Celebrating 75 Years
September 24, 2020
75 years of the highest quality, timeless designs, and balanced performance.
The beginning
September 20th, 1945, the moment it all began. The goldsmith and steel engraver Heinrich Gantenbrink completes the first of three wrought iron lamp crowns, in effect writing the first chapter of BEGA’s storied history. His products are received with tremendous enthusiasm and ten more are ordered. Shortly thereafter an order for 100 luminaires. By the end of the year, Heinrich Gantenbrink employs a team of five and manufactures twenty varieties of luminaire in small series.
Don Kinderdick
President of BEGA North America
Family owned
BEGA, a third-generation family-held company, has developed into a world class, vertically integrated manufacturing company with an international presence. “It is with great honor that I am able to announce BEGA’s 75th anniversary,” says Don Kinderdick, President of BEGA North America and 20-year member of the BEGA family. “Companies that have reached this prestigious landmark share certain traits including integrity, accountability, and consistently exceeding customer expectations. The design community comes back to us time and again for these reasons and we are grateful for their continued support.”
Heiner Gantenbrink and Larry Routh
Heading to America
BEGA was first introduced to the U.S. market through a licensing agreement with an interior luminaire manufacturer in 1961. This agreement provided for certain products to be sold under a different brand. In 1985, founding partner, Larry Routh, formed a joint venture partnership with the managing directors of BEGA, so the entire BEGA portfolio could be brought to the U.S. This partnership was the origin of BEGA North America, a U.S. corporation, and we credit our founding partners with the core values that guide us still today. From our modest beginnings, essentially converting a limited number of European designs to U.S. standards, BEGA North America has grown into a multimillion-dollar corporation servicing all North and Central America. Our state‐of‐the‐art manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters are located just south of Santa Barbara in Carpinteria, CA.
Commitment to quality
BEGA’s success over the years can be attributed to an unwavering commitment to quality above all; in our people, products, partners, and processes. To deliver on this core value and fundamental brand promise, it is our policy that all products will be exactly as the customer specifies while adhering to or exceeding all necessary requirements critical to quality. Product design, material selection, and manufacturing processes are all focused equally in this regard.
For 75 years, BEGA has been developing and producing high-quality luminaires for virtually all areas of interior and exterior architecture. Our attention to quality is not the result of some industry set of rules, but rather, based on our years of expertise and our commitment to excellence. Our expertise and innovation have influenced many of the quality standards used today. In fact, at BEGA, we believe that we set the standard for quality, and we must hold ourselves accountable to it.
