Why Classon Lighting Design?

Because you have a fantastic pedigree.

You yourself come pre-loaded with a lot of experience. I think there's a lot of synergy between our practices, beliefs in the way design should be done and the benefits of great lighting design. So I think for us, as Nolte, there's a huge amount of benefit in acquiring a company like Classon. What's really interesting for us? We are a global organization. We're now in eight offices, seven countries, but there's also a kind of. We respect the local cultures, obviously, but we have our own global culture as well, and pulling you into that and tapping into your knowledge is going to be exciting actually, and so we're an organization that is based on knowledge sharing and caring and collaboration. You can only facilitate further growth in that.

That's fantastic.

That's what I'm concerned about. Welcome back to the Virtual Lighting Design Community Podcast, a global platform that empowers, inspires, educates and connects the lighting design community. This podcast is brought to you by our premium supporters Aero Hospitality Lighting, creative Lighting Asia, erco, the Signify Lighting Academy and Philips Lighting. Today, we're excited to share an insightful conversation between two titans of the lighting design industry, martin Klassen and Paul Nolte. Recorded in Singapore at the end of November. This engaging dialogue focuses on the recent acquisition of Klassen Lighting Design by Paul's practice Nolte+.

Join us as Martin and Paul discuss their visions for the future, the integration of their teams and the unique opportunities this merger presents. Expect valuable insights into their collaborative approach, the importance of knowledge sharing and how their shared values will shape the evolution of both companies. Originally featured on Martin's personal brand website, light Talk, it is available on the Virtual Lighting Design Community Members site as a visual version, as well as on our YouTube channel. Visit vldcommunity to learn more and tap intoa myriad of interviews and presentations by lighting experts and industry thought leaders. Now, without further ado, let's jump into the episode. Enjoy.

Paul, here we are Partners in crime. Now I thought it was maybe a good idea, now that you're here in Singapore, that we have a chat about how this all came about. I'm sure there's a lot of people with questions, so my first question to you is why? Why glass and lighting design?

Because I want some more grey hair. No, why glass and lighting design? Because you have fantastic pedigree. You know you've got you yourself. Come preloaded with a lot of experience.

I think there's a lot of synergy between our practices, beliefs in the way design should be done and the benefits of great lighting design. So I think for us, as Nolte, there's a huge amount of benefit in acquiring a company like Klassen because, as I say, it brings in more experience. You've got a fantastic team, so that benefits our team. It gives us additional resource, availability to additional resource. There's an existing portfolio of um, of life projects, and there's a great historic portfolio as well. So for us it's kind of you know what's not to like um. I think, uh, it dovetails very well and at the same time, I think we can bring a lot of benefit to kld. You know, by you know by implementing some of our processes and um and so forth, hopefully we can help the team here grow and evolve um and, as the two companies eventually sort of zip together, um you, I think this should be a really good opportunity for the end result being greater than the sum of its parts. For me it's an exciting thing.

I will also explain why I, of course, because it's a why for you, but it's also a why for me, because obviously I guess the biggest surprise for many people is that I'm already 70, yeah, so there's obviously some things going on in my mind in terms of succession, future, etc. And I have very loyal staff, some of them with me more than 17 years, so I wanted to also find a home for them, should I, in the future, not be able to continue what I'm doing? I'm not saying I'm going to stop doing what I'm doing. I love what I'm doing, but obviously preparation for the future is also key, I think, very important. So that's why I started looking around and, if you remember, the first time we spoke was more than five years ago, before COVID even spoke, was more than five years ago before COVID even.

But I never wanted to join or merge with an architectural firm or an engineering firm. I wanted to join with somebody which is like-minded in terms of attitude, values etc. And in that respect, I've always looked at you from far away. You have got a lot of business acumen as well, which is something that I somewhat sometimes lack, so in that respect, you'll be very helpful, but the values that you have, also in terms of work-life balance, are very, really important.

