The personal touch
Singapore 10th November 2011
As I am meeting new suppliers and manufacturers agents to update myself on the latest product developments (there are so many new players in the LED market, its just not funny!) regularly as I did today again, Osram sends a round mail to everyone in the lighting industry to announce that they have completed the take-over of all Traxon shares and are now the sole owner of the brand. Like Philips bought Color Kinetics not so long ago, Osram also seems on war path to buy up lighting companies to fill up the missing components in their core product range. We had Philips buy Genlite, Dynalite, Selecon and Osram, Siteco…where is all this going? I am not sure of what to think about all this “big eat small” stuff…
Where is the little shop arond the corner of your neighbourhood? Do we have to go shopping in a supermarket? I know my mum makes it a point to shop practically exclusively in little specialist shops rather than go to a big supermarket, even if it means to drive further away. She has done so for all her life. I always love to go shopping with her, because wherever she goes they know her
and it always is like: “How are you mrs Klaasen? All well? Ah I see your son from Singapore is over, are you cooking something special? I have something special for you today….” You know what I mean? The personal touch…you know you get the best deal.
In lighting for me I feel the same. I need the personal touch, someone I know, I can rely on and someone I can call if I need help. While the mega companies are doing their best to serve us well, the sheer size and bureaucracy of these companies make the personal touch very difficult.
In Light Watch my first job with Traxxon as it was called at the time (yes 2 X’s) was accidental when we renovated the lobby of the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore in 2004 (!). We had actually specified Color Kinetics but discovered on installation that the product was a look alike, though the supplier claimed it was the same as Color Kinetics! It did not have a brand name on the fitting, but checking the packaging revealed the name Traxxon. We felt cheated but in the end it worked well and we decided to go with it. We all have to start somewhere and look where Traxon is now! Well done…
Light Watch 199: Pan Pacific Hotel, Lobby, Singapore ( KLD file foto’s 2004)
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