Thorn and Zumtobel UK & Ireland, lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group, presented a cheque for over £42,000 to Cancer Research UK at their annual sales conference on 23rd May 2025. Football legend Kevin Keegan, special guest at the conference, joined Managing Director Paul Kilburn in presenting the cheque — underscoring the teams’ dedication to supporting pioneering cancer research and the patients and families it benefits.

Over the last financial year, employees organised a range of initiatives, including “duvet days”, festive cake sales, and a Christmas jumper day in exchange for donations. In the spring, around 30 Thorn and Zumtobel employees (joined by friends and family) participated in the London Race for Life. A company contribution further boosted the total funds raised to £42,828.40.

Paul Kilburn, Managing Director, Thorn and Zumtobel Lighting UK & Ireland commented:

“We’re incredibly proud of our teams for their enthusiasm and commitment. Every duvet day taken and every mile run in London has directly contributed to this significant donation. Presenting the cheque at our conference is a highlight, and we’re excited to see the impact these funds will have on vital research.“

“We’re immensely grateful to Thorn and Zumtobel for their incredible support. Donations like these help us push forward with life-saving research and bring us closer to our vision that people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer,” added Jan Leafe, Relationship Manager, Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK served as Thorn and Zumtobel’s chosen charity partner for the 2024–25 financial year.

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In this month’s Face to Face we speak with John Lyons, Divisional Director at Zumtobel Group, about lighting industry trends and the company’s future plans.

Q1: What is your industry background and how did you get involved with Thorn Lighting?

I began my career in the lighting industry in 1995 with Philips Lighting, spending eight remarkable years at the Hamilton, Scotland factory specialising in outdoor solutions. During this time, I gained extensive experience across multiple departments, including quality, production, purchasing and procurement, warehousing, distribution, and transportation. This comprehensive exposure provided me with an in-depth understanding of the complexities involved in aligning production with customer supply and demand needs.

In 2003, I relocated to Guildford to join Philips Lighting’s commercial sales organisation. Initially, I served as Logistics, Operations, and Supply Chain Manager, overseeing the Professional Luminaires, Lamps, OEM, and Consumer divisions. I later transitioned into a customer-facing role as Regional Specification Manager. After nearly 18 successful years, I embraced an opportunity to collaborate with former colleagues and joined Thorn Lighting in November 2012.

Throughout my career, I have managed both specification and trade teams, leveraging my expertise to support various aspects of the business. Currently, my focus is on the trade sector, where I collaborate closely with the end user, specification, contractor, controls and services sales teams and specialists. I am fortunate to have the fantastic support of a dedicated internal team that spans the entire organisation.

Q2: What are the lighting growth areas to keep an eye on? 

We’re seeing key growth in areas like sports lighting, data centres, and education. As demand for energy-efficient, high-performance lighting increases, we’re innovating solutions that meet these needs while focusing on sustainability. Digitalisation is also a big trend, with asset tracking and monitoring becoming more integral in managing lighting systems efficiently. Thorn is leading the way with connected controls that optimise performance and reduce energy use. Overall, sustainability remains a central focus across all these sectors, and we’re committed to driving forward with smart, sustainable solutions.

Q3: How does the THORNeco range differ from Thorn’s standard product offerings?

At Thorn, we’ve always been about creating efficient, high-quality lighting solutions, but with THORNeco, we specifically cater to wholesalers. The THORNeco range is all about providing great value for money, ease of installation, and ease of stocking. It’s designed with the needs of today’s customers in mind, offering a sustainable solution that’s practical and cost-effective. For instance, we’ve ensured the packaging is 100% recycled and plastic-free, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability.

While Thorn’s standard offerings cover a wide range of industries – from healthcare and education to transportation and sports – the THORNeco range really channels the expertise we’ve built over nearly 100 years, but it’s packaged in a way that makes it easy for wholesalers to sell. The luminaires are simple to stock, are energy-efficient, and help wholesalers provide sustainable options to their customers, without compromising on quality. It’s about making light work for everyone in the supply chain.

