New Associate Membership for Thorn

Thorn Lighting, a leading manufacturer of innovative, performance-driven, and dependable indoor and outdoor lighting and control solutions, has become one of the first Associate Members of SELECT, Scotland’s largest construction trade association.

Thorn, a lighting brand of the Zumtobel Group, was at the head of the queue to sign up to the new Associate Membership scheme launched by the campaigning trade body for the electrical sector in Scotland.

As well as being eligible for a wide range of benefits, Associate Membership will also allow Thorn to build beneficial relationships with SELECT’s 1,260 member businesses, who between them have an annual turnover of around £1 billion.

Iain Mason, Director of Membership & Communications at SELECT, said: “We are delighted that a company of Thorn Lighting’s prestige and reputation has been so keen to join our new scheme, which is aimed squarely at encouraging partnerships that will benefit the whole electrical industry.

“Designed to accommodate organisations who don’t meet the usual criteria of membership, our new scheme will give some of the industry’s biggest names the opportunity to ally themselves with an established and successful trade body.

“At the same time, it will allow us trade to build stronger relationships with organisations that can offer relevant and useful services to our members.”

Matthew Boucher, Managing Director at Zumtobel Group, comments: “We are proud to be associated with SELECT, an organisation which shares many of our values, as well as our dedication to skills, quality, and technical expertise.

“SELECT has been serving its member companies well for more than a century and has a richly-deserved reputation for being ahead of the curve when it comes to technical innovation, members’ interests, and meaningful communication.

“We hope to be able to expand and develop our relationship with SELECT’s 1,260 member companies in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.”

The SELECT scheme, which was formally launched on 1 January, is open to service providers, manufacturers, and any other commercial organisations related to the electrical industry. They do not have to be UK-based and may have a European or international remit.

Among the benefits are a prominent logo and biography on a dedicated section of the SELECT website, networking and promotional opportunities, the chance to host webinars and events, and the ability to promote goods and services via a wide range of member communications.

Associate Members will also be eligible for preferential discounts on advertising, sponsorship and events, including the association’s popular Toolbox Talk roadshows, which are due to tour Scotland in May and June after a two-year absence.

Iain Mason added: “SELECT has always been a strong advocate of collaboration and cooperation within the construction sector, and we believe this new initiative will allow our existing members and new Associate Members like Thorn to enhance and expand their networks to everyone’s benefit.”

Founded in 1900, SELECT was the first trade association in the world to serve the electrical industry and is today regarded as an exemplar in the construction sector, especially in the fields of training, technical skills and communications.

It delivers a wide range of services to around 18,500 professionals, and apprentices, train more than 3,500 electricians each year. It is committed to the regulation of the electrical industry for a safer Scotland.