How would you sum up your first year at Artech Lighting:
I felt unmotivated and frustrated with projects in 2021, and soon realised it was not due to the market or my approach, but the team around me. I needed a change.
The energy and responsiveness of the dynamic, agile team at Artech struck me immediately. We approach challenges together with a realistic, committed and positive mindset. If it can be achieved, then we do it.
I had become used to working in a “we can’t” or “we shouldn’t” business, so to go to a “we should” and “we will” business was so motivating.
Artech is young, hungry and keen to learn, which is refreshing for an “older head” like me and reassuring to have such a great team behind me from day one.
We also have the courage of our convictions – Artech claims to manufacture, and we do! We’re not glorified assemblers relying on third-party suppliers or a distributor of other supplier products. We bend our metal, we punch our steel and aluminium, we have a designated powder coating line, a profile curving section. As part of the Apex Group, we even produce our own wiring and cabling for our product. Artech is a true UK manufacturer.
What are some of the projects have you delivered/overseen:
- Barclays – One Churchill Place Trading Floors
- Four floors consisting of over 4,000 individual light fittings. A complex design with individually monitored fittings creating a mesh network covered by Bluetooth enabled luminaires.
- Delivered with less that 0.1% defects in a period of less that sixteen weeks from design to delivery.
- Millennium Capital – Victoria, Trading Floors
- British Telecom – Bristol, HQ
- SMBC – London
- Ryder Levitt Bucknall – Manchester
What has been your personal professional highlight:
I’ve been overwhelmed with the take up from the professional consultant community. I genuinely thought it would take over a year to gain credibility and secure high-level specifications from top-tier electrical consultants, lighting designers and architects – this has been my personal highlight.
I’m humbled with the support shown by my key corporate account associates. Also, securing and delivering on one of the highest profile banking projects in London has been incredible.
What are you finding most clients are asking for/what are current priorities:
It is the perfect storm right now. Increases in energy costs will continue, with next year’s unit rate for electricity four times what it was in 2021. This, alongside the push for carbon neutrality and climate crisis is all leading people to think more holistically about the energy they pay for.
Artech has developed technology within its luminaires offering users complete health diagnostics. You can monitor that the fitting is running to its optimum and for its projected duration. It allows remote testing, saving significant carbon from manual processes. We tell clients how regular spaces are utilised and offer advice on saving energy and lifespans of products, thanks to the collected data.
Good quality LEDs should be a given when appointing a quality UK producer, but the technology sitting behind every luminaire now is the future of what we do.
What trends/styles do you think will emerge in the industry in the coming year:
Lighting is one of the main considerations in our working and social life. When we socialise, we want to feel connected and relaxed. When we work, we need that and focus and flexibility in mood sets.
Smart controls manage effective lighting levels against occupancy to reduce consumption. Circadian rhythmic lighting can help enhance mood as we move into Autumn and Winter.
Products that are multi-use. Some that are installed as a CAT A fitting, can be re-purposed in tenant fit outs. The product becomes an asset, not a commodity. Remote access technology.
What does the future hold for Artech London:
In year one, we have managed to successfully secure contracts in every area we targeted.
Artech London is competitive enough to VE yet quality dictates specifications on the highest level of schemes. We have created partnerships with corporates, designers, consultants and contractors, all of which we’ll continue to develop into 2023.
Our pipeline into year two exceeds expectations, so growth will continue.
We are thinking big – we aim to be the leading UK supplier into the London and home counties markets by 2024. We will continue to develop the technology within our business. And we will grow the London team and Artech Lighting, as a whole.
We will be agile, initiative-led, responsive and aggressive when needed.