LPS LASERS

AS LPS CELEBRATES ITS 30TH YEAR OF OPERATION, MARTINA AND SIGGI RUFF REFLECT ON THE COMPANY’S EARLY BEGINNINGS, THEIR EXPANSION TO TRADING GLOBALLY IN THE LATE NINETIES, AND HOW THEY CAME AGONISINGLY CLOSE TO SHUTTING DOWN THE BUSINESS BEFORE QUICKLY ADAPTING TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN 2005.

Ever since Siggi Ruff founded LPS in 1993, the company has been developing and producing products from their base and factory in southwest Germany, and this is one aspect that he believes has been invaluable to their growth – both in terms of experience and business success.

“Throughout our time as a company we have been incorporating the wishes of our customers, which they appreciate and often leads to us developing further ideas,” said Siggi. “Another benefit of being based in Germany is that most of our suppliers are located in the region, which enables good communication and shorter delivery routes.”

In the mid 1990s, LPS was mainly active in the entertainment sector, and only in their homeland. When Martina joined in 1995 the company grew considerably as she took care of advertising, in addition to production.

“Over the years we have also been able to build great business relationships and synergies with partners, who we see more as ‘friends’,” said Martina. “Our experience, products and fair dealings with our customers speak for themselves, and are ultimately another reason why our show lasers are increasingly specified in global tenders.”

“Even after 30 years, we still have big plans for LPS laser systems. We are still passionate about the medium of laser, and with our team, we have fresh ideas and an incredible amount of energy to surge forward.”

LPS began its operation with the production, sale and installation of its own laser show systems in entertainment centres, discotheques and clubs, moving on to larger discotheque chains in Germany. When Martina joined, she was tasked with making LPS better known internationally, and soon after she boosted the international sales, with export transactions to France, Czech Republic, Austria, Greece and Switzerland.

“I still have to smile about our secret recipe for success. If one of us has an idea, the other is sceptical at first, and vice-versa. Ultimately, however, we complement each other so well that it usually leads to success,” said Martina. A first sale to Asia was made in 1998 as LPS took its first steps toward global trade. The following year saw sales in South America, which proved a watershed moment as their market share had increased dramatically and quickly, with the company no longer dependent solely on the German market. In 2005, technological progress almost put the company out of business as demand for air-cooled DPSS lasers soared, and LPS was initially hesitant to develop this, instead relying on gas lasers with 5-20W white light. “Seemingly overnight, all customers wanted this new technology,” said Siggi. “And since we could not offer it at this time there was a huge decline in orders, and we came very close to shutting down the business.

“With time firmly not on our side, it was only thanks to the huge commitment of time and energy from our team to work at full speed that we were able to develop a completely new laser system – the LPS-BaX.”

Siggi explains that this moment in the company’s history was akin to hitting a reset button. “Since the invention of the LPS-BaX, our show lasers have been used for fantastic productions by our customers,” he said.

“Examples of which included being used with water fountains, as highlights for stage and television productions, festivals, concerts, galas, New Year’s Eves celebrations and performances by various stars, in addition to sophisticated product presentations by wellknown companies and multimedia concepts for government projects.”

Installation highlights for Siggi and Martina include Seaworld in Texas; Kangwon Land in South Korea; Typhoon Theater in Singapore; GGE in Dubai; Black Sea Arena in Georgia; Baluan Sholak Sport and Culture Palace in Kazakhstan; EPM in Colombia; Daegu Susung Lake in South Korea; International Conference Center in China; Rustavi Theater in Georgia; Zhulian in Thailand and Malaysia; Porto Cairo Mall in Egypt and the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur in India. A wide variety of venues all with LPS lasers utilised to enhance the space and excite attendees.

“The fact that we have been able to position ourselves so stably and broadly on a global level over the last few decades is certainly also due to the good fortune of being able to work with open-minded and professional people – and by that we mean our employees as well as our customers,” said Martina. Recently LPS adapted its product range to market requirements, with the LPS-BaX series being a perennial favorite among customers as it offers a compact laser show system in different power and color spectrums.

1 A permanent installation at Pomegranate Wellness Spa hotel in Halkidiki, Greece.

2 A permanent installation at Black Sea Arena, Shekvetili, Georgia.

3 A permanent installation at EPM, Medellin, Colombia.

4 Martina and Siggi Ruff.

5 A permanent installation at Inconsiam, Bangkok, Thailand.

LPS has exhibited at international trade shows for a number of years in France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Russia, China, India, Singapore, Dubai, South Africa, Mexico, U.S.A., Greece, Italy, Ireland, and Lebanon.

“Previously exhibiting at trade shows was positive, and we always looked forward to all the different people that you can see in one place. But over the years, we have clearly felt that existing and new customers enjoy coming to us, and we quickly recognised this advantage and changed, and we are doing better with our current plan. We still visit trade shows to meet some people face-toface, which allows us to be flexible,” said Siggi. Since 2002 LPS offers customers a personalised demonstration service in its 250 sq m showroom at the company’s headquarters in Ofterdingen.

“That is still a centrepiece for our company,” said Siggi. “Here we can program many things in advance or simulate a laser show, and for many customers, a visit to our showroom is a real experience, because they are not only offered different laser shows, they can also take a look inside the show lasers. This personal contact, which is possible without restriction and distraction, has a positive effect on the satisfaction of our customers and thus on our turnover.”

Flexibility has been a cornerstone of the LPS business plan for many years, as Martina explains: “We have very versatile products and we are active in a wide variety of fields. From the classic laser show and multimedia events to special customer requests –everything is available. And that is what reminds us that we work within a medium that inspires us every day.” www.lps-laser.com