We are very strong on that, also within our team, and I saw that also within your team, also within our team, and I saw that also within your team, and we think very much alike in terms of what lighting design is what we are supposed to bring to our clients. So that attracted me very much to you and your company, your team. So when we started talking to me, it was sort of a no-brainer that that would be a really nice combination, of course, with your experience and the way you have managed to build your company to where it is on the global stage at the moment. I thought that was also an opportunity for my team to grow further. There's a lot of potential in my team, but I think they need leadership like you can provide for them to grow further. So that was, for me, also a major key motivator to continue this discussion well, I'm pleased and flattered.

Thank you, um, I think you're right. Like I said, it works both ways. Um, we don't always get the work-life balance right. We try, we try. I'm a real believer that we're only as good as the people we employ, absolutely, um, and we want a great team, we want an engaged team, we want an empowered team. It's always been my philosophy to lead from the back rather than the front, so I don't like putting bottlenecks in place. I like empowering the team. I like designers who want to take ownership and accountability of their project work, and I think what that has allowed me and then my team to do is to create an environment that is really encouraging and empowering for people to come and work in, and I think that's fantastic and we value that. We appreciate our team a lot, um, so it makes it kind of an enjoyable space and I hope your team you're sort of joining and becoming part of the wider group that it enables them to do that, because, ultimately, the more engaged people are, the better the quality of work that is produced.

Absolutely, it's a fairly simple equation I can already see from my team.

So I engaged them a bit earlier in the process because I wanted this to be a smooth transition.

So it was not at the last minute informing them that we would go and be acquired by you, but for the last couple of months they have known where we're going to and it was very much like a team effort to make sure this works, because I wanted their mindset also along the way to to go through this process of merging two totally well, not totally different but different companies, different, um, uh, work environments in in a way. So you could say I mean, you have your backgrounds in the UK and Dubai. There's obviously an Asian culture in my company. So engaging them in the process of merging our two companies was very important to make it smooth, and I can see the enthusiasm right now. Already they're really excited. But no, but that's that's key, because I think that will make the transition very smooth. I think you already saw in the last few days how excited they are and they're really putting their efforts in also to to meet with your team and start to engage.

I think I just think back to when I was a junior designer and an intermediate designer. What did I want out of life? And apart from more salary because that's what everybody wants I really wanted to feel ownership of my project work. I wanted to feel that my ideas were being heard, that I got to meet the client present and we really try and do that with the team. And I think when you layer that on top of a culture that is one of sharing, you know we give away a lot of knowledge, we encourage, uh, collaboration. I think it makes it an exciting place to learn, cut your teeth, to come into the industry. So I think everybody enjoys it as a result. And, like I say, we're only as good as the people we employ and if we can make them as engaged as possible, make the process as enjoyable as possible, then actually there's no excuse to not be doing fantastic work. Absolutely and ultimately, we're hopefully here to be doing fantastic work, providing fantastic service and and making it enjoyable.

Yeah, well, that's exactly it. So that's also the main reason why our negotiations, if I may say that way, actually went fairly smooth. We had a few little fights here and there, but overall, I think our goal was to make this work. Yeah, absolutely. I saw that from this one, from you also the enthusiasm and the will to make it work, and for me also, I didn't want to put up too many barriers to make this work, so I'm really happy. I'm also very grateful that you appreciate what we can offer you, and I'm very happy for my team also to be part of yours.

Sure, I mean look, this was never a one-way street, it's synergistic. I think we can bring a lot. You guys can bring a lot to us as well. So for us it's win-win. The negotiations were, let's be honest, there are probably only half a dozen times in the entire industry where another lighting practice has acquired a lighting practice. No, exactly, it's quite unique. Actually, it's my first time.

