The products of ELEKTRA GmbH stand out for sophisticated engineering, excellent quality, minimalistic design and maximum safety. The company manufactures LED-based linear lights, spotlights, conductor profiles, lamp drivers and connector systems in its leading-edge production facility in China and Enger, North Rhine–Westphalia. The growing product range also includes smart lights, which are controlled by intelligent systems. ELEKTRA’s specialists are continuously setting new trends when it comes to luminous flux, service life, color rendering index and color control.
The company has customers in more than 30 countries, including makers of furniture, kitchen fittings and store fittings, plus other manufacturing companies. It also offers in-depth advice and reliable service. The team optimizes its processes for customers, making assembly and later disassembly as simple as possible. Another point in its favor is sustainability. ELEKTRA is known for efficient production processes and reduced use of materials.
Working together to find solutions
The development department at ELEKTRA specializes in OEM projects, where the goal is to work out customized, flexible solutions for manufacturers. Here the company sees itself as a sparring partner: A suitable lighting system is developed in close cooperation with the customer in a team, beginning with an idea and a drawing, moving ahead to tool production and prototyping, and culminating in delivery of the final product.
One example of a successful OEM project is the cooperative relationship with Sauder Closets, in which ELEKTRA supplies sophisticated lighting systems.
From Enger to Wilmington
Established in 1979, ELEKTRA is now part of the global EHLEBRACHT Group. The company’s small team began making products for OEMs after only a year, and its business with renowned customers laid the foundation for a promising business model. Numerous groundbreaking products followed: a round, compact fluorescent lamp with an exchangeable tube, innovative illuminated shelves, powerful chip-on-board LEDs and radial LEDs made a big impression on the market.
The company now has 1,200 employees in two branch operations. Approximately 100 persons are at work in Enger in development, production and quality control. In China, the wholly owned subsidiary ELEKTRA Industrial China Co., Ltd., has more than 1,100 employees at three locations. Besides being engaged in plastics production and tool development, the teams in China are building tools on state-of-the-art CNC machining centers. They are also assembling plastic and electrotechnical components for sale. In 2024, ELEKTRA opened a new office in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, where it will respond to strong demand from furniture manufacturers and shopfitters for smart, sustainable lighting solutions. An external warehouse ensures fast deliveries, and retail partners provide reliable service.
Looking ahead
“We’re on the right path,” says Boris Niessing, who shares the role of Managing Director at ELEKTRA with Matthias Delius. “We can rely on regular innovations, a stable market in Germany, a successful branch in China and strong partners in the American market. But of course we want to grow, continue our international expansion and become even better known as an innovative, reliable supplier of high-quality lights and lighting systems.”
On August 1st, Ashleigh Lawson took over the sales management of ELEKTRA’s US subsidiary in Wilmington, North Carolina. In her new role, the sales expert, supported by her experienced colleagues, is responsible for furniture manufacturers and shopfitters in the region who have a high demand for intelligent and reliable lighting systems.
Ashleigh Lawson brings to ELEKTRA a wealth of experience from her previous roles at companies such as Würth, Makita, and Fastenal, where she successfully enhanced her expertise in sales management, business development and strategic planning. In her new position, she aims to align ELEKTRA’s sales efforts even more closely with customer needs. Her focus is on the consistent implementation of the company’s strategy. Lawson states emphatically: “I’m really looking forward to finding new ways for ELEKTRA to make its innovations and products even more well-known in the USA.”
Boris Niessing, Managing Director of ELEKTRA GmbH in Germany, adds: “We’re delighted to have Ashleigh Lawson join our team. She is an extremely competent colleague. I’m fully confident that she’ll manage the market optimally and leverage its potential.”
“These days, with tougher competition and the loss of purchasing power, visually appealing and easy-to-install lighting systems make a real difference,” explains ELEKTRA Managing Director Boris Niessing. For this reason, the LED experts from Enger, North Rhine-Westphalia, combined high-quality technology with a sophisticated design in the new LD 8228 surface-mounted light. The result is a glare-free and powerful low-profile light in a smart ring shape – but both installers and retail customers are also impressed by the light’s other plus points, such as easy installation and reduced process costs.
Simple Installation – Less Material Needed
“Until now, users installing ring lights had to mill or screw into the wood and drill holes for the wiring,” says Henrik Bültmann, the Head of Development and Construction at ELEKTRA responsible for product development and technology. “We wanted to optimize this process for the customer, so we designed a self-adhesive solution with a flat cable connection.” The light and the cable can be easily mounted, retrofitted, and removed without leaving any residue. Furniture remains undamaged during both installation and later removal. Bültmann is particularly proud of the flat cable electrification: “Our solution is based on a LED tape. It makes handling much easier for the customer and significantly reduces the effort involved in installation.” Thanks to its minimal height, the cable is almost invisible. It is available in white or black.
Less can mean more! During the production of the ring light, the LED specialists combined efficiency with sustainability. They produce the COB (Chip on Board) LEDs as ring segments with four pieces per light, ensuring the most efficient “less-waste” approach possible. This intelligent planning was rewarded with the Interzum Award 2023 in the sustainability category – since conventional spotlights with a diameter of 78 millimeters require twice as much material.
Creative Partner
ELEKTRA focuses on discreet electrification and sustainable, innovative light design. “Our goal is to be a development partner for the industry,” explains Bültmann. “That’s why we developed a completely different approach to manufacturing the conventional recessed light.” This creative effort has also paid off – for example, ELEKTRA came up with the idea of angling the cover of the ring light inward to achieve glare-free illumination.
The LD 8228 operates at 24 volts and is available with different dimmable light colors ranging from 2,700 to 6,400 Kelvin MIX, 3,000 and 4,000 Kelvin. The configurable connection is also flexible, since various plug connections can be soldered onto the FlexPCBs. “Our products are all ‘Designed and Engineered in Germany’ – and we test each lighting product groups individually in our Light Test Center,” says Boris Niessing. Most of the ELEKTRA systems are UL-certified, making them suitable for the American market. “In the US, it is mainly kitchen and home furniture manufacturers who are really interested in our smart lighting solutions,” adds the Managing Director.
