Modernizing a 100-year old family business to stay ahead of the curve
British Electric Lamps Limited, better known as BELL Lighting, has a rich 100-year history that has propelled it into the position of strength where we find it today. Marketing Executive Samuel Whittaker outlines the journey: “We have been a manufacturer and supplier of high-quality lamps and light fittings since 1920, when Mr. E. R. Grote founded BELL Lighting as an incandescent lamp factory. We are proud of our heritage as a British business which has remained within one family since its founding.
“In the 1980s we established a National Distribution Centre in West Yorkshire, an area of the country where we are still based. This expansion has continued throughout our history, and in 2023 we moved into our new National Distribution Centre, BELL House, increasing our potential for stock holding, staff growth, and daily order numbers.”
Whilst continued growth is important, a positive company culture which meets its traditions as a family business is also a priority for BELL Lighting, as Joint Managing Director Trevor Grote details: “Our core values are Better Together, Customer Experience, Vision, and Passion. In essence, these values put forward that BELL Lighting must be a business where our staff trust and respect each other at all times, working together to provide the best possible service to our customers, whilst creating a positive working environment for one another.”
Boasting a broad catalogue of award-winning products, Technical Director Shaun Horsfield breaks down the offerings. “We have a rich heritage of supplying the best lamps on the market, and we are still exceptionally strong in this area. Our range includes GU10, GLS, MR16, MR11, AR111, PAR, LED Filament, Fairy, Soft Coil, Vintage, Candle, Round, G4/G9, T5/T8 and 2D lamps.
“We also produce a portfolio of LED light fittings, including LED Floodlights, Street Lights, External Bulkheads, LED Battens, Industrial High Bays, LED Downlights, Panels, and an exceptional Emergency Lighting collection.” Despite such an extensive catalogue the business is still finding ways to create innovative new products. As Shaun points out: “The Firestay Geo®, an LED Sustainable Modular Downlight, won three awards in 2023, securing both the Lighting Product of the Year and the Smart Buildings/Sustainability Product of the Year at the Electrical Contracting News Awards, alongside a Build Back Better Green Award.”
Lighting Design Engineer and Sustainability Champion, Aimee Tindall, explains how integrating sustainable products and practices has led to positive transformations across the business. “We have been working for several years to improve our sustainability practices. We made the decision to investigate our practices at a deeper level in 2023, with the aim of attaining Carbon Neutral status before moving further towards Net Zero.
“We now have a host of hybrid or electric vehicles as part of our fleet which has already reduced our carbon output by 31 tonnes, and we achieved Carbon Neutral status in 2023.
“One of the key changes which we have made as a business relates to our packaging. We have ensured that all our cardboard boxes are FSC certified, recyclable, and made from mostly recycled materials (63 percent), implementing a new recycling process to safeguard that we do not send waste to landfill. All the packing materials which leave our warehouse are now recyclable or paper based, with our polystyrene and plastic bags moving over to a paper or vegetable starch alternative, as well as recyclable bubble wrap, and our pallet wrapping is now 100 percent recyclable.”
Sustainability is not the only area of the business that has recently been transformed, with the company moving into its new National Distribution Centre.
Marketing Manager Adam Haigh explains: “It involved an immense amount of work, but resulted in a fully bespoke space which met our needs and gave us room to expand. The warehouse now includes a state-of-the-art carousel, which allows for unrivalled stock management, for example. There is also now a gym, showroom, boardroom, customer experience area, canteen, and testing spaces which were not previously present.”
Sales Director, Phil Holt, goes on to clarify how the move to BELL House has helped to set BELL Lighting apart: “At BELL Lighting, we stringently test our products and components, meaning we can offer industry leading warranties to our customers. Our National Distribution Centre houses a Secure Life Testing Area where we batch test all manufactured items to ensure continuity to life standards.”
A further element of evolution that has directly fed into the recent growth of the business is the modernization and digitization of many processes. Samuel is back on hand to elucidate the matter: “Lighting is a traditional industry in many ways, but the companies which are successful can maintain tradition whilst integrating modern technological solutions.
“This modernization extends to the way which we market ourselves. In 2023 we began the implementation of a new social media and digital strategy. Since this change, clicks through to our links and services have risen by almost 1500 percent.
“Our internal practices have also received a considerable update, with a new HR system, improved reporting and tracking systems, additional staff employed in order to update our website and technical practices, and investment in our machinery and equipment.”
Maintaining success over a century requires constant evolution and adaptation. This is something BELL Lighting knows well. As it continues to grow into the next phase of the business it has strategically updated and upgraded processes, products and services to ensure that 100 years later it can remain on the cutting edge of design and manufacturing.