STUART THOMSON, GENERAL MANAGER, MUSCO

Q What are the three biggest challenges facing your industry in 2024?

A With the ongoing trend of large area lighting changing from old High Intensity Discharge (HID) systems to more efficient LED-based systems, keeping up with customer expected timelines will be something that will stretch many within the industry. While the Covid-induced supply chain shocks are falling further behind, the demand to replace aging systems has not paused.

Similarly, the continual evolution of more efficient light sources means there is an ongoing role to play in keeping end users and consulting engineers current on performance expectations for new lighting systems.

Finally, ensuring that products are compatible with existing and emerging control technologies that permit local government and end users to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that LED-based systems can offer, such as accessing lower light levels, creating schedules and remote access and other automation, to maximise the use of a facility while managing the cost and impact of running that facility.

Q What opportunities do you predict for growth of your industry in 2024?

A Within metropolitan areas, increasing density of population means we need to ensure there is much better utilisation of our available greenspaces, not just for sporting clubs, but for the local community to be able to enjoy maximum amenity that these spaces offer. To that end, being able to provide appropriate and sympathetic lighting schemes to these spaces creates an opportunity for local government and clubs to widen the appeal and usage of playing fields and their associated spaces.

With continued education and reference sites, being able to provide a suite of options to control the operation of the facility in terms of light levels or hours of operation. For example, being able to provide a preprogrammed light level for the operation of a night market at an oval, without needing to attend the site to operate the system. While these systems have been available with high reliability, end users are growing in their confidence and comfort in using controls to their fuller potential.

Q What eco-conscious initiatives is your company considering or implementing to ensure environmental sustainability?

A Musco has always seen environmental sustainability as integral to its operation. From investing in highly efficient plant and equipment to minimise the production footprint, through to considering the operational costs and efficiencies, and including the broader impact of providing a lighting product on neighbours, fauna and end users.

For example, Musco have always considered spill light into the night sky as a wasteful use of light being produced and have maintained a high focus on preserving the night sky by delivering light to the field of play, where it is needed.

In terms of new initiatives, Musco is completing work on a system that will allow us to reuse a large amount of existing infrastructure on our old sites that were lit with pre-LED technology. This means we will be able to deliver a 50 percent reduction in energy consumed, maximising the use of existing materials instead of manufacturing new equipment.

Q What is unique to your company that is not being offered by others in your industry and what makes it valuable?

A Since our inception, Musco has been operating as a partner to our customers. We support our installations with a long-term warranty that includes light-level performance, as well as the basic operation of the system.

Our warranty terms cover parts, labour and access equipment, so the field operator will experience a largely maintenance-free field for 10 years. To that end, we retain a financial interest in the correct operation of the installation for the long term, not just a transactional approach of lighting a space and moving on.

Q Who is your target audience and what is it you want them to be most aware of regarding your industry?

A Given we specialise in lighting outdoor recreational and professional sports fields, as well as large area applications like ports, terminals and airports, our main target audience is local government authorities and sporting clubs.

There remains a temptation to consider lighting spaces like sporting fields as a commodity — that all flood lights are the same and perform the same way. The reality is this is a specialised field if you want to achieve the best possible result for all users, neighbours and the environment.

We spend considerable time and effort to ensure that light is delivered exactly where it is required, that enhances the experience for players and spectators, and provides maximum flexibility in operation.

Sports lighting is, in reality, a dynamic industry that continues to evolve, and long-term experience matters in delivering a reliable result that can be trusted.

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STUART THOMSON

With over 10 years’ experience in the lighting industry, Stuart rose to the role of General Manager with Musco. With extensive experience in delivering large projects and managing the sales team, Stuart ensures the Musco experience from pre-sale to end of warranty is aligned with the Musco values.