2020 was a big year for the business as we celebrated our 20th anniversary and rebranded from Designs for Lighting to DFL. Whilst our celebrations were virtual, we were proud of the milestone that we had achieved. The last 20 years have seen the business grow to what it is today, a hugely successful and reputable consultancy that employs more than 20 people. Since 2005, this has been under the management and direction of our Managing Director, Alistair Scott. Many of you will know Alistair as throughout his career he has taken on many roles such as President of the ILP and regularly attends industry events such as the HEA Conference.
We would like to begin this article by announcing that Alistair will be stepping down from his position at the end of this month. Alistair will continue to work at DFL in a part time role as Chairman, Non-Executive Director, and mentor as the business transitions. He is looking forward to the new challenge and spending more quality time with his family. Speaking of his decision to step back, Alistair said “I have enjoyed immensely my role as MD and seeing the consultancy grow over the past 16 years and I am proud to have been supported throughout by Andrew and Richard as Directors, and the best lighting team in the industry! I am looking forward to supporting DFL in the next phase of the company’s journey, but also supporting other areas of the industry.”
We would like to say a huge thank you to Alistair for all the work he has put into making the company what it is today and for continuing to support the business in the future. Change in management is always a big event for any business, but we are excited to announce that the business is being taken over by existing Directors, Andrew Longman and Richard Jackson who will now become the majority shareholders of the business. They will be driving DFL forward with the exciting growth they have planned for the business in the coming years.
The business is being taken over by existing Directors, Andrew Longman and Richard Jackson who will now become the majority shareholders of the business
Our new Managing Director has been at DFL for many years already and we can assure you that our business values and principles will remain the same. Taking over from Alistair will be current technical director, Andrew Longman. Andrew has been at DFL for 15 years and has played a key role in the businesses growth in recent years by managing the team and project work in his current role.
“I’ve worked with Alistair for over 18 years, at both Urbis Lighting and DFL. Since joining the company back in 2006, I have seen the company grow from strength to strength, diversifying into different markets and expanding our skill sets. I am personally grateful to Alistair for the mentoring and leadership he has given me which has led to this point. Richard and I have worked closely on the development of the business for several years and as a partnership we look forward to expanding and developing our existing portfolio, whilst continuing to provide our customers with market leading consultancy. We will also be pushing to upskill the sector through our commitment to training and professional qualifications, along with our continued support to the HEA and the ILP.”
I’m sure you will all wish Andrew well as he takes on this position and we know that the business is in safe hands.
The future looks very exciting for DFL and with our recent rebrand and continuously growing number of services that we provide to our clients. Moving forward, the business will be run by Andrew with the assistance of Richard Jackson taking on the role of Executive Director. Richard will be working in a largely strategic role as we move forward with our ambitions for the business. We are excited to grow further into the EV and Smart markets to provide our clients with the best service we can, all delivered to the highest quality.
Speaking of the changes in the business, Richard Jackson said “It a really exciting time for the business and I’m really grateful to Alistair for giving us this opportunity. I am delighted to be supporting Andrew as we take the business on and develop it for our ever-changing market. The rebrand was a way that kept the foundations of “Designs for Lighting” but allowed the business to develop into the emerging markets. We will continue to be the market leaders in independent lighting design consultancy, proving our value for money through design but will also further develop our existing electrical portfolio and introduce our “smart” consultancy services to clients that are developing innovative solutions for their asset portfolios.”
As a business we are looking to the future with excitement and hope you will all join us for the journey. Here is to 2021 and here is to DFL being “the power to make light work!”
