URBIS Schréder is streets ahead of its competitors when it comes to installing LED lights.

Managing director Ian Pratt said the business has had to transform itself to stay ahead of the market.

“What Basingstoke has got now is a leading exterior LED company,” said Ian, who recalls that it was a different story when he took up the reins in December 2011.

Prior to his appointment, Urbis was a leader in conventional high intensity discharge (HID) street lighting.

But the public street lighting market was changing, rapidly shifting to LED lighting.

Reduced local authority budgets were putting a greater emphasis on reducing energy costs and finding low costs alternatives.

Ian said: “We knew it had to make a change and so the question was how do we do it by moving from HID to LED?”

Reacting to market forces, the decision was made in 2012 end high volume manufacturing in the UK.

This led to around 120 people being made redundant here in Basingstoke.

Nevertheless the company retained its UK manufacturing capability at its new base on Hampshire International Business Park, where it has product development, technical sales, marketing and customer services teams.

With around 70 people employed in Basingstoke, the company has secured some shining deals, and produced bespoke lighting projects such as light columns for Dublin’s Marlborough Bridge.

More locally a contract saw Urbis replacing 400w lanterns at Basingstoke railway station’s two car parks.

“Network Rail will be saving money with better light output as well as making it a safer environment for people using the car parks.”

Ian said savings of between 30 per cent and 50 per cent can be made in terms of energy consumption with the use of LED lights “Take for example – the two railway car parks – the old HID lanterns were 400 watts, but now the new lights are running at 127 watts – that’s more than 50 per cent energy saving.”

Urbis certainly has a healthy order book.

“We’ve probably got 20 to 25 customers with major contracts ongoing now as we provide a major change in luminaires to a range of councils.

“We’ve just done most of the major roads in Hertfordshire and we’re half way through installing 28,000 units for the whole of Plymouth.

“We’re also doing a lot of work in Hereford and Hartlepool as well as Swansea – it’s never ending.

“And we’ve just done Bournemouth seafront, where the council can put on a light show by the pier.”

Ian said although the business historically concentrated on suppling street lights, Urbis has branched out to cater for the rail sector, and is now providing lighting for Croydon Tramlink, as well as London Underground.

“The company has not only changed to LED, it’s changed its dynamic position in the market as well,” said Ian.