Thorlux Lighting celebrates 90 years at the forefront of UK luminaire manufacturing

  Posted by: user_amy      10th July 2026

UK-based lighting manufacturer Thorlux Lighting is marking its 90th anniversary throughout the summer with charity events and the opening of a refreshed visitor centre at its Redditch, Worcestershire headquarters. As the company continues to innovate and works towards a validated net-zero target, its future remains bright.

Founder Frederick William Thorpe first manufactured Thorlux luminaires in 1936. Based in a small factory in Small Heath, Birmingham, the company initially made vitreous enamelled steel reflectors. This was the beginning of a journey that would see Thorlux grow into a globally recognised manufacturer of luminaires and lighting control systems, becoming the largest company in the FW Thorpe Group.

Thorlux has installed a spinning lathe used since the 1930s as the centrepiece of its refreshed Thorlux Application Centre. The centre also includes an improved Emergency Lighting Experience, providing guests with a realistic, educational power failure escape scenario.

Thorlux remains at the forefront of modern UK luminaire manufacture, with multi-million-pound investments in advanced technology at its Redditch factory. The company still proudly makes over 90% of its products in the Midlands, employing five hundred people locally.

Thorlux specialises in energy-efficient, sustainable products, and is working towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. Mark Stevenson, Marketing Lead at Thorlux, said: “90 years is a major milestone for Thorlux. As a proud UK manufacturer, it is important to reflect on our accomplishments so far – from pioneering energy-saving controls to relighting the clock faces of Big Ben – while keeping our eyes on the
future. The best is still to come!”