By D’Arcy May
Wandsworth boys Darren and Adam formed a firm friendship aged ten and would spend Sundays scouring the ‘Reject Bins’ of the Airfix factory, their favourite toy, for whole boxed kits with the tiniest imperfections. Who would have thought that these two boys would go on to open their first office in that very building decades later? They didn’t even know it then, but they were, in fact, upcycling those toys, something DRK Lighting would go on to specialise in.
The Idea
The pair had forged successful careers in divergent fields, Darren’s in Lighting and Adam’s in the Gambling Industry, and it was there that Adam met his wife, Catherine. After 30 years of knowing Adam and Darren and recognising Darren’s experience and expertise in the lighting industry and her husband’s disillusionment in Casinos, the idea to build a business was Catherine’s. She even provided the initial start-up investment that allowed the two friends to join in their first business collaboration. Together they created DRK Lighting – based on Darren Roper-Knight’s burgeoning contact book. The main thing Darren took from having worked in all aspects of the lighting trade was that he could provide a much better service than currently available. So, in 2014 they set up shop in a 1500 sq ft office in the old Airfix factory, and the business has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Our Evolution
DRK’s continued success meant that within five years, we had far outgrown the space and had to move to their current 4000 sq ft enterprise, set over two floors, consisting of an office, warehouse, and workshop in the heart of Wimbledon. As our business grew, so did our resources. Today we employ a large team of dedicated, motivated hard grafters in the workshop and several skilled operators in the office. We are passionate about what we do and have built a strong reputation for rapidly resolving lighting issues, including value engineering, problem-solving, alterations, refurbs, lighting calculations, competitive quoting, and comprehensive sourcing of high-quality, excellent-value products. Still, our excitement comes from giving unrivalled service and attention to detail that lifts us above our competition and has earnt a loyal customer base.
Our Projects
This remarkable journey has seen us supply lighting for some of the most prestigious projects in London and other major UK cities. Some of our most significant projects to date have been for Amazon, Candy Crush, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn HQ, University Arts London, Astra Zeneca Travel Hub, and most recently, the iconic Battersea Power Station redevelopment. Our evolution now sees us work with some of the best-reputed Lighting Consultancy firms, and our vast range of quality LED Linear, LED strip, 48V Track, and Neon are all supplied with the highest standard well-known components, which elevates us into the specification market. Our new Farringdon showroom in Central London will display all lighting examples.
Our Values
As a company, our values are built around trust, honesty, quality, and consistency. The trust our clients have in us to be reliable and exceed expectations is demonstrated by their repeat custom. We believe in regular communication with our clients. We let them know where we are in our processes and keep them aware of an accurate timeline. We are proud to produce top-quality products, whether specified or value engineered. Consistent product quality and service mean we have and will continue to go above and beyond for our customers.
From small beginnings, DRK Lighting has evolved into a giant that is here to light the future.
If your business has projects that need our lighting expertise, please, don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@drklighting.co.uk or give us a call on 0207 018 2202 between 7am-6pm.