LAMPS PLUS, Inc. is a privately held corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells portable lighting

Lighting

Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...

, fixture lighting, home décor items and a variety of other related products. Its worldwide headquarters is located in the Chatsworth district of the San Fernando Valley

San Fernando Valley

The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...

 region of the City of Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

.

Background

The company was founded in 1976 in Los Angeles by President and CEO Dennis Swanson and his wife, Vice President and Designer Manja Swanson. From lamp

Light fixture

A light fixture, light fitting, or luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp...

 design

Design

Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...

 and manufacture

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

, the company moved into retail

Retailing

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

 and is now a full multi-channel retailer and the largest specialty lighting company in the United States. LAMPS PLUS maintains international offices and manufacturing plants, and its website was picked as one of the top fifty retail websites by Internet Retailer magazine in 2004. The company and Dennis Swanson hold several patent

Patent

A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....

s for lighting design, including a torchiere

Torchiere

A torchiere , or torch lamp, is a lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal. Originally, torchieres were candelabra, usually with two or three lights...

 floor lamp design with two adjustable side lights and a lamp having a low light level replaceable bulb. Dennis Swanson has also served as past President of the American Lighting Association.

The mission statement of the LAMPS PLUS company is “To form relationships

Interpersonal relationship

An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...

 with our customer

Customer

A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...

s and provide solution

Solution

In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...

s to their lighting and decorative problem

Problem

A problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; the resolution of which is recognized as a solution or contribution toward a known purpose or goal...

s through unique

Unique selling proposition

The Unique Selling Proposition is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. It states that such campaigns made unique propositions to the customer and that this convinced them to switch brands...

 products and services.” It was mentioned by publications and media.

Originally the company was called Lamps R Us till they were sued by Toys "Я" Us for infringement.

Awards and recognition

• 2004 Internet Retailer Best of the Web Top 50 Retailing Sites
• 2006 Inductee to the Lighting Hall of Fame – Dennis K. Swanson
• 2007 Internet Retailer Top 500 Retail Web Sites

Patents

Patent Number	Issue Date
6916108	July 12, 2005
6860619	March 1, 2005
6264350	July 24, 2001
5997160	December 7, 1999
5620247	April 15, 1997
5567043	October 22, 1996
5330323	July 19, 1994