"Selecon's highly acclaimed luminaires for the theatrical and architectural markets will further strengthen the breadth of solutions Philips can offer to important professional customers such as performing arts centres, churches, convention centres and hotels," said Rudy Provoost, chief executive of Philips' Lighting sector. "Today we are further strengthening the product portfolio of our globally leading entertainment lighting business, building on the foundation provided by the acquisition of Genlyte in 2008."
Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Selecon was founded in 1969 and employs approximately 95 people throughout Australasia, Europe and North America. Landmarks as diverse as the American Museum of Natural History, Hong Kong Science Museum, the Sydney Opera House and the Opera Bastille in Paris all use Selecon lighting. The company has delivered a double digit annual revenue growth rate over the last four years, a performance which is expected to continue in years to come. Selecon has become part of the Entertainment Group within the Philips Professional Luminaires business, which also encompasses the Vari-Lite and Strand Lighting business operations.
The acquisition of Selecon follows the acquisition of Italy-based Ilti Luce Srl, one of the leading LED design companies in Europe for architectural indoor lighting just over a month ago, and is the second such announcement in the Pacific region in as many weeks following last week's acquisition of Australia-based lighting company Dynalite.
Selecon general manager Jeremy Collins comments, "We were approached by Philips because of the commitment and achievements of the Selecon team over the last 24 years. The success Selecon has achieved is in a great part due to the support we have received over the years from our local theatres on both sides of the Tasman, and our ability to harness the skills of New Zealand's specialist manufacturing industry to develop new product and take it to a world market. We are looking forward to building on the increased market access that this move will provide.
"It is important to Selecon that we recognise the role of our loyal New Zealand and Australian lighting markets in our success. This has allowed Selecon to grow internationally and become of relevance to a major global player like Philips."
Steve Carson, Philips Entertainment Lighting, adds, "We are delighted to add the broad complementary product range of Selecon to Philips. Selecon brings new depth to our product offering and extends it with the Artis range of high performance architectural lighting products. Despite challenging economic times, this strategic move demonstrates our commitment to and confidence in growing our global entertainment and display lighting markets."
(Jim Evans)
