Darko Budec, Founder and Director of BUCK Lighting – Entrepreneurs Need to Move Forward, Bravely and Without Excess Emotion

(Darko Budec) The company BUCK Lighting was founded by Darko Budec in 1992. For nearly three decades, they have been successfully developing lighting products. Today, they operate on four continents and in over 40 countries, and BUCK Lighting is synonymous with architectural, medical, industrial, sports, street and exterior LED lighting of the highest quality.

We talked to Darko Budec, the founder and director of this company, about how the market has changed since, what they have had to adapt to, but also about the expectations and plans for the upcoming period.

– We are witnesses to constant changes. The lighting market has transformed in the direction of technological changes and switching to LED lighting sources, as well as smart solutions which are integrated in smart buildings and cities. The adaptation has been natural. Our strategy to be at the top in terms of technology has facilitated our operations, because we have practically gone ahead of the market with our solutions and products.

We have not let changes catch us unprepared, but predicted and bypassed them. Increased awareness of ecological questions was also on our side, because LED lighting is ecologically sustainable, saves electrical energy and can last for up to 20 years.

eKapija: How have you faced the challenges of the pandemic? How has it influenced your business operations?

– The pandemic is a difficult and uncertain experience for us all, with consequences that cannot yet be predicted.

We have adapted technically and relatively quickly stabilized the organization, but important changes are still ongoing. We should be cautious about new chain reactions and macroeconomic holes which are filled by injecting liquidity, without a final measure on the global level. We are working on predicting, in detail, the direction in which the market will go, so as to be able to take the right steps at the right time.

eKapija: In which markets do you operate?

– We operate globally on four continents and in over 40 countries. We are working on a large number of projects in the EU, primarily in Austria and Germany, and we also have an office in Russia, which covers the whole area of the former USSR.

(An example of the use of clean room lights in the Clinical Center of Nis)

eKapija: Which projects that you are currently engaged in would you highlight?

– At the moment, considering the global situation, we are most frequently engaged in hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of the fight against Covid-19, but we are also present in infrastructure, sports facilities and, of course, architectural projects. Recently, we entered important project of tunnel lighting in Austria, which are a great challenge for us, because that is a new field that we’ve mastered. Due to the special characteristics of the tunnels and the consequent demands, our multidisciplinary approach has moved to another level.

eKapija: Which products and solutions are you the proudest of?

– I believe that, when it comes to the offer of clean room lights, we are among the most competent brands globally. That is a great success, considering that we are a company from Serbia that competes directly against large world companies.

When it comes to architectural lighting, we would like to highlight our ARIA HCL luminaire, which we’ve developed based on the latest technologies which support circadian lighting and HCL (Human Centric Lighting). As we’re spending more time indoors, without exposure to natural light, a luminaire which emulates the impact of daylight on the functioning of the human organism is a technologically important achievement. In addition to this concept, we have also started developing lights which suit the model of circular economy. This model entails the minimization of waste, the replacement of individual product components instead of the whole product. Only the necessary components are serviced and replaced, and the light itself lasts much longer.

eKapija: What would you say to younger entrepreneurs, how should they run their businesses?

– Calmly and persistently, with a clear vision and realistic goals. They should know a lot and be even more prepared to constantly learn. Finally, perseverance and attention focus are what make a difference between a success and a lack of success.

Keep going forward, bravely and without excess emotion.

eKapija: What are the expectations for 2022?

– We believe that the year 2022 will be considerably different than the previous two years. We expect that the demand will exceed the supply, in both our industry and many other industries. The logistics and the organization of the supply chain need to be strengthened. I don’t see the sale as the source of the problem, but adaptation and paying attention to greater challenges, which will occur for the first time to a considerable extent. Our expectations are oriented toward growth, with new experiences in the crisis-management of resources.

eKapija: What are the company’s plans for the upcoming period? Are you planning any investments?

– This is an ideal time for investments, under the condition that you can recognize and control the biggest risks. The period when the demand has a growing tendency and when the jobs are roaming the market, looking for those who have the ability to realize them, should be used.

A very interesting and unique opportunity to take aimed strategic steps in the market should be supported by considerable investments. We will certainly move in that direction.

Buck d.o.o. Beograd

BUCK Lighting

Darko Budeč

LED lighting

pandemic

clean room

ARIA HCL luminaire

circadian lighting

Human Centric Lighting