With the appointment of Jürgen Hess, 50, to the company’s Board of Directors, Berlin-based lighting manufacturer Selux has announced the final steps in its transition from a family-run business to a manager-led business enterprise. Hess, who will serve as the head of technical management, joins Felix Grönwaldt, 49, who was appointed to the board in April 2014 and will be responsible for commercial management and sales.
The company’s succession planning, which was outlined in April 2014 with the appointment of Grönwaldt, will now be fully realized and long-standing board member Ulrich Misgeld, 64, will depart from the executive board on Sept. 30, 2015. This date will also serve as the point in which Udo Bansbach, 69, son of Hermann Bansbach, who founded the company in 1948 in Berlin after World War II, will step down from his role as consultant to the board of directors. However, as owner of Selux and a member of the supervisory board, Udo Bansbach will remain closely associated with the company.
Jürgen Hess studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany and has coupled his technical background with extensive work and business management experience for such companies as Nokia, Leica Camera, and lighting manufacturer Erco. Prior to joining Selux, Hess was the managing director of the technical division at Bürstner, a manufacturer of recreational vehicles.
"It is only possible to truly realize visions and achieve fascinating innovations for designers and customers, if you have a talented and motivated team to back you. I see Selux as a leader in the lighting industry when it comes to technology, design and service,” said Hess in a press statement. Felix Grönwaldt echoes this sentiment and excitement about the company’s future. “I am looking forward to working closely with Jürgen Hess to continue to strengthen the Selux brand,” he said, also in a prepared statement.
Hess and Grönwaldt’s appointments signal a new era for the company as it looks to the future. Selux employs 565 people at it locations in Europe, North America, and Australia, and in 2014 continued its growth with a turnover rate of 8.9% supported by projects in the United States (+31.4%) and Germany (+11.5%). Fifty percent of Selux’s business is from the sales of LED-based luminaires and the company expects this to increase to 70% by the end of 2016. The company will introduce several new products during the upcoming bi-annual lighting fair Light+Building, which will take place in Frankfurt from March 13 – 18, 2016.
