The Zumtobel Group (also known as Zumtobel AG)(WBAG: ZAG) headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria is a leading European manufacturer 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, Tridonic and Ledon. and ranks high among companies in professional luminaire and components business.
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).
The very first painting robot in Austria was used at Zumtobel AG’s Plant II in Dornbirn in 1981. In 1986, the world's first electronic ballasts that are compatible with argon and krypton fluorescent tubes were manufactured by Zumtobel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As part of its growth strategy in 2012, the Zumtobel Group placed all Zumtobel brand production plants under uniform global management.
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.
Ledon
Ledon Lamp was founded in 2009 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Zumtobel Group and like its parent company is based in Dornbirn, Austria. Ledon Lamp is primarily tasked with the development and marketing of technologically sophisticated LED lamps for consumers. The product range is focused on “retrofit” lamps – high efficiency LED lamps designed to look like and replace traditional incandescent light bulbs and conventional energy-saving lamps.
Tridonic
Tridonic started in 1956 is currently in 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 jointly with other Zumtobel Group brands; 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.
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.
Zumtobel has also introduced smartphone app design guide to help select the best products for specific applications. It is currently available on iTunes.
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" 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.
