Elstead Lighting, great illuminating Light Fittings

1. Company Overview

Just shy of fifty years since the first light found its way to illuminate a living room, Elstead Lighting has established itself as a formidable force in lighting manufacture and design, supplying quality products and expert service with an unprecedented track record of achievements. Elstead is an exporting champion, achieving growth in both sales and entire export as a percentage of sales year on year. The business proudly boasts a global network of distributors light First Light Direct, sales agents, and specification consultants and has products ranging from the Norfolk broads to occupying prime position at the largest lighting and interior trade shows across the globe. Long live the king, or so they say? In this case, an entirely new royal line awaits the throne with crucially, the same values, ethos, and dedication to the customer that has come to epitomize the Elstead brand.

A few quiet words were whispered back in 1967 when a young man, James Truman, set about revolutionizing the decorative lighting industry with the creation of Elstead Lighting, a name synonymous with quality and expert craftsmanship. In 2017, at the time of Elstead’s 50th year of operation as a lighting manufacturer, with lifelong manufacturing partner David McAllister (owner of Elstead Manufacturing Company) and business partner, fellow director Alan Barlow, by his side, James waves goodbye to the Elstead corporate structure, leaving it in the capable hands of a new Managing Director who possesses a wealth of experience in managing a complex manufacturing business that regularly works to exacting customer delivery requirements with a strong value engineering and project management focus.

2. Product Range

Elstead Lighting products are available in the following different finishes: Black, Bronze, Gold, Silver, Polished Nickel, Brushed Nickel, Copper, Chrome, Iron, Wood, Satin Nickel, Brass, Beige, Brown, Green, Polished Brass, Stone, White, and Mocha. Our extensive knowledge of the industry has allowed Elstead to work with many of the leading international lighting designers. Working closely with them, Elstead has developed a successful range of products that exude quality as well as creativity. We focus on traditional British design and all the practical skills needed that make our products more than just a source of light, a true style statement.

As a result of our partnership with sister companies, these combined catalogues present more than 3000 unique decorative lighting products and have gained an enviable reputation for delivering excellence in both product quality and customer service. All of our products are sold through a range of independent retailers, national electrical wholesalers, and international partners, many of which have been supplied since Elstead Lighting was established more than 45 years ago. Elstead Lighting products can be found worldwide with Elstead products being extensively stocked in our 63,000 square foot distribution facility, an impressive 18th-century warehouse design located between Thursley and Elstead, Surrey.

3. Manufacturing Process

Lewes' 2,000 sq. ft metal factory houses 3 degreasing units, a spray booth, and - apart from the welding bay and cutter area - an extensive range of modern machinery and equipment. Amongst this is a Robotic Powder Coating plant with a reciprocating hoist. The coating material, in the form of powder, is sprayed directly onto a bronze part, in a free form flow coordination between gun and robot, with the potential for the two to work independently of each other. This ability to powder coat intricate details, and the lack of waste created in the application and baking procedures, particularly with a batch of small parts on a relatively large carrier web, create not only cost advantages but consistency and similar environmental benefits.

The availability of comprehensive manufacturing facilities, using the latest technology to achieve efficiency and maintain detailed quality control, is maintained at Elstead Lighting's Hampshire headquarters. In-house capabilities include woodworking, casting, carpentry, hand and machine polishing, painting, assembling, and finishing. Elstead also has metalworking factories abroad, including facilities for plating and powder coating. To simplify installation and ensure fit helps is designed into the product, it is important to Elstead that where necessary, functional components are capable of undergoing simple procedures on-site.

4. Sustainability Initiatives

Elstead Lighting and many other companies are members of the Green Technology Forum, which recognizes their contributions to science and technology generations that sustain us all. Also, Elstead Foundries Limited has been a standard bearer as part of the European Foundry Association's Green Thinking principles that state that foundries contribute to a growingly prosperous and healthy environment through their sustainable use of resources, their ability to manufacture profitably while continuously reducing their consumption of raw materials, energy, and water, and their principal integral role in the recycling of metals and alloys.

Under our 'Zero Waste' commitment (aided by incremental low-energy bulbs and packaging design development and adoption), we have already achieved substantial waste reduction over time through reuse in local supermarkets, general recycling to local users, and refuse-to-landfill collections. This means that the 'Zero Typical Waste' definition is something that we always strive for, as it is the best possible current viable situation and as near to full zero as makes common sense given the ability of external collectors to travel great distances and create environmental costs over their remit. We refute the view that 'zero' directives are a contradiction, as these really must be goals rather than obstinacy that is blindly against broader regeneration costs. We can point empirically to the good industry best-regarded practice examples that larger corporations will always use as comparators toward improving their environmental stewardship rather than large-scale disruptive change for which they are not funded nor focused toward undertaking.

5. Customer Support and Services

Guarantees The end user guarantee is a two-year guarantee from the date of purchase. First Light and Elstead Lighting guarantee all the products against defective materials or workmanship. We further undertake for a period of 2 years to replace and repair any component part such as photocell or electronic components, which are found to be defective. After this time, the parts of the luminaire can only be exchanged for the same component once they have been returned to us and evaluated. This guarantee covers normal use and does not cover the bulb or damage to accessories, attachments, drivers, or transformers. The guarantee does not cover the finish, which may naturally fade over time. Opening or tampering with the control unit by removing tamper-proof screws will void the guarantee. Elstead's guarantee does not cover products used in coastal environments.

Great Customer Service At First Light Direct, we endeavor to provide the highest possible levels of customer service that we can. We have a technical team of lighting experts able to give the best advice to help you with your order. Our goal is to provide the best service in the industry from receipt of your order to after-sale support. We ensure this through constant evaluation of our performance and working within your timescales. We always aim to exceed your expectations.