Zumtobel Lighting Group
Zumtobel Group (also known as Zumtobel AG) is a company based in Dornbirn, Austria which comprises two sub-groups: Zumtobel Lighting Group, which includes Zumtobel Staff and Thorn Lighting; and the TridonicAtco Group, which manufactures lighting components. Thorn Lighting maintains head offices in Essex; the other divisions in the group are all headquartered in Dornbirn.
The division with the longest history in the group is Thorn Lighting, which was acquired from Thorn EMI in a leveraged management buy-out. Its integration in Zumtobel was completed in 2000. Thorn Lighting had been founded in 1928 by Jules Thorn.
Zumtobel was founded in 1950 by Dr. Walter Zumtobel as "Elektrogeräte- und Kunstharzpreßwerk W. Zumtobel KG" in Dornbirn. The company produced ballasts for the newly introduced fluorescent light fittings.