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Celebrating sales of over two million products per year around the world and more than 250 employees, this year the company marks its 45th anniiversary. Here, EW finds out how BEG Lighting Controls went from a garage start-up to a multi- national business, and how the company recovered aſtereredaſter its entire office building burnt down in a huge fire in 1979.


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oundedin1975by Friedrich Brück,Germanfamilly business BEG Lighting Controls has grown to become one of the most prestigious lighting controlls manufacturers in Europe. Celebr ting salesofo er twomillionproductsper ye rlldandmore than250empl ye sary.


ounded in 1 75 b Friedric Brück, German fami ybusiness BEGLightingCon


prestigious lighting c


marks its 45thanniv LightingContr lswe


lshas gr wntobecomeoneof themos smanufacturers inEur


ees, thisyear the c ye y.H ,E nationalbusiness, andhowthe c riedrich Brücki went froma garage


ts entireofficebuildingburntd wninahuge Q: How did you get the company started?


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Q:Howdid you get the company started? Fr edrich Brück: At the beg nning of the 1970’


At the begiinning of the 1970’s,, I headed up theI headed up the


German branch of a French battery manufacturer. One day, a customer came tome with an emergency light fofor which he needed something quite specific.My employer fefelt that the volume equired was fafar too small but the customer s requirement just stuck inmymind. So, I offe yself.


ffered to con ert his emergency lights f ewnews ewnews..co.u ws.co..uk


German branch of a F ench batterymanufafacturer. One da , a customer came to me with an emergency light for which he needed something quite specific. My employer felt that the volume required was far too small but the customer’s requirement just stuck in my mind. So, I offered to convert his emergency lights myself.


BEG’’s FriedrichBrückopens up in an ex lusive int


brates 45years in businessears inbusiness. pensupin


anexclusiive interview with EW, as the lighting the lighting c celebr es 4


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o startwith I produced small quantities inmy living roomaftf er I finished work. When demand g ew, I quit my job, ffounded my own company and rented a house with a garage in my hometown of Lindlar. Then I developed y own first emergency lights,whichwere a real innovation at that time When the garage became too small, Imoved into our first company building in the industrial area of Klause, Lindlar This area is nowthe location of toda company headquar ers, of course, rather larger than those early days!


To start with I produced small quantities in my living room after I finished or When demand grew, I quitmy job, fo


To oundedmy own company and


ented a housewith a garage inmy hometown of Lindlar Then I developed my own first emergency lights, which were a real innovation at that time. When the garage became too small, I moved into our first company building in the industrial area of Klause, Lindlar. This area is now the location of today’s company headquarters, of course, rather larger than those early days!


Q: he core product range of BEGLighting Controls today ar occupancy and motion detectors. But when you started to sellmotion detectors,, this was an almost unknown product on the German market,, wasn’t it?


FB: That’s true.We were the first to develop amotion detec or fo triggering alarm systems. This gave rise to the idea of switching lights outdoors as well. It used to be thought that this was mpossible because of themany sources of interfe


e were the first to develop a motion detector ffo orr


could switch the light depending onmovement. To standard ffeature, but back then it was a revolution.


eatur , but back then it was a r Q:Yo our son nowtake


T® on themar et. I olution.


erence. I was


Q: The core product range of BEG Lighting Controls today are occupancy andmotion detectors. Butwhen you started to sell motion detectors thiswas an almost unknown produc on theGermanmarket wasn t it? FB: That s true


triggering alarmsystems This ga e rise to the idea of switching lights outdoors as well. It used to be thought that this was iimpossible because of the many sources of interference. I was convinced that it was just a question of the right technology. My son Dietmar and I tinkered fofor a long time and then, in 1986, w ere able to launch the very first LUXOMAT


convinced that it was just a question of the right technology.M son Dietmar and I tinkered for a long time and then, in 1986, we were able to launch the very first LUXOMAT® on the market. It could switch the light depending on movement. Today, this is a standard fe


oda , this is a


Q: Your son now takes care of the de elopmen and production of the products.Howdoes our family influence thework you do?


and production of the products. How does your family influence the work you do?


Intervi April202 Interviewconti pril 2020 electrical w view continued o erleaf rl 020 electricalwh esaler tinued overleaf.. wholesaler | 17 kes care of the development


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