tp24 Limited
tp24 was formed in 2002 as a division of Seymour Design - an established interior design company specialising in show house design and installation. Seymour Design was formed as a partnership in 1987 and became a limited company in 2002.
After 15 years of show house installation the founders were looking to develop a new business that could stand alongside the existing interior design specialist services and add value to the group. After a process of evaluations studying all aspects associated with the new home arena lighting was identified as the major product missing from the builder’s options lists. The name is derived from an initial concept of Threshold Partnership which was then shortened to “tp” with “24” added to reflect an “all hours service”.
tp24 was set up with the clear mission to provide a dedicated service for new home developers allowing them to successfully offer lighting options. When moving house lighting is an important part of getting your home in order: being able to get your builder to install your lights before you move in is a big bonus and one less headache for many new home buyers.
tp24 has focused on making lighting options the easiest option to offer by understanding the sales process and providing easy to implement systems, catalogues and a full range of support services.
Within three years the company grew quickly from a sub-division to an equal part of the group. Changes in the building regulations demanded that low energy products needed to be sourced and added to the range. After a long period of searching the market for suitable products it was evident that, despite a change in legislation, there was a major gap in the market. The early energy saving lighting products were very big and expensive and largely derived from the commercial sector. In despair of these ugly options and high prices tp24 decided to take charge of its own destiny and develop its own solution.
After a six month period of design, development and patent applications the company produced its L1 dedicated interface for small, self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamps. The “L1” name tag was chosen to differentiate the product from other none dedicated lamps and was derived from the building regulations energy saving revisions under Part L section 1. The first Kyoto range of dedicated low energy fixtures was shown at the UK lighting show in Birmingham in January 2006 and broke new ground in low energy lighting and particularly with respect to domestic lighting conforming to part L of the new building code.
The pendant set went on to win awards from the Construction Product Association and HBF and has been adopted on an ever increasing scale since its inception.
2007 saw another big development with the design and introduction of new specialist lamps. The tube and micro lamps were able to offer further major design options and resulted in the launch of the extended Kyoto range with over 250 dedicated low energy light fixtures. These fixtures are some of the smallest on the market and offer real choice and style to all home owners seeking to save energy, to cut their costs and to help reduce CO2 emissions.
The company added further unique selling points to its range by including its patented HSR quick fit system to all of its new lines. The system makes it much simpler for consumers to change their light fittings with no need to remove the ceiling rose or re-wire the existing connections. This complies with the new wiring instructions ensuring that you do not need to be a registered electrician to replace your light fitting.
The success of the low energy range has been such that the company took a major decision to close the Show house division and focus totally on lighting. The company changed its name to tp24 Ltd. in August 2007. From initially being a specialist option company to the new homes industry the business is rapidly changing to meet demand from electrical wholesalers, contractors and retailers.
Components are now available in the UK and Far East to encourage other designers and importers to adapt to the tp24 L1 interface. The company believes it is important that they do not have a monopoly on the provision of lamps and fixtures using its dedicated system and is actively encouraging others to develop their own dedicated ranges.
More recently tp24 has begun to offer its L1 system to LED suppliers as a readymade solution for self-driven LED products. They have recently completed a contract to supply 14,000 lamp holders and licensing of a specialist UV LED lamp for fly zappers destined for the US market. Work has also been completed on tooling and ballast design of 110v lamps so that the products can be made available in those countries not using 230v as standard.
Interest in energy efficient products continues to be high and increasing consumer demand, due to rising fuel prices, is driving sales. Work is now advancing on a number of fronts with new products and developments in the pipeline. The company is focusing on adding value to its product lines and developing larger fixtures for other advanced markets. Several R & D projects are being developed to keep the company at the forefront of its field.
On a wider perspective tp24 are actively looking for ways to spread the interface, establish links with global brands and seeking European partners to distribute our products and to design their own L1 ranges.
tp24 is leading from the front with forward thinking, continuous development and new ideas. The company is committed to providing a greener solution for everyone’s lighting needs