Zumtobel Group

Zumtobel AG
Aktiengesellschaft
Traded as WBAG: ZAG
Industry Manufacturing
Founded 1950
Headquarters Dornbirn, Austria
Key people
Ulrich Schumacher (CEO), Rogier van der Heide (CMO), Karin Sonnenmoser (CFO), Jürg Zumtobel (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Products Lights, light fittings and components
Revenue 1.228 billion (2010/2011)[1]
€76.0 million (2010/2011)[1]
Profit €51.0 million (2010/2011)[1]
Total assets €1.020 billion (April 2011)[1]
Total equity €378.7 million (April 2011)[1]
Number of employees
7,810 (FTE, April 2011)[1]
Website www.zumtobelgroup.com

The Zumtobel Group (also known as Zumtobel AG) headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria, is a manufacturer[2][3][4][5] of professional indoor and outdoor lighting, lighting management systems and lighting components as well as LED and OLED technology. The Zumtobel Group includes the subsidiaries of Zumtobel, Thorn, and Tridonic. [6][7]

History

The present-day Zumtobel Group originated as "Elektrogeräte und Kunstharzpresswerk W. Zumtobel KG", which was founded in Dornbirn / Vorarlberg in 1950. For more than 50 years the Zumtobel family, represented initially by the founder Dr. Walter Zumtobel then by his two sons Jürg and Fritz Zumtobel.

1950 to 1999

In 1950, Dr. Walter Zumtobel founded "Elektrogeräte- und Kunstharzpreßwerk W. Zumtobel KG" in Dornbirn, Austria; the company produced Electrical ballast for the newly introduced fluorescent light fittings.

The company's international expansion began in 1976 when Zumtobel was listed as stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) and acquired a minority stake in the British company Tridonic Ltd. (the remaining shares were acquired in 1983).[8]

The very first painting robot in Austria was used at Zumtobel AG’s Plant II in Dornbirn in 1981.[9] In 1986, the world's first electronic ballasts that are compatible with argon and krypton fluorescent tubes were manufactured by Zumtobel.[10]

In 1991, the company was restructured into two divisions; Lighting Solutions (Zumtobel Licht GmbH) and Lighting Components (Tridonic-Bauelemente GmbH) as independent sub-groups. In the same year the Zumtobel Licht Toolmaking division began working on stereolithography. At the time, the system was one of five installed in Europe and the only one of its size in Austria. Zumtobel Licht is one of the first Austrian companies to be awarded ÖQS certification and then complies with the requirements of standard DIN ISO 9001, breaking new ground in the lighting industry.[11]

The second major international acquisition took place in 1993 when Zumtobel bought 51% stake in the Staff Group of Lemgo, Germany (the remaining shares were acquired in 1994).

First sales office in Southeast Asia of Zumtobel Staff Lighting Ltd. Was established in 1997 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to provide support to local sales partners. In 1999, The World Light Show at the Hanover Fair; Orea waveguide luminaire was presented. Orea is the first luminaire to feature a light-conducting microprism.[11]

2000 to Present

In 2000, Wassall plc was acquired in order to merge Thorn Lighting Group with the luminaire business of the Zumtobel Group (1998 Thorn Lighting Group is acquired by Wassall plc.); the acquisition was financed with the assistance of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) as equity capital partner.[12]

Due to globally trend towards more efficient lightning solutions, in 2001 Zumtobel Started LED operations. In 2006, Initial public offering (IPO) as the logical next step in the corporate growth strategy. The Zumtobel family remained the largest single shareholder with a stake of approximately 34 percent.

Ledon Lamp was founded in 2009 which is primarily tasked with the development and marketing of technologically sophisticated and innovative LED lamps for consumers. In 2010 through the Ledon brand the Zumtobel added the production of LED lamps. Ledon Lamp was sold in 2013.

As part of its growth strategy in 2012, the Zumtobel Group placed all Zumtobel brand production plants under uniform global management.[13]

Shareholder structure

The Zumtobel family is a stable main shareholder of the Zumtobel Group, holding 35.4% of its shares. In addition, since April 2009 and April 2010, respectively, Delta Lloyd Asset Management, and FMR LLC each hold more than 5% of the voting rights in Zumtobel AG. The remaining approx. 54% are publicly held.

Company Structure

Zumtobel Business segments

In organisational terms the Zumtobel Group is based on a “Parent company concept” with its lighting business managed directly by the Executive Board of the Group. The components business is handled by an independent subsidiary. The company‘s reporting differentiates between the Lighting Segment and the Components Segment, with LED revenues being allocated in line with the type of product concerned.

