7 Nov 2014
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Intra lighting d.o.o.

By EY Slovenia

Multidisciplinary professional services organization

7 Nov 2014

 

It has sometimes been said that light is man's best friend.With its dynamic development and rapid growth, Intra lighting has surprised both the global lighting industry and the Slovene economic environment. In just two short decades the company has surpassed all expectations and today Intra lighting is a successful manufacturer of architectural lighting, marketed in over forty countries across four continents.

Husband and wife team Marjeta and Marino Furlan established Intra in 1989. Although at the time this was a rather small enterprise with a very modest amount of financial capital, the drive and creative energy of both founders secured its rapid growth. Only a year later the Furlans’ love for lighting and light resulted in the company beginning to trade in decorative light fittings. In 1992 the company made another leap forward as it began to conquer the world with its first range of light fittings made from sheet metal, which were assembled locally from parts imported from abroad. Soon after their light fittings were not only produced and also sold on the Slovenian but also sold on foreign markets too. Two years later Marjeta and Marino purchased machinery for the production of light fittings and through their pioneering enthusiasm, assembled these fittings themselves, thus setting the foundations for the company’s present highly modern production of technical light fittings. In 1996 Intra assumed its new name “Intra lighting”. The scope of production began to increase steeply despite limitations due to a shortage of a suitably qualified workforce. For this reason the Furlan team decided to direct their energies and production into architectural light fittings, a sector with higher added value. With new designs and new light fittings the company was rewarded with numerous awards, by adding innovation, modularity, short lead times and comprehensive economy to its range of development objectives. At the same time the company did not forget its environmental responsibilities, which is demonstrated by the use of environmentally friendly materials and energy saving bulbs. Today the Intra Group comprises of three production units located in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Marketing companies and commercial representative offices are located in nine countries and the company cooperates in the development of new products and lighting solutions with partners from several countries.   

Light only where necessary, only as much as necessary and only when necessary
Marino Furian
Owner

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From London to Moscow 

Intra lighting has over twenty five years of experience in working on a large number of projects across four continents. The company's light fixtures give light to business premises, public buildings, stores and shopping centres as well as venues intended for various events and activities of sport, education and culture located all over the world. Some of these prestige installations include, at home: Cankarjev dom, Kristalna Palača, renowned hotels such as Kempinski in Portorož, Livada Prestige in Moravce, Perla in Nova Gorica and Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled. Further the company has also fitted light fixtures in the Stožice sport stadium, at numerous universities, senior schools and kindergartens, as well as at industrial facilities and numerous new buildings. Abroad, the company's light fittings provide light to the offices of Microsoft, Chevron's HQ Houston, EY, Armani, Calvin Klein, Adidas and Nike stores, hotels and schools in Amsterdam, Moscow, Sarajevo, Verona, London and elsewhere around the globe. The company is particularly proud of its successes in projects where a number of different objectives were met and where its light fittings fulfilled all the requirements of both users and those involved in the process of realising the project.   

Viktorija Lazar, Supervisor, co-owner and wife of Agromehanika founder Friderik Lazar, Franc Selak, Supervisor and co-owner, Janez Pušavec, Supervisor and co-owner of Agromehanika d. d.

Innovation and success

A highly technical company with dynamic growth allows its individuals to be creative, giving them endless opportunities to be innovative. “As we aim to put our products on the market as quickly as possible, to help achieve this we also have a number of state of the art in-house laboratories as well as our own research and development department, where new materials and construction techniques are researched and tested, and where work is coordinated between designers and other divisions.” explain the Furlan team. “Our light fittings are of modern design, and high quality, as well as efficient with high energy efficiency achieved using the latest technologies. With our focus firmly on detail and modularity as well as simplicity of assembly these are key elements of our development philosophy. Intra lighting's products are placed in the market segment of architectural lighting where innovative solutions and design play a key role within the wider global market. They are some of the most technologically advanced on the market, the most efficient and advanced, as well as being of a modern design, and are often awarded the most prestigious international awards such as IF, Red Dot, Japanese Good Design Award and Design Plus award”. 

