Member Profile: Bob Dillon

Bob Dillon, CEO of Hubbardton Forge, is the 2017 ALA Board of Governors chair-elect and the chair of the ALA Membership Development Committee.

As an involved member in ALA, he recently provided some insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

How did you get your start in the lighting industry?

I came to Hubbardton Forge after more than 30 years in high-end furniture manufacturing. I had held senior leadership roles with various companies, where I was directly responsible for general management. I also handled key sales and marketing functions for each of these companies, including brand development, product strategy, product development and marketing strategy, in addition to supervising sales team development, training and management. These experiences helped prepare me for my work with Hubbardton Forge.

What are some of the challenges you are facing in the industry today?

Being a successful manufacturer today requires continual innovation in every aspect of your business. One area in particular that has been a key focus of ours is digital technology. Growing your capabilities in this area enables innovative ideas to move forward much more effectively. Everything from reaching tech savvy customers, to being able to communicate sophisticated concepts from a designer’s desk to the manufacturing floor relies on digital capability.

How has Hubbardton Forge incorporated digital technology into its business?

We’ve incorporated digital technology into every aspect of the business, not just in the obvious areas. We have embraced it in design, engineering, finance, HR, sales reporting and manufacturing. The importance of having a significant digital presence in all of those areas cannot be overstated.

An exceptional user experience is critical across all platforms. You need to provide stimulating content that is quick and easy to access. Different people receive information in different ways, in today’s market it is crucial to reach individuals when and where they are most receptive to being impacted by your information.

You may not immediately think of manufacturing when you think of digital technology, but the changes in recent years have been astounding. Manufacturing processes, based in Numeric Control, allow us to achieve amazing tolerances and general quality, which were not possible a few years ago. Today, you can take a rendering from a designer’s screen to an NC-controlled waterjet, and in a few minutes, you can have a component in hand. The use of Sequence Technology with touch screen imagery and content has also vastly improved manufacturing floor communications.

Why do you feel digital technology is important for other businesses to consider and implement?

The global nature of business today suggests that you get “a little better every day” or you are assuming a level of risk to your ability to grow.

Having a robust digital presence gives you the ability to build brand awareness and to efficiently and effectively communicate the essence of your company to a wide audience. It allows you to improve customer engagement, which is the most important aspect of any forward-facing digital campaign.

How has ALA impacted or enhanced Hubbardton Forge and your career?

The ALA addresses, primarily, three interdependent constituencies: manufacturers, retailers, and sales representatives ALA effectively provides real-time information, certification programming, very specific and current technical information, and updates on legislative and regulatory activities to all of its members. The information is distilled, timely and transmitted digitally through a number of vehicles. These materials are essential for all of us as we try to make the most informed decisions.

Lightology Launches New Showroom Installation

Last August, ALA member, Lightology launched a new installation in their showroom called The Morpheus Room. The Morpheus Room brings together two achievements in lighting – the CoeLux artificial LED skylight and Tunable White LEDs, which provide unprecedented control over color temperature. Working together, these technologies create an environment where light can be controlled to create any lighting atmosphere or mood. Recently, Lightology Owner Gregory Kay provided ALA with some insight into their new installation.

How was the concept behind the Morpheus Room developed, and why did the Lightology team feel this was an important addition to the showroom?

The concept behind the Morpheus Room was to create a space showcasing the latest LED technologies available today.

PureEdge Lighting’s new Tunable White LED technology can create a wide range of moods within a room at the touch of a button. We wanted to demonstrate to consumers how this technology provides total lighting control over their interior environment.

We believed this experience would only be heightened when placed alongside our CoeLux 45 LC LED artificial skylight. Advanced optical systems and nanomaterials within the fixture produce an LED “sun” that rests in a convincing blue “sky,” both appearing at an endless distance. The overall impression is that of sunlight pouring into, and bringing life to, any room. We believe this pairing has the potential to change homes, offices, hospitals, wellness centers and more by introducing warm sunlight into areas previously inaccessible.

These technologies are best demonstrated together on a canvas all their own. While we’re immensely proud of all of our high-end lighting fixtures on display at Lightology, these two amazing advancements really needed to be set apart from the rest, and shown to the world in a space all their own – the Morpheus Room.

What challenges did the Lightology team face in developing this new concept?

There are challenges inherent in any undertaking on this sort of scale. Much construction was involved, considering the size of the CoeLux and many controls were added, including a setting to display a pre-programmed show for customers. It didn’t take long for us to get all this running smoothly and once construction was complete, we were left with one of the most advanced spaces in the country that showcases new groundbreaking LED technologies.

How do you anticipate the Morpheus Room will change/improve the customer experience?

The Morpheus Room is designed to show customers what light is truly capable of. It’s something we so often don’t even recognize, but with the Morpheus Room, the effects that light has on our emotions can’t be ignored. Customers are now able to live with light in a way that wasn’t possible in the past. The Morpheus Room will expand the customer’s thinking about what light means and what LEDs can add to their home. They are able to create that sunset feel, which is what photographers refer to as ‘the golden hour,’ the magical time of day when the sun casts a warm, beautiful glow on your skin. And just as easily, they are able to create the energizing daylight that keeps us productive.