Market access through multi-brand strategy has been developed by dividing business into two segments.

Brands

Zumtobel Group Brands value chain

Zumtobel Group currently has four subsidiaries.

Thorn

Türk Telekom Arena in Istanbul illuminated by Thorn

The division with the longest history in the group is Thorn Lighting, which was acquired from Thorn EMI in a leveraged management buy-out. Its integration in Zumtobel was completed in 2000. Thorn Lighting was founded in 1928 by Jules Thorn and Alfred Deutsch. Thorn’s products are used in buildings and their surroundings, roads, cityscapes and sports facilities in more than 100 countries.

Thorn Lighting had a lamp factory in Buckie (Scotland) which opened in 1956 and continued manufacturing incandescent 'light bulbs' until it closed in 1987. It also manufactured lamps at factories in Leicester (mostly auto and high and low pressure discharge), Merthyr Tydfil (incandescent) and Enfield (fluorescent), which were sold to GE Lighting in the early 1990s. It relocated its factory in Spennymoor, UK, to a new site in 2009.

Zumtobel

The company established in 1950 has currently three sites in Austria alone. Besides its headquarters at 30 Schweizer Strasse, Zumtobel is also located at 8 Höchsterstrasse and 26 Schmelzhütterstrasse. Zumtobel is part of lightning segment that produced luminaires and lighting control systems for professional indoor lighting, including offices, schools, showrooms, hotels, wellness and healthcare facilities, the arts and industry.

Tridonic

Tridonic started in 1956 is currently a component segment of Zumtobel group that develops, manufactures and markets control gear for a wide range of light sources, lighting management systems and LED solutions, as well as electrical connection components and systems. As an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) supplier, the brand serves luminaire manufacturers worldwide, generating around 80% of its sales outside the Zumtobel Group. currently Tridonic holds nearly 2,000 patents.

In June 2012, Tridonic[14] jointly with other Zumtobel Group brands;[15][16] is the first company in the lighting industry to have introduced Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in line with ISO 14025 and EN 15804.

Operations

Production Plants

Zumtobel Group has 21 production plants in four continents and Sales offices in over 100 countries.

In September 2009 Thorn’s Spennymoor factory near Durham has been named Factory of the Year for 2009 at the Best Factory Awards (BFA) run by Cranfield School of Management in partnership with the magazine Works Management.[17]

Initially Zumtobel Group was targeting customers mainly from Europe and North America but in recent years operations in middle east has increased. Zumtobel is notably involved in the major projects in the Middle East.[18]

Zumtobel has also introduced smartphone app design guide to help select the best products for specific applications. It is currently available on iTunes.[19]

Zumtobel Group Award

To foster a decrease in global energy consumption and an enrichment of the general quality of life, the Zumtobel Group presents "Zumtobel Group Award for Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment"[20] every year.

Failed Acquisition

In 2007 Zumtobel Acquired Italian company Space Cannon. After discovering that products does not comply with International standards, Zumtobel decided to apply for liquidation in 2010.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Annual Report 2010/11" (PDF). Zumtobel AG. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  2. "Zumtobel and the City Council of Zurich Investigate Performance of T5/T16 Lamps". Led Professional.
  3. "Messe Frankfurt Light+ Building 2012".
  4. "Leading lighting Group uses VMware Application" (PDF). VMware, Inc. USA.
  5. "Cree and Zumtobel Announce Strategic Agreement". Cree News and Events.
  6. "ZAG Corporate Portrait" (PDF). Zumtobel AG. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  7. "Tridonic appoints Haji Commercial Company". AME information. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012.
  8. "From family firm to global player". Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  9. "From family firm to global player". Zumtobel AG. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  10. Perktold, Christoph (September 2011). "Company history" (PDF). p. 9.
  11. 1 2 "Restructuring and decades of expansion". Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  12. "The onset of the new Millennium". Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  13. "Zumtobel introduces global management for all production plants".
  14. "Tridonic: Environmental Product Declaration" (PDF). Institute Construction and Environment (IBU) e.V.
  15. "Zumtobel: Environmental Product Declaration" (PDF). Institute Construction and Environment (IBU) e.V.
  16. "Thorn: Environmental Product Declaration" (PDF). Institute Construction and Environment (IBU) e.V.
  17. "Thorn Lighting crowned Britain's Best Factory".
  18. "Zumtobel, The Light". Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  19. "Zumtobel US iTunes". Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  20. "MASS Design Group wins the Zumtobel Group Award 2012". Arch Daily. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  21. "Zumtobel closes space cannon". lux magazine UK.

External links

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