If humble are the beginnings of every modest, founder-run business, then our business, International Lighting, was indeed born out of the humblest of cogitations. What has become lucrative and strong was little more than a meagre idea in the year of 2003 when the business’ founders, the Wright family, correctly identified the lacklustre market sector that is the market of electrical fixtures upon which long-lasting contemporary merchandise were uncommon to stumble.
In the beginning, while one of us would source suppliers from all over the world, another would actualise our business’ name and logo so as to establish our then-new brand’s identity. In 2005, we were finally able to procure a warehouse in Durban’s then up and coming locale for new businesses – Briardene. Shortly afterwards, we received our first shipment of products of what was yet to become multitudinous in number and scale. And so the process began. Our team at that stage only consisted of immediate family members, so the family avidly commenced with their first task – setting up appointments.
In the heat of Durban’s seemingly year-round summers, business was slow as might be expected for novices in this industry or any industry, really. After some days of contacting and engaging with potential clients, we got our first bite in Durban! Our sales executive at the time was no dilettante in setting up and attending appointments; he would regularly set up to a dozen or more to take place on a single day, every single week.
The appointment set to take place at our soon-to-be first client’s business in Durban was not unlike any other one held prior. Our consultant waited outside of our client’s place of business for more than an hour before getting the chance to speak with them, and then he spoke with them for another hour and a half before leaving them with some samples. It was not long afterwards when we were notified that our first agreement had gone through. Even still to this day, we have not allowed that same diligence to wane because every new client is not unlike our first – one more exciting and meaningful endeavour in our pursuit to galvanise and add much-needed diversity to products offered in the electrical industry.
Nearly twenty years later, we have come to provide products to some of South Africa’s largest companies as well as many of the country’s smaller independent businesses. From our outset, we have offered a wide range of Downlights, Lamps, LED lights, Pendants, and many other lighting commodities to our clients. Our clients may rest assured that our products are priced competitively and of haute quality, for our fixtures are NRCS and IEC certified. Additionally, we are a BEE level 3 contributor. And since our company’s fate has rested in the hands of its founders, we have been able to remain dynamic enough to transform and model our business around the demands of the market among other things.
We also pride ourselves in our green practices upon which we are constantly trying to improve year after year. Hopefully, our commitment to energy efficient lighting solutions as well as doing our part in protecting the environment is conspicuous and/or overt by way of our product offerings, for they are predominantly energy saving, and by our high institutional standards such as preeminently partnering with companies that abide by IEC International Standards and engage in sustainable business practices. One notable aspect of our business as opposed to that of others is that we actively choose to do our part in relieving the planet whilst doing our best to support those around us with progressive objectives.
From the smallest of scales, we have scaled up, but our values and care has certainly not been diluted. To some extent unbeknownst to the other founders and I, our goal of diversifying and bolstering the markets, encouraging the many stock-standard small and repetitious electrical wholesalers of the time to readjust their sights, has been successful, but there is much work to be done. As we improve and expand our product pools with the help of our beloved clients, we hope to continue to raise the bar and ensure that we are not only conscious of what is environmentally sustainable but relevant to the needs of this thriving country’s residents. We are South Africa’s leading suppliers in premium electrical merchandise.