The Zumtobel Group and Borussia Dortmund partner for various lighting projects

Dornbirn, Austria / Dortmund, Germany, 19-8-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — The Zumtobel Group and Borussia Dortmund (BVB) have signed an agreement governing a partnership. The deal was announced yesterday by the CEO of the Zumtobel Group, Ulrich Schumacher and the Chairman of the Board of the Borussia Dortmund management company, Hans-Joachim Watzke in Dortmund, in the context of the 2014 DFL Super Cup. The partnership will be shaped by the Zumtobel Group’s two lighting brands, Thorn and Zumtobel, and will run for a five-year term. Along with various lighting projects, the partnership will include customer programmes aimed at electricians, electrical planners and wholesale dealers of both brands.

“We are targeting significant growth in the German-speaking markets. In Borussia Dortmund we now have a strong partner at our side. This partnership will provide the ideal context in which to make the most of our strategic multi-brand approach. Because with our two lighting brands, Thorn and Zumtobel, we cover a broad range of applications: Zumtobel stands for emotive lighting scenarios based on high-end, innovative lighting solutions – as can already be experienced at the BVB FanWorld. Thorn is the global leader in the high quality illumination of infrastructure, including major sports stadiums. Together they make the perfect combination to offer Borussia Dortmund customised, benchmark lighting solutions to meet all of the club’s requirements,” said Zumtobel Group CEO Ulrich Schumacher.

Customer programmes 
The customer programmes that form part of the partnership which kicked off on 1 July 2014 are designed to boost customer loyalty to Thorn and Zumtobel and drive up revenues through both brands. The brands’ sales partners will benefit from a wide range of lighting solutions from a single source, as well as from an attractive package built around attendance at one of Borussia Dortmund’s home games in the Bundesliga.

Zumtobel illuminates BVB FanWorld, further projects to follow
The first project concerned the high-end LED lighting solution implemented by Zumtobel for the BVB FanWorld facility in Dortmund. For this building, which covers over 2,000 square metres of floor space, Zumtobel installed an energy-efficient LED lighting concept that sets the stage to perfection for the black and yellow FanWorld and creates an attractive atmosphere. In the context of the partnership, further projects will follow in which Thorn too will play a key role. Thorn can already point to numerous reference projects in stadium illumination and is the long-standing lighting partner to national stadiums in the UK, France and Australia. The brand recently installed a flexible lighting solution at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice in preparation for UEFA EURO 2016, which can also provide suitable lighting scenarios for concerts and shows. And Thorn was also responsible for illuminating numerous venues at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Zumtobel Group and Borussia Dortmund – Real Partners
The Zumtobel Group is a partner of Borussia Dortmund. The partnership is shaped by the Group’s two lighting brands, Thorn and Zumtobel. With its strategic multi-brand approach the Group covers the full range of professional lighting solutions, making it a strong and versatile partner for Borussia Dortmund. The partnership includes the realisation of various lighting projects for the football club, as well as sales supporting measures for the target groups of both brands.

Media contact
Zumtobel Group
Astrid Kühn-Ulrich
Head of Corporate Communications
Tel. +43-(0)5572 509-1570 
astrid.kuehn@zumtobelgroup.com

Zumtobel
Sophie Moser
PR Manager
Tel. +43-(0)5572 390-26527 
Mobil +43-664-80892-3074
sophie.moser@zumtobelgroup.com

Thorn
Wiebke Marie Friedewald
Head of Brand Communications
Mobil +44 (0) 7785 22494
wiebke-marie.friedewald@zumtobelgroup.com

Investor relations
Harald Albrecht
Head of Investor Relations
Tel. +43-(0)5572 509-1125 
harald.albrecht@zumtobelgroup.com

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Ulrich Schumacher, CEO of the Zumtobel Group, (left) and the Chairman of the Board of the Borussia Dortmund management company, Hans-Joachim Watzke, announced the partnership yesterday in Dortmund, in the context of the 2014 DFL Super Cup.