Meet Zaniboni Lighting, a 2019 Fast 50 Winner
By Chris Erickson – Research Director,
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Jul 5, 2019, 6:23am EDT
Zaniboni Lighting
Location: Clearwater
Top executive: Chiara Zaniboni, CEO
How would you describe what your company does to a friend or family member who may not know? Zaniboni Lighting produces innovative LED lighting aimed at hospitality and architectural markets. It is a multimillion dollar sales and manufacturing company housed in two separate buildings: one contains 15,000 square feet of office space, and the other features 12,000 square feet of manufacturing that includes fully equipped, cutting-edge computer controlled machinery, an eco-friendly powder coating system, and a state-of-the-art robotized testing facility. Zaniboni Lighting has not only created a name in the lighting industry for developing exquisitely designed functional LED lighting, but has also gained a reputation for unparalleled customer service due to its flexibility in order to meet specific needs for custom projects.
What was the most exciting thing to happen at or to your company last year? Zaniboni Lighting provided products for a wide range of amazing projects this year, including the Uber headquarters in San Francisco, Google, Amazon, the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) in Chicago, Moxy Hotels, the TWA Hotel, Slack.com headquarters, and many more… To keep up with the pace of demands, the company has grown to more than 60 employees, and just this past year moved its office spaces into super-cool, newly renovated spaces featuring a fun, vintage, Americana vibe to spark creativity and workplace fun.
As one of the fastest-growing companies in the area, what's the secret to your growth? Or in other words, how did you do it? Flexibility and ability to give clients what they need, when they need it. By knowing the importance of superior service and speed, and because they design and manufacture their products in-house, the company's service includes a flexibility unparalleled in the lighting manufacturing industry.
What is your No. 1 priority for the year ahead? Developing and integrating products that will advance smart building technology and promote human wellbeing.
What scares you the most about the year ahead? They are ready for the new year with amazing projects already started and more lined up. This company is making things happen.
What are some of the growing pains you have experienced? Companies like Zaniboni Lighting (manufacturing), are experiencing a shortage of skilled labor. However, Zaniboni Lighting truly believes in maintaining U.S.-made products and keeping manufacturing alive, and have implemented in-house cross-training as much as possible to continue to overcome the shortage.
Are you currently hiring? If so, how many positions and what types? Yes, due to our constant expansion and drive to remain innovative, we are looking for more employees. Currently, we are looking for a mobile app developer, and always looking to expand our engineering team. We are also looking for assembly and manufacturing positions such as a CNC machinist.
–Chiara Zaniboni, CEO
