5 minute read
Coming to America
By Randy Reid
Last month, I had the opportunity to meet Matija Klinkon, CEO of LED Luks, and Ivica Jekić, Business Development Director, at their manufacturing facility in Slovenia. LED Luks, specializing in linear lighting with superior optic solutions, has established itself throughout Europe and, more recently, in the Middle East. But let's rewind to how it all began.
Matija founded LED Luks in 2013 with experienced Italian entrepreneur Dino Ferragotto, who decided to invest in the LED lighting industry. With no customers in the early days, he turned to LinkedIn and created groups around various lighting topics. As people joined and engaged, he simply asked if he could send them brochures, and many agreed. Through this grassroots effort, LED Luks partnered with Annell, a Swedish company, securing their first orders in the Scandinavian market. This marked the beginning of their growth, and in 2015, they won a significant project—the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar— supplying museum lighting and parking lot illumination.
From just three employees in 2013, LED Luks expanded by adding students and part-time workers. Today, the company boasts a workforce of 85. Their breakthrough came at Light + Building 2016 when Matija personally sent 450 messages on LinkedIn, inviting people to visit their booth. 128 people responded, leading to new partnerships in Norway, Finland, and Germany.
However, by 2018, Matija realized something was lacking. Despite steady growth, it wasn’t fast enough. The missing ingredient? Lighting designers.
Matija recalled the moment the insight clicked for him: “We were shortlisted for a [d]arc Award in 2018, and while sharing a taxi, I overheard the CEO of a major competitor discussing how young lighting designers were writing all the specifications. A light bulb went off.”
LED Luks shifted its marketing strategy. They attended the Professional Lighting Design Convention (PLDC) in Rotterdam in 2019, targeting this influential group. Their strategy gained momentum, and when Ivica became available in October 2022, they quickly brought him on board.
Entering the U.S. Market
During a conversation at Light Middle East in January 2023, Ivica explained to me a key challenge: many specifications for projects in Dubai, Qatar, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are written by lighting designers based in New York City. However, with no products meeting U.S. standards, entering the market seemed daunting. I even penned an article highlighting the dilemma faced by European manufacturers like LED Luks—keen to expand in the Middle East but not ready to enter the U.S. market.
This is where James O’Blaney of ORA entered the picture. Over dinner with Ivica, James explained ORA’s preference for representing smaller, specialized brands, and LED Luks fit the bill. Ivica noted that having a representative like ORA, which carried fewer lines, allowed them to push harder and handle much of the initial groundwork while benefiting from ORA’s strong relationships. James made a bold move by agreeing to represent a brand with no UL-compliant products at the time.
Ivica shared the impact of this partnership: “On my first visit to the U.S., I contacted about 100 lighting designers and secured 10 appointments. Of course, having James by my side gave me huge credibility.”
The Hook
Matija described the crucial factor in their success with U.S. lighting designers. When a designer specifies a U.S. product for an international project, distributors often look at the fixture schedule and substitute European products. Matija explained, “When distributors see a +1 phone number (US & Canada) they work hard to break the spec because they fear there won’t be support.” He added, “When they see a +385 (Croatia) or +386 (Slovenia) phone number, they feel more comfortable selecting an EU product because they know there are a sales network and international support available.”
Ivica added, “This was my hook in securing appointments. I could help designers maintain their international specs.”
The strategy has worked well, with LED Luks appearing on specifications across the globe. However, one major market remains untapped—the U.S. While they are gaining momentum in Europe and the Middle East, breaking into the American market has been a challenge.
Moving Forward
The initial phase of LED Luks’ strategy has been successful, and now they are preparing for phase two – redesigning their product lines to meet UL standards. Their linear lighting range has already undergone redesign, and they expect UL approval by the end of the year. Matija admitted the process has been difficult and time-consuming, particularly due to the need to accommodate larger drivers for the North American market while still allowing space for optics, sensors, and emergency battery packs.
Ivica is also in negotiations with several U.S. companies to handle assembly work domestically, another key step in their expansion strategy.
With LED Luks’ strategic move toward the U.S. market and their ongoing efforts to meet UL standards, the company is poised for continued growth. By aligning with the needs of lighting designers globally and partnering with trusted representatives like ORA, they are positioning themselves for long-term success in both the Middle East and North America.