Integration of knowledge and competence

The Furlan husband and wife team saw the company moving through a period of rapid growth to a point today where great attention is devoted to building their brand, and everything that goes with it – from improving working processes, digitalisation and data integration, developing even more complex products which must remain user friendly and simple to operate; to launching onto new markets, team integration and further development of knowledge and competences of individuals. Their son and daughter are also involved in the family business. “Our daughter is responsible for marketing while our son manages the sports and events centre Magma X. It was important to us that both children become independent and responsible, to keep their feet firmly on the ground and to achieve their own goals and aspirations. We support them when our support is needed while giving them the freedom to choose their own career paths,” they add. “You build your company in your own time and your goal is to ensure its long-term success. As the owner you have great responsibility to the company and the people employed in it. Today, our business includes 200 families in total. While your company is growing, it is important to have the right workforce who are professionals in their own areas and who you can trust to contribute to the team effort of achieving the company's objectives, and staff who are willing to further their knowledge and expertise and be responsible for taking the right decision” add Marino and Marjeta, who agree that their responsibility to the family business is immense. “What the company represents today has been built by many people, employees of companies and representative offices of the Intra Group. Each individual and each of their contributions have helped to create a successful business, known as Intra lighting. Staff in the sales, development and production divisions are a well-rehearsed team that knows how to lend a listening ear to each individual customer,” reassure the Furlans’. “We need people who know how to accept a challenge, want to build on their knowledge and expand beyond the boundaries of what is possible. People, who can take on responsibilities for their work and be creative team members. Anyone who takes on new tasks enthusiastically and is not satisfied with half-hearted solutions can always find a suitable challenge.” They continue: “We comply with quality standards and for this reason expertise and skills, responsibility, accuracy, and dedication are important in-house values.” Marjeta adds that today she and Marino are no longer alone in the company: “Ours is a successful team of strong individuals who are at the same time colleagues we trust and collectively we are writing the Intra story.”

“Light only where necessary, only as much as necessary and only when necessary,” adds Marino.

Awards system and experience

Since people play a significant role in the success story of this Slovenian enterprise, the most prominent achievements of individuals are rewarded at an annual awards ceremony. “Each individual accomplishment results in even closer ties between all those involved. Our employees share close affiliation to the company and forge friendly relationships with our colleagues. It is important we celebrate all our achievements together and to achieve this we organise memorable excursions and most enjoyable parties. We put particular emphasis on the physical fitness of our employees and thus we have established a fitness centre Magma X, where employees are able to relax and socialise, or perhaps they may prefer to try their luck on the golf course, or elsewhere where they can renew their physical strengths they need to face new challenges,” illustrate the husband and wife team.

In addition, the company promotes and organises a range of educational and training programmes that contribute to the personal and professional development of its employees, as well as activities which helps drive the further development of the company. Internal training courses, a mentor-ship programme and close cooperation between individuals from various specialised areas, ensure the smooth flow of certain specific knowledge and the exchange of experiences between all employees. Special attention is devoted to working conditions and in particular providing modern technical equipment of all working areas. 

Our goals and mission

Everyone in Intra lighting believes in our common objectives and while performing individual tasks, employees forget the time and are rarely tired: “You need to be alert, be able to make connections between various areas of expertise and recognise new opportunities when they arise. One should not remain satisfied with current results, instead constantly asking yourself how something could be optimised or improved further in order to make that next leap forwards,” Marino enthusiastically assures. Future plans are directed towards development of innovative, masterful and artistically designed products, greater recognition of the Intra lighting brand, and greater depth of sales promotion on foreign markets.

Marino is confident that innovative lighting solutions are the future. “Light only where necessary, only as much as necessary and only when necessary,” adds Marino.

Marino and Marjeta Furlan, owners
Company name: Intra Lighting d.o.o.
Number of employees (2013): 250
Net sales revenue (2013): € 20 million

 

Interviewees:

Marino Furlan, owner

 Marjeta Furlan, owner

Summary

Intra lighting products in five words: “Innovation, design, quality, energy efficiency and care for sustainable development.”

About this article

By EY Slovenia

Multidisciplinary professional services organization