The company has two design departments and a sophisticated prototyping facility, which works for the medical and other industries and the educational sector, as well as ASD itself.

It also has its own IT department, which develops its sophisticated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and in-house testing facilities.

One of ASD's design departments focuses on creating new lighting products, re-engineering existing products to incorporate new and emerging technologies like LEDs and developing bespoke designs for architects and individual developments.

The other works with architects and designers to produce lighting schemes, including emergency lighting, for complete developments.

Prototyping is carried out by a separate ASD subsidiary, called The Product Workshop, which has a range of design and rapid prototyping facilities that can be used for everything from making trial pieces for internal use and models resembling the finished item for ASD's clients to small- scale production runs.

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"Lighting technology is developing all the time," says Tony Stewart, and so too are the demands of customers.

"People want long-life, low- energy, reliable and consistent lighting.
"They want looks, style and performance and they want more for less. They want the wattage to come down and the performance to go up.
But the reasons for having a comprehensive design operation don't end there.

"We are unique in the way we put ourselves in front of architects and specifiers.

"For most companies it's a compromise, but with us there is no compromise.

"We say to people, let's give you the perfect solution – and you are in control of it. That's why we are so busy. The architect can have his idea, his theme, his product, through our bespoke tailoring of lighting products."

ASD encourages its designers to get out and meet architects and specifiers, discuss their problems and their needs and come up with solutions that tick all their boxes

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