Illuminating Concepts plans 6 hires in Farmington

Illuminating Concepts is getting ready for significant growth in the near term.The Farmington Hills firm recently began rounding out its staff, hiring three people in the last year, bringing the total to 45 employees, a few independent contractors and the occasional intern. It expects to add at least six new people in the next year and then another 4 or 5 people positions each year for the next three years.”We have creative directors. We have artists. We have design people. We have an architectural lighting department,” says Ron Harwood, creative director and CEO of Illuminating Concepts.The company creates lighting for clients all around the world, harnessing everything from traditional lightbulbs to cutting-edge LED lights. When the economy ran aground a few years ago the 29-year-old firm found other work, such as project management to help fill the void. For instance, it managed a group of 16 lighting design firms for the MGM City Center in Las Vegas.Some of that work has been held up in recent months as the economy continues to grapple with recovery. Several projects in Las Vegas and Atlantic City have been put on hold, but Harwood expects them to come back on line and help fuel the firm’s growth for the near term.”We’re getting new work every week,” Harwood says.Source: Ron Harwood, creative director and CEO for Illuminating ConceptsWriter: Jon Zemke