Q4: How has Thorn integrated sustainable manufacturing processes into its UK operations?

At Thorn, sustainability is deeply ingrained in our operations and the way we approach manufacturing. A great example of this is our Spennymoor factory, which recently won the prestigious Sustainable Manufacturing Award at The Manufacturer MX Awards 2024. This recognition really highlights the strides we’ve made in embedding sustainability into our operations. From reducing our energy consumption by 1.3 million kWh between FY21/22 and FY22/23 to cutting water usage by 50% since 2021, we’re proud of our tangible results.

We’re not stopping there, though. We’ve got ambitious plans to continue improving. For example, we’re implementing optimisations to our paint plant, which should reduce gas usage by 900,000 kWh. Sustainability is also built into our product design – with innovations like the Chalice downlight, Avenue outdoor luminaire, and Omega Moduline, we’re embracing circular design principles, making sure our products are durable, recyclable, and upgradable.

This commitment is all part of our journey to net-zero and reducing our overall environmental impact. Our team is incredibly passionate about sustainability, and it’s great to see those efforts recognised as we continue to lead by example in the lighting industry.

Q5: Thorn has been involved in some major sports lighting projects – what are the key aspects to consider when planning and designing a lighting installation at a sports venue?

Sports lighting is an interesting challenge, especially when you consider the different needs of athletes, spectators, and broadcast professionals. At Thorn, we approach each project with a focus on three main areas: performance, sustainability, and safety.

Safety and visibility are, of course, at the forefront of any design. We carefully select optical systems that minimise glare and ensure light is directed precisely where it’s needed – whether it’s on the field or around the venue. This also reduces light spill, protecting the local community and the night sky. For example, our Altis floodlights, with high-quality LEDs and mixed optics, are designed to minimise the number of floodlights required, making the installation more efficient without sacrificing quality.

Flexible control systems, like UrbaSens, allow us to adjust lighting levels for everything from training fields to professional events.

We’ve seen the impact of these solutions in some of our larger projects, such as the Sunderland Football Association installation. We also have dedicated sports lighting guides on our website that cover everything from design principles to control systems, ensuring our customers have the resources they need for a successful installation. 

Q6: What are Thorn’s primary aims and objectives for the years ahead?

We’re excited to drive multiple product launches across our portfolio, focusing on delivering energy-efficient, high-performance solutions.

Products aside, we also aim to deepen our engagement with local charities and organisations, reinforcing our Corporate Social Responsibility efforts and making a positive impact in the communities where we operate. This goes hand in hand with building stronger relationships with our clients, ensuring we continue to meet their evolving needs with the right solutions and support.

Additionally, we’re focused on investment with our factory to maintain operational efficiency and investing in training for our employees, ensuring they have the skills to continue innovating and supporting our customers effectively.

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Zumtobel and its sister brand, Thorn, both lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group, have been instrumental in enhancing the lighting solutions at Kao Data’s state-of-the-art campus.

The brand’s highly efficient lighting solutions have played a critical role in ensuring the campus meets its high standards of energy efficiency, operational resilience, and environmental responsibility. 

A hub of innovation 

Kao Data leads the data centre industry with a focus on AI and advanced computing. Situated strategically between Cambridge and London, the 15-acre campus is built on the historical site of Sir Charles Kao’s groundbreaking discovery of fibre optic cable in 1966. With over £230 million investment, the campus houses four cutting-edge, carrier-neutral data centres designed to support an IT load of 40MW, all powered by 100% renewable energy. The campus, which can expand to accommodate an IT load of 83MW, is a testament to the UK’s position as a global leader in data infrastructure.

The lighting project

The lighting installation at the Kao Data centres was executed in multiple phases, starting with the KLON01 data centre project in 2019 and extending through to the KLON02 data centre and the ongoing KLON03 data centre projects. Each phase has been meticulously designed to align with Kao Data’s vision of a sustainable and technologically advanced environment. Zumtobel and Thorn, in collaboration with JCA Engineering and MEIT Consultants, provided a tailored lighting solution that not only enhances the visual appeal of the spaces but also contributes to the campus’s low Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.2 — a benchmark in energy efficiency.

