Managing Director at Northgate Lighitng, Adrian Lee, began Northgate Lighting Ltd. in 2006 with a team of 2! Now the business has grown to 50 team members, a 50,000 ft² warehouse and over 12,000 product lines.
This year marks 15 years of Northgate Lighting! Wondering how it all started? Read the story here to see how Northgate Lighting became what it is today, or read on to learn more about the successful Bramley-based entrepreneur.
Q & A
What was your first job?
I did a mechanical and production engineering apprenticeship. It paid £29 a week!
What brought you into the world of lighting?
I saw it as an opportunity to bring my experience of marketing and products together.
How has the industry changed since the early days?
The technology impact has been huge, moving from conventional light forms to LED has revolutionised the industry. The rise of the internet has been a disruptive force in the structure of the market force and seen a decline of the influence of the major manufacturers.
What’s your favourite thing about running Northgate Lighting?
The people. Absolutely, the people. Specifically developing people is probably what I’m most proud of and enjoy doing the most.
What has been your proudest moment so far?
Past surviving 3 recessions, being announced as one of the '1000 Companies to Inspire Britian' by the London Stock Exchange Group has been a massive highlight.
What motivates you?
Delivering potential and figuring out how we release it - for myself and the team.
Do you have any mentors or anyone that inspires you in your professional life?
It comes from a few different places really. I’ve been around some very inspirational business professionals over the years. I’ll go with:
- Thomas Edison (of course!)
- Stephen Covey
What do you think the future holds for the lighting industry?
Innovation is on the increase, and that can only benefit the consumers. I think we'll see some really interesting developments and ideas.
And what about the future of Northgate Lighting?
I think Northgate will continue to innovate and deliver better and better customer experience.
Any final thoughts?
We’re really proud of the team, present and past, and of what we’ve built. From starting off in 70 sq.ft, now in 50,000 sq.ft. Not bad considering we started off in a laundry room!