So we're making it up as we go along, but it has been very smooth and very enjoyable. I think it is the beginning of the beginning. That's what's really exciting. I think we don't lose track of the fact that we're lighting designers, we love light, we're passionate about light. Yeah, we want to educate and give away lots of knowledge about light. I know that's a very personal thing to you as well absolutely all those sort of um, yeah, uh, things that you have going on. So for us, I think it's super exciting there's there's so much sort of synergy between the two, the two companies. Um, the next 12 months, 24 months, for me, are really exciting. It's the beginning of the beginning, as I say, and I'm looking forward to working together.

I'm also very much looking forward to that and I see lots of opportunities where I can share my knowledge, my experience. Obviously, you once told me that I would be the granddad of the company, which I sort of like as a title. I'm a granddad in real life and it's really enjoyable to you know, share your experience with the new generation and, I think, with your team, which also seems super enthusiastic and, you know, engaged. I think I will have a fun time in sharing my knowledge and helping.

For sure, and I think we're going to tap into that Absolutely. What's really interesting for us? We are we're a global organization. You know we're now in eight offices or seven countries, but there's also a kind of a. We respect the local cultures, obviously but, we have our own global culture as well, and pulling you into that and tapping into your knowledge is going to be exciting, actually, and so we're an organization that is based on knowledge sharing and caring and collaboration, and you can only facilitate further growth. Yeah, in that.

yeah, that's, that's fantastic as far as I'm concerned I'm I'm very excited and, um, I still have to find my way around it, because we are very much a small little family and we were all doing things together. Now we're getting in a much more structured and organized environment, which I kind of love because, first of all, I feel a bit relieved because you can take care of that now, but which will free up time for me to really focus on that knowledge sharing and mentoring which I'm really looking forward to doing with the team as it is now your team, and I think there's a lot for us ahead where we can use our combined experiences and expertise and skills to grow this company. When I say this company, I'm already talking like our company. This is how I feel, even though I need to still let go of my control desire. Sometimes it's collaborative, yeah, yeah, but you will see quite quickly that, um, you will find my energy redirected where it will need to go.

uh, in terms of the new setup look, I, I think that's great and, um, with the way I, I look at it, you, I didn't build my company on my own. It's always about people Standing on the shoulders of giants, right, you know, nobody takes your side at design school and says this is how you manage people, deal with HR, this is how you deal with the accounts, or marketing, or whatever it is right. So I think the only thing I've really been good at is understanding my weaknesses and pulling different people in. So I'm surrounded by a team of people that are fantastic marketers, fantastic strategists, great with people, great designers as well, and it's allowed us, because of that sort of lead from the back, empower other people philosophy. That's allowed the growth that we've got to recognize our weaknesses and not be scared that somebody can come in with a lot more knowledge and add to the team. So for me, that's what's exciting. As I say, you come preloaded with many years of experience and if we can tap into that knowledge, then it absolutely benefits everybody. Yeah, great.

So we're now embarking on a new stage, on a new adventure. I would really say I like always the term adventure, because we don't really know where we're going, but we know roughly the direction, what we want to achieve, but where we'll be in five years' time we don't know. But we know we have the energy and the skills to make something very nice out of it.

My team hate me for describing us as pirates, but I've always described our organization as a kind of a merry bunch of pirates. We can go in whatever direction we want, make up our own rules, but we do it as a team. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think that's really important and I say it's very much part of our culture. So, yes, the new adventure is super exciting. 12, 24 months ahead, the companies are going to take a little bit of time to zip together to new things. It's exciting.

Well, we'll see where it leads us. I don't want to make it too long, but I think it's good that people hear and see us talking together, because there's obviously a lot of talk going on in the market, in the industry. What are those two up to? But we have been very good friends, I would say, over the last couple of years and we've always respected and trusted each other. I think that was also at the basis of this acquisition is that we really respect each other where we are in our respective positions and what we have achieved with our teams. And I think in this case, I think one and one is going to be much more than two.

Yeah, absolutely I look forward to this ball. Thank you so much.

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