Objectives

The primary objective of the project was to implement a lighting system that maximises energy efficiency while maintaining the high operational standards required by a data centre. Kao Data sought to integrate a solution that would provide optimum lighting for technical spaces, reduce energy consumption, and ensure long-term sustainability. Additionally, the project aimed to enhance the facility’s aesthetic quality, reflecting Kao Data’s innovative spirit.

The future-proof scheme

Zumtobel’s TECTON continuous-row luminaire system, the backbone of the scheme, was chosen for its superior performance, sustainability, and flexibility. TECTON is known for its long lifespan, excellent glare control, and high luminous efficacy, maintaining 95% of its efficacy even after ten years of continuous operation. Thorn Lighting’s Aquaforce Pro vapourproof battens complemented TECTON for back-of-house areas, ForceLED vapourproof battens for external gantries, Omega Pro 2 panels in the offices, and Chalice downlights in toilets and stairways.

The TECTON system’s modular design allowed for seamless integration of emergency lighting and sensors in the data halls, making it an ideal choice for a dynamic and future-proof environment like Kao Data. The lighting solution not only met but exceeded the stringent sustainability standards, contributing to the campus’s BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification.

Results and benefits

The collaboration between Kao Data, JCA Engineering, MEIT Consultants, Zumtobel and Thorn has resulted in a lighting solution that optimally supports the data centre’s operations while significantly reducing energy consumption when compared to older and less efficient solutions. The use of Zumtobel’s TECTON system has ensured that the lighting is not only energy-efficient but sustainable as the system is reusable and can be upgraded through the lifetime of the product the project, making it highly adaptable to the changing needs of the data centre environment.

The efficiency benefits continue in the Thorn luminaires used in the white space areas. The project’s success is reflected in the campus’s recognition as one of the top business environments in East Anglia, as well as its ranking among the UK’s most advanced and sustainable data centres.

Mike Tamblingson, Operations Director from Kao Data, expressed his satisfaction with the lighting upgrade: “Partnering with Zumtobel and Thorn, has been a factor in achieving our sustainability and operational goals at Kao Data. The TECTON lighting system’s high performance and adaptability have ensured that our data centres not only meet but exceed industry standards for energy efficiency and operational excellence. Zumtobel and Thorn’s, commitment to quality and innovation has truly made a difference in our ongoing mission to provide world-class data services.”

Looking forward

As Kao Data continues to expand its campus with the completion of the KLON03 building in 2025, Zumtobel and Thorn remain a trusted partners in delivering lighting solutions that are sustainable, efficient, and aligned with the latest technological advancements.

Ed Haslett, Divisional Director for Critical Facilities Zumtobel Group UK&I, commented: “Walking around the Harlow campus, you can see the care and attention that Kao and their project partners have taken to build a world class facility. I’m proud of the part we have played here. Our luminaires have precisely lit the spaces, especially in the technical suites. By using the right output and distribution beams, you can see that we have lit the racks very efficiently so the engineers can see exactly what they are working on at all times. These are the types of projects that Zumtobel and Thorn, excel in delivering, and we look forward to working on the upcoming Kao projects in Harlow and Manchester.”

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Designed for the demands of today’s world, Omega Moduline is a stylish recessed LED panel perfect for education and office usage.

Not only is it high performance, the luminaire features replaceable LED modules and is easy to install.

Available in three panel sizes (600×600, 625×625 and 300x1200mm), Omega Moduline features two linear LED modules both containing 12 cells with primary lens optics. It also features an output of up to 5000lm that is carefully controlled to provide low glare light (UGR <19) as well as a high efficacy of up to 153lm/W.

A choice of colour temperatures are offered, including 3000 K and 4000 K. In addition, Omega Moduline is available with Variable Colour Temperature (VCT) technology which uses high-quality LEDs to tune the colour temperature from a warm 2700 K up to a very cool 6500 K, depending on the needs of a space.

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