Sustainability Focus As ÅF Lighting Rebrand As Light Bureau
Industry News November 25, 2019 TiL Editors
ÅF Lighting changes its name to Light Bureau and launches a new common brand with one name. Light Bureau is part of the engineering consultancy rebranded AFRY, formerly ÅF Pöyry, operating globally under the Business Area, Architecture and Design. Light Bureau joined ÅF Lighting in 2017 and have since been acting as one company, counting over 110 dedicated specialists operating in five countries. In addition the acoustics area of the business, ÅF Sound & Vibration will become Efterklang™.
“AFRY is today an engineering and design consultancy. With the launch of Light Bureau and Efterklang™ we aim to enhance two of our unique offers. Our acousticians and lighting designers are leading within their respective industries, and that is why it is great to be able to further strengthen their offers,” says Jonas Gustavsson, CEO and President at AFRY.
Efterklang™ is the leading competence centre in Europe, providing advice on acoustics vibration control and sound design. Our expertise spans a broad range and scale of acoustic challenges from building acoustics, industry noise, community noise, product design and sound design.
AFRY’s lighting designers are leading in Scandinavia and are among the biggest in lighting design of interior as well as exterior environments around the world. Light Bureau develops inspiring lighting design for both public and private places through close cooperation with architects, subcontractors, authorities and municipalities.
Aside from Efterklang™ and Light Bureau, AFRY’s other brands, including Koncept, Gottlieb Paludan Architects, sandellsandberg and InUse, will remain.
“Light Bureau is already a well renowned name internationally. I strongly believe that our new joint name will strengthen our identity and will provide us with a solid platform to offer the global market high-end lighting design solutions.”
Jim Collin, Head of Light Bureau
“I’m very happy with this development, completing as it does the union between ÅF Lighting and Light Bureau. It will be exciting to see how we can develop the joint brand together and build on what’s been achieved in the last two decades.”
Paul Traynor, Principal Director at Light Bureau
The original company ÅF was founded in 1895 and Pöyry in 1958. Since this merger AFRY has become the biggest company in the sector in the Nordic region, with almost 17,000 employees with offices in 50 countries and projects in 100 countries, with an annual revenue of about EUR 2 billion.
AFRY launched the new brand at an event at the Museum of Photography in Stockholm. The agenda consisted of speeches on sustainability, insights in future cities and global development, and among the speakers was Anna Rosling Rönnlund of the Gapminder Foundation. The afternoon commenced with a speech given by AFRY’s President and CEO Jonas Gustavsson, who spoke about the merger of ÅF and Pöyry. He talked about the company’s coming journey, under a new common brand, in which sustainability is key.
“Our focus on sustainability is strengthened and our position as a global company consolidated with the launch of AFRY. I am particularly happy to be able to introduce our new brand with such a knowledge-based actor such as Gapminder present, at a place so well-known for its work in sustainability,” says Jonas Gustavsson, President and CEO at AFRY.
Other speakers included AFRY’s Head of Sustainability Marie Trogstam and Helena Paulsson, Head of Urban Development, who shared insights from a new survey in which young Europeans were asked about their opinions on sustainability and future cities.
“Our focus on sustainability is strengthened and our position as a global company consolidated with the launch of AFRY. Given the exponential technological development we are facing, our services and solutions are more relevant than ever. In the last couple of years, we have experienced significant growth, and our revenue has doubled since 2015. I am happy to be a part of creating a common platform for the whole company, as well as proud of bringing our vibrant history into the future,” says Jonas Gustavsson, President and CEO at AFRY.
“The need for sustainable solutions is greater than ever in times of increased globalisation, urbanisation, digitalisation and climate change. At AFRY we drive the transformation, and together with our clients, we are able to influence many parts of society through solutions that reduce our impact on the climate.”
The legal name of the company will remain ÅF Pöyry AB. The new brand AFRY is a combination of the letters in ÅF and Pöyry: AF+RY.