Zumtobel recently set up Ledon Lighting GmbH, a wholly-owned Group subsidiary managed by Ruedi Hug, formerly managing director of TridonicAtco Switzerland. The new company is based at the Millennium Park in Lustenau in the Vorarlberg region of Austria and is expected to move into its new premises in March of this year.
The location was selected for its proximity to the Zumtobel Staff and TridonicAtco sales organisations, the applications expertise available in the Vorarlberg region, and the existing production capacities offered by the Zumtobel Group. During the start-up phase, Ledon Lighting will employ around 20 people.
Ledon complements the Group’s existing LED activities based at Jennersdorf in the Burgenland region of Austria, where Tridonic Atco focuses on LED modules and the Lexedis Lighting joint venture concentrates primarily on white LED light engines.
The new company’s efforts will be centred on the use of innovative LEDs in pioneering lighting concepts and new fields of application. “We expect LED technology to have a far-reaching and dynamic impact on the field of professional lighting,” said Zumtobel Group CEO Andreas Ludwig.
“With Ledon Lighting in place, we now cover the entire value chain for LED-based lighting solutions at the Zumtobel Group and have established a solid platform for the lighting of the future. As well as reinforcing our existing brands – Zumtobel Staff, Thorn and TridonicAtco – with new LED products, Ledon Lighting will be using this innovative technology to open up entirely new sales channels and market segments for our Group.”
Through Ledon Lighting, the Zumtobel Group has also entered into a strategic development and supply agreement with the Canadian company TIR Systems Ltd, and has licensed TIR's Lexel technology. In the future, Zumtobel says that Lexel technology will play a significant part in the innovative LED-based products offered by Ledon Lighting (see Zumtobel invests $4 million in TIR, licenses Lexel).
In addition to the commercial agreement between the two companies, Zumtobel AG has invested 4 million Canadian dollars in TIR Systems Ltd., which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. “For the Zumtobel Group, the strategic partnership with TIR Systems is a perfect enrichment of our dynamically growing LED activities,” said Andreas Ludwig. “Access to Lexel technology provides us with an important innovative edge.”
In the course of 2006, Ledon Lighting will become the first European lighting manufacturer to turn out products based on Lexel technology. Key fields of application will include professional indoor lighting for the retail, hotel and museum segments.
