Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards Finalist Viva-Lite has silently built a strong and loyal customer base with so-called “Full Spectrum Lights” – products aimed at solving typical effects caused by lack of natural light, often also referred to as “Winter Blues”.

Toby Ruckert and his partner Margit Brusda moved to Waiheke from Germany in 2003 and with them they brought ‘Viva-Lite’ – their light bulb producing company that specialises in full-spectrum lighting to assist businesses whose employees suffer from headaches, eyestrain and stress.

“People can get very low emotionally in the middle of winter due to the lack of natural light,” says Toby. “People feel entirely different working under these lights as they reduce tiredness and mood swings especially if it relates to the winter blues. But the lights also improve energy levels.”

The idea of Full Spectrum Lighting isn’t new. During the 20th century the US Navy was actively researching methods to combat diseases commonly appearing on submarines where no natural daylight exposure for the crew is available for many weeks – or even months. Ultimately NASA provided a solution by creating the first natural daylight simulating tubes with added UV output to help the crew stay healthy even without actual daylight access.

“In the US and northern Europe this technology has been known for quite some time and it’s starting to catch on here now. Everything really has started to happen this year.” say Toby and Margit. Margit who is also a Naturopath explains that small businesses can possibly reduce the number of sick days and increase staff satisfaction by simply changing their lighting. “Normal fluorescent tubes only have three colours and we try to bring in as much of the sun’s natural spectrum as possible. For people who get headaches in the office, this improves them.”

The therapeutic success for treating SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorders) with bright light therapy is well known, but few actually realize that by using a more natural lighting in the home or office, SAD could possibly be prevented in the first place. But it is not only the emotional lows in winter that drive people to buy Viva-Lite’s products: In dentistry, the printing as well as the retail industry, accurate colour reproduction is a key element for sales and customer satisfaction.

Recently Viva-Lite has been announced as a finalist in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. “Initially, we were really surprised at being a finalist. We’ve been doing this for ten years, so it doesn’t feel like overnight success but we’ve done all the ground work and are very prepared to keep growing this business from New Zealand to the world.”

You can see VIVA-LITE lamps and products for yourself @ stand 148b on the Auckland Business Expo in Greenlane from 27th – 29th May 2009.

Click here to register yourself for the expo and get a free entry ticket with compliments of VIVA-LITE…

Related posts:

1. Lighting up Other Lives
2. PM to present Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards
3. Finalists win from being excellent

“People can get very low emotionally in the middle of winter due to the lack of natural light,” says Toby. “People feel entirely different working under these lights as they reduce tiredness and mood swings especially if it relates to the winter blues. But the lights also improve energy levels.”

Toby and Margit say that small businesses can reduce the number of sick days by changing their lighting. “For people who get headaches in the office, this improves them. Normal fluoro tubes only have three colours and we try to bring in as much of the suns natural spectrum as possible.”

While 80 percent of their turnover is from overseas, Toby and Margit say that New Zealand is just starting to understand the difference lighting can make. “In the US and northern Europe this technology has been known for quite a long time and it’s starting to catch on here now. Everything really has started to happen this year.”

Recently Viva-Lite has been announced as a finalist in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. “We are really surprised at being a finalist. We’ve been doing it for ten years so it doesn’t feel like overnight success but we’ve done all the ground work and are very prepared for the New Zealand market.”

Their lives on Waiheke appear pretty laid back while online it’s another story. Margit’s Wellness Shop is very busy and sell’s an eclectic mix of things from tongue-scrapers to sting healers. “I play the piano at Whitakers. I could have been a concert pianist but I like to be able to make it a little more pleasant for people to work. To help others in this small way makes it very enjoyable for me,” said Toby. For information go to viva-lite.com

(c) and published by Waiheke Gulf News in January 2009. Photo (c) by Minka Firth.

Related posts:

1. Solving the Business Winter Blues
2. Finalists win from being excellent
3. PM to present Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards