'Garden lighting is now indispensable'

in-lite is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and in that time has developed into a leading player in the field of outdoor lighting. What began as a small-scale offering of integrated lighting has grown into a complete range with innovative, smart solutions for every garden.

in-lite originated as part of an ornamental paving manufacturer and began offering a Canadian system of integrated lighting for wood and stone. CEO Jürgen van Dijk says, "First we got the rights for the Benelux, then for all of Europe, and in 2004 we took over the company completely. From then on we continued to expand the brand. Ever since its inception, in-lite has been known for its focus on innovation. By continually investing in technology and design, the company has consistently introduced products that not only meet customer needs, but also lead the market."

An important milestone was the switch to LED lighting. Where this technology was initially in its infancy, in-lite saw the potential early on and worked hard to improve light output and sustainability. This resulted in a wide range of high-quality products, from functional lighting to atmospheric lighting.

Today, the entire in-lite range can be integrated with smart home systems such as Google Home and Apple Home. Van Dijk: "We have invested a lot of time, money and energy in this. This has earned us the position of market leader in low-voltage outdoor lighting in the Netherlands and a strong foundation in smart lighting. Our focus is specifically on outdoor lighting, which presents slightly different challenges than indoors. For example, outside there is not always reliable WiFi available and we have to deal with weather conditions. Therefore, we have developed a solid system that ensures reliable communication between all components, even with more than a hundred fixtures in a garden.''

The way people experience their gardens has undergone a huge transformation in recent decades. According to Van Dijk, the garden today is much more than just an outdoor space. "People pay more attention to their garden than ever. With a rising standard of living, more and more is being invested in the garden, which increasingly acts as an extension of the interior. Garden lighting plays an essential role in this. Where twenty years ago we still had to explain why lighting in the garden was important, now it has become indispensable. People want to be outside more often and value an atmospheric, quality environment in which lighting plays a key role."

The garden lighting market has experienced impressive growth in recent years, especially since the corona pandemic, and in-lite has also played an important role in this. Van Dijk: "I am proud of our development and the trust we have built up with our professional partners, such as dealers and gardeners. The fact that these professionals value our brand so much, I consider a great success."

The 25th anniversary will not let in-lite go unnoticed. Later this year, professional partners will be invited to celebrate this milestone together. As for the future, in-lite's focus on innovation continues unabated. Although Van Dijk does not yet want to go into detail about new product launches, he emphasizes that smart home integration remains a key focus. "The demand for high-quality garden lighting continues to grow, and we are determined to respond to this ever better."