Loading...About Us
For more than seven decades, Kurt Versen has designed and manufactured high quality, high performance lighting products for clients worldwide. Specified by leading design firms, architects, lighting designers, engineers, specifiers, and agencies, our specification-grade point source light fixtures are used in a wide spectrum of office, commercial, retail, government, entertainment, hospitality and institutional applications. Our products are designed to complement, rather than compete with, a broad range of architectural designs.
Our 140 dedicated professionals - averaging more than 10 years of service – conceive, design, develop and produce all our products at our cutting-edge 125,000 square foot facility in Westwood, N.J. Our premium-quality products utilize incandescent, compact fluorescent, HID, and LED sources. From design to raw metal to finished product, every stage of our fully-integrated processes takes place in our facility. By using the most advanced equipment and exacting control standards the highest quality products are produced for on-time delivery.
Since our founding we have been recognized as an industry leader, with unsurpassed expertise in optical design and glare control. We have built our reputation client by client, providing sophisticated lighting solutions for some of the most prestigious architectural projects in the U.S. and across the globe.
Company History
The company was founded by Kurt Versen who immigrated to the United States from Germany in the mid 1920s. Entering a lighting industry that was still in its infancy, Kurt began by designing lighting installations and fixtures and eventually progressed to manufacturing his own designs.
By the early 1940s, the Company occupied a 33,000 square foot facility in Englewood, New Jersey. During World War II and the Korean War, the company made trigger assemblies, small lighting fixtures for forward command posts and various other products for the war effort. As the Korean War ended, however, the company found itself without civilian market share. Dick Anisfield acquired the company in 1956, and, after a short period, Kurt retired.
Thereafter, the Company embarked upon a campaign to reestablish its civilian market and to strengthen its network of manufacturer’s representatives. New products were designed and gained immediate acceptance. Before long, the facility in Englewood became too small, and in 1964 the Company moved to a new factory in Westwood, New Jersey. The original building was 60,000 square feet; two subsequent additions in 1974 and 1985 brought the total square footage to 125,000 square feet. Kurt Versen Company occupies these premises as the sole tenant today, and the facilities are more than adequate for foreseeable growth.
In 2000 Dick turned over the role of President and CEO to Steve Silverstein. Having worked in all aspects of the organization for 20 years, Steve and the seasoned team continue to grow the company while maintaining steadfast focus on the core values: providing outstanding customer service with industry leading premium specification downlighting products.
In 2005 the company was sold to the Audax Group, a Boston based private equity company. In 2008, the company was purchased by Hubbell Lighting Incorporated. Today Kurt Versen continues all operations from its Westwood, NJ facility.
Research & Development
Research and development are at the very core of each and every product introduced by the company.
The unique characteristics of each new source are carefully evaluated and optimized in the reflector development process. Photometric designs strive to create the many optical patterns required to offer a full line of luminaries capable of achieving the desired architectural lighting solution. Multiple distributions are offered, each with uniform patterns and soft feathered edges. Aperture appearances in the ceiling are designed to eliminate glare from normal viewing angles. Wall washers are designed to evenly illuminate vertical surfaces while maintaining low brightness at the aperture.
Thermal management continues to be a mission critical aspect of the success of each product. To assure full rated life and performance careful evaluation of the heat characteristics of each source is performed in our UL certified thermal testing facility. The final product released offer outstanding performance and reliability.
Manufacturing
Quality manufactured products shipped on time are critical in today’s fast paced construction industry. Continuing its long tradition of manufacturing, our 125,000 square foot factory in Westwood, New Jersey features state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment combined with the latest in just-in-time manufacturing methods.
As a basic manufacturer, Kurt Versen Company buys raw steel and aluminum, glassware, sockets, ballasts and cartons. Virtually everything else is fabricated at the factory. It is organized into sheet metal fabrication, reflector forming, polishing, anodizing, high speed press operations, secondary operations, and painting, assembly and warehouse operations departments. In many cases machines are custom-designed to optimize the quality of reflectors and other mission critical components.
From small modified runs to high volume production, the facility is designed to facilitate the efficient manufacturing of a broad range of high-quality, high-volume products to service the industry.
