After VRIELAND closed its doors, a new beginning emerged in the early 1990s. From a small spare room, several members of the Van de Vrie family set out to build a new lighting company: Lighting Partner. With limited resources but plenty of experience, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit, they worked day and night to develop a new collection of spotlights.
What began as a small team in a space measuring just a few square meters quickly grew into a major player in the European lighting market.
Early 1990s – The founding of Lighting Partner
After leaving VRIELAND, several family members decided to put their knowledge and experience to use again at a new company. From a modest workspace, they set to work developing new lighting concepts and spotlight collections.
The early years were primarily focused on product development, international manufacturing, and building new customer relationships. Thanks to the experience gained during the VRIELAND period, the company was able to adapt quickly to the market.
1995 – The introduction of GU10 spotlights
A major breakthrough came in 1995. Lighting Partner convinced lighting manufacturer Sylvania to develop a halogen bulb that could be plugged directly into the mains: the now-familiar GU10 bulb.
While Sylvania was developing the lamp, Quinten van de Vrie Jr. was working on the development of the corresponding GU10 base and spotlights. By the time the first shipment of lamps arrived, the fixtures were already ready for production. The team worked through the weekend to ensure the first shipment could be sent directly to the customer, Leroy Merlin, in France.
The concept proved to be a huge success. Within the first year, Lighting Partner purchased more than 800,000 light bulbs, and the company grew to become Sylvania’s largest customer.
1997 – Partnership with Sylvania
When Philips and Osram later introduced GU10 bulbs to the market, interest in Lighting Partner continued to grow. Eventually, the company became part of Sylvania. During this period, Lighting Partner developed both technical lighting collections for Lumiance and consumer lighting for Brilliant Leuchten. In addition, the company worked intensively on establishing international production facilities, including in Indonesia.
Lighting Partner's collection stood out for its innovative designs and strong focus on spot lighting and halogen technology.
After a few years, the situation within the Sylvania Group changed. As a result, Lighting Partner ultimately decided to go it alone again. Despite this challenging period, the company managed to bounce back quickly. Within a few years, Lighting Partner had reestablished a strong market position and was fully committed to new lighting technologies.
Early 2000s – The Rise of LEDs
Lighting Partner was among the first companies to embrace the potential of LED lighting. It developed LED collections for various international clients, including Regent, Trilux, Philips, and Zumtobel.
2004 – Introduction of EYEleds with Insta
In 2004, a partnership was also formed with the German company Insta, leading to the joint development of a series of floor spotlights under the name EYEleds.
Thanks to intensive marketing and product promotion, awareness of these products grew rapidly within the market.
2005 – Launch of the SpotLED series
When Philips acquired Lumileds in 2005, Lighting Partner was asked to quickly develop a new series of LED spotlights for the market. This led to the launch of the SpotLED series, based on one of the first high-power LEDs: the K2 LED. Within a short time, large numbers of products were manufactured in Thailand, where Lighting Partner now had a specialized factory for aluminum turning and milling.
Following the success of SpotLED 1, SpotLED 2 and 3 were also launched, establishing Lighting Partner’s international reputation as an innovative developer of LED lighting.
2009 – Launch of Illuxtron International
As a result of its international growth, Lighting Partner eventually came into contact with various international investors and companies in the lighting industry. Following this period, in 2009, the family members involved each chose their own path within the fields of technology and innovation.
Quinten van de Vrie Jr. eventually founded Illuxtron, with a strong focus on high-quality architectural lighting, product development, and custom solutions.
The knowledge, international experience, and innovative vision gained during the VRIELAND and Lighting Partner eras continue to form an important foundation for today’s Illuxtron International.