Right now, globally we’re in the midst of so much economic change being driven by a myriad of factors. That’s why it’s such an exciting time to be part of a growing market that can address some of them.
“The desire to move into a growth field has brought me to LST”
I started in commercial lighting at Philips in my late 20s when LEDs were still in their infancy. I think now with general LEDs, whether that’s street lighting, house bulbs or whatever, it’s such a highly commoditised product. The race to the bottom becomes increasingly difficult against countless competitors. I wanted to move back into a growth field where the opportunities were there. It’s this desire that brought me to LST.
It’s exhilarating to be involved at the start of something at ground level which has huge growth potential, rather than something that’s going to really struggle to sustain itself. And everybody needs to change things up now and again. They say that the definition of madness is to always do what you’ve done while expecting different results. It was definitely time for a change!
“Being part of this team is ethically speaking, a personal tick”
For me though, it goes beyond that. The environment is very important to me and my family. There are only going to be more people on the planet. We’re like ants – we can’t stop breeding! What this of course means is that we’re going to have to feed more people. And we’re going to have to find sustainable ways to feed everyone. So being part of the LST team is a big personal tick for me too.
I’m also extremely intrigued by the scientific aspect of lighting, I always have, so I love getting my teeth into a more science-focused role in terms of what light can do and the effects of light.
What I like about LST is the fact that it doesn’t have a plethora of products which can sometimes dilute a company’s identity or strategy; all of this love and attention goes into grow lighting and indoor farming, into this niche market. It’s a focused specialist but one which is also agile. As a team we’re not limited by corporate constraints so we can tailor the offering to the individual customer. We can think outside the box, we can do things that haven’t been done before. I think it gives you real clarity on ways to help drive the business forward.
“The potential is both extraordinary and mind blowing”
It’s not just about selling lighting to customers; on any given day you can be dealing with nurseries and greenhouse growers to research companies and universities; the latter is one area which LST is adept at establishing and nurturing partnerships in. This is being seen with Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby where its leading academic experts are working in collaboration with us to hone and develop perfect the plant recipe using ground-breaking science and technology. What we’re trying to achieve is pretty extraordinary, as it comes with the potential of radically changing the way we grow and eat our food, long-term and reducing environmental impact. When you think about it on this large scale, it’s all a bit mind blowing really.
