As part of our “Made in Westphalia” series, which we organize in collaboration with the SIHK in Hagen, we visited our member company ERCO GmbH in Lüdenscheid on June 9, 2026. This internationally active family-owned company is known for innovative and energy-efficient architectural lighting based on modern LED technology and has a global presence through its own sales and partner organizations. ERCO is characterized by holistic lighting solutions that combine technological expertise with the highest standards of design and environmental responsibility.
About 20 participants took the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at ERCO, exchange ideas, and gain inspiration for their own companies. After the welcome and a brief round of introductions, Marcus Schramm, CTO of ERCO and member of the NIRO Executive Board, gave us an initial insight into his company, and we gained an understanding of how light can be viewed in a holistic context and how technical and design excellence make ERCO a global success.
A key part of the visit was the open benchmarking exchange.
We split into two groups and took a tour of ERCO’s production facilities, which are flooded with light in nearly every area. We gained in-depth insights into the company’s in-house toolmaking, plastic injection molding, stamping and laser cutting, powder coating, assembly, and electronics manufacturing, among other areas.
Afterward, the group came together for a SWOT analysis and provided feedback.
In addition to numerous positive comments regarding the high focus on quality, the order and cleanliness in production, as well as the flexibility and dedication of the employees, suggestions for potential improvements were also made, addressing topics such as further digitalization and reduced paper usage in production.
Our visit ended with a group lunch in the ERCO cafeteria.
It is this honest outside perspective that makes this format so valuable, and we are very pleased that ERCO invited us.
Many thanks to the entire ERCO team for their hospitality and the interesting insights into the company. And thank you to all participants for the constructive exchange and honest feedback.
Stay tuned to find out which company in Westphalia we’ll be visiting next.
