Ventilux celebrates 40 years of excellence with global growth, innovation and a people-first culture

Ventilux is celebrating a major milestone in 2026 as the company marks 40 years in business, a journey built on technical excellence, continuous innovation and a strong people-first culture that has remained at the heart of the business since its founding.

What began as a family-led enterprise has grown into an internationally recognised emergency lighting manufacturer, still guided today by the same core values that shaped its early years. Generations of knowledge and passion now sit at the heart of the company, with long-serving team members working alongside newer talent to drive innovation forward. Today, Ventilux benefits from well over 1,000 years of combined team experience, providing a rare depth of expertise across design, engineering, manufacturing and support.

From modest beginnings, Ventilux has expanded into a global operation, employing more than 65 people, supplying over 25 countries, and operating from two key headquarters – its primary base in County Wicklow, Ireland, and its UK headquarters in Liverpool. These are supported by a 35,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art production facility, where more than 500 product lines are designed and manufactured.

Despite its international footprint, Ventilux remains firmly rooted in its founding principles of collaboration, integrity and doing things the right way. Values that continue to shape how the company designs, manufactures and supports life-saving lighting solutions.

As Ventilux marks its 40th anniversary in 2026, the past year has built strong momentum for this milestone, with award nominations, major new product launches, and high-profile project wins across the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. Notable highlights include significant installations at both Dublin Airport and Manchester Airport, reinforcing Ventilux’s reputation for delivering reliable, compliant and technically advanced emergency lighting solutions in some of the most demanding environments.

Over four decades, technology has fundamentally changed how Ventilux develops and delivers its emergency lighting solutions.

Neil Whittingham, Ventilux UK Technical Manager, explains, “Technology has enabled a substantial evolution in how we approach emergency lighting. From a product design perspective, we now use advanced CAD software to create highly detailed models and renders that support precision engineering from the very earliest stages. LED luminaires are now at the core of our product portfolio, allowing us to maximise efficiency, performance and product lifespan while supporting sustainability goals.

Our lighting design engineers can now virtually walk into building designs using 3D models, which helps us fully understand architectural constraints and aesthetic considerations. At a systems level, we can integrate into smart buildings using APIs over IP, providing BACnet or MQTT data. Whether it’s cloud-based testing or central battery systems, BMS integration is now easily achieved, which is a major step forward for building operators.”

For many within the business, the 40-year milestone is both a professional and personal achievement.

Neil adds, “I’ll be entering my 26th year with Ventilux, and I’ve also represented the industry on the LIA Emergency Lighting Technical Committee for nearly 12 years. I’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand how technology and innovation have shaped market requirements, and how Ventilux has consistently aligned its strategy to meet and often exceed those expectations. We’ve grown into a company that genuinely influences the market, delivering innovative and complex solutions for major projects, while building a mature brand our customer’s trust.

We also have exceptionally high employee retention and a huge depth of expertise across the group, which benefits both our customers and the mentoring of new starters. That continuity is a real strength.”

Company culture has played a defining role in Ventilux’s history and success. Built on leadership continuity, strong investment in people through apprenticeships and career progression, a customer-centric approach to innovation, and a rigorous focus on quality and compliance supported by ISO standards and testing regimes.

For long-serving team members, the company’s values remain as relevant today as they were four decades ago.

Jimmy McGrath, Production Manager at Ventilux, says, “For me, the core values have always been about opportunity, encouragement and respect. People are given the chance to advance within the organisation and are encouraged every step of the way. That culture of respect makes a huge difference – it’s what keeps people motivated and loyal. It’s shown me that it’s possible to have a good work-life balance when you find a career that suits you, especially when you’re respected by the organisation and encouraged to progress. That’s something Ventilux has always done well.”

While the anniversary offers a moment to reflect, Ventilux’s focus remains firmly on what comes next.

Ian Walsh, Group Managing Director, says: “Reaching 40 years is a proud milestone, but what excites me most is what lies ahead. We’re continuing to invest in product development, smarter systems and new technologies that will support safer, more sustainable buildings. Our team’s depth of experience, combined with fresh ideas and emerging technologies, puts us in a strong position to keep pushing standards forward and delivering solutions our customers can rely on for the next generation.”

With sustainability, system intelligence and long-term reliability forming central pillars of development, 2026 will see further advancements designed to meet evolving regulatory, environmental and operational demands across global markets.