-in ethernet switch and WiFi it connects to your network and is ideal for theme parks, events, retail and nightlife.
Meanwell HLG-480H-C series
With high working efficiency up to 95% and 7-year-warranty, HLG-480H-C series is a single driver with 480W output, conventional cooling and IP67 design. It provides different dimming functions, including adjustable low value, 3-in-1 dimming, and smart timer dimming. It is highly suitable for LED applications in street, harbour, green house and high bay lighting.
