March 8, 2022, officially marks the 34th anniversary of American PERMALIGHT®. Incorporated in California in 1988, American PERMALIGHT® has a history that pre-dates this event. Read on to learn more about the history of American PERMALIGHT® in honor of this important anniversary.
The original PERMALIGHT® company started in a suburb of Hannover, Germany, in 1981, and was called Permalight Leuchtfarben (we will simply refer to it as PERMLIGHT® Germany moving forward in this article). The name “PermaLight” comes from the words “permanent lighting,” which is the idea behind the photoluminescent technology for the glow-in-the-dark safety products produced by the company.
In those early days, photoluminescent safety products were not yet as we know them today, and there was no standardized building code requirement for them. Photoluminescent safety products simply existed as a preventative measure for proactive property managers who wanted to create additional visibility and improve life safety in their facilities.
PERMALIGHT® Germany was actively involved in creating German Standard DIN 67510 for Photoluminescent Low Location Lighting Systems. Based on the successful use of photoluminescence for wayfinding out of buildings in Germany and Europe, an American-based headquarters named American PERMALIGHT®, Inc. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1988.
The potential for PERMALIGHT® photoluminescent safety products to become a major safety improvement for buildings in the United States was correctly forecasted by PERMALIGHT® Germany, and that’s why American PERMALIGHT® is here today.
PERMALIGHT® Germany has now been rolled into the German-based parent company, Kroschke sign-international GmbH, Braunschweig. American PERMALIGHT® is an official subsidiary of Kroschke sign-international GmbH and most of our PERMALIGHT® photoluminescent products are produced in Germany by Kroschke to IBC/IFC compliance standards to this very day. Kroschke is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, assuring the superior performance of PERMALIGHT® photoluminescent products.
One distinct constant in these past 34 years is the dedication and diligence of American PERMALIGHT® General Manager, Marina Batzke. Ms. Batzke started at PERMALIGHT® Germany and came to the United States to lead American PERMALIGHT® in California. Over the years, Ms. Batzke has become an integral part of building-code development in the United States, specifically in photoluminescent egress path markings, and is regarded as a subject matter expert in the Life Safety industry.
American PERMALIGHT® started from humble beginnings in 1988 and continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of business and the Life Safety industry. Today, you can find PERMALIGHT® photoluminescent safety in buildings, vehicle tunnels, trains, ships, mines, and even in space on the ISS – International Space Station.
Cheers to 34 years of permanent lighting from American PERMALIGHT®.
