Stuttgarter Zeitung 15 August 2012

Series Lobo Electronic GmbH from Aalen supplies laser systems and fitting show concepts all around the world. By Alexander Günzler
A booming bass. A wreath of green light dancing to the beat. Then: heroical music. Numbers appear on a curtain of water. Shapes, pictures that turn and light up – blue, green, violet. Hands made of light, as large as a man, spiral upwards, colorful cones cut through the darkness in tune with fanfares, the web of water mist, beams and fire becomes thicker and thicker. After fifteen minutes, it is all over and Lothar Bopp – black shirt, black pants, black shoes – says into the darkness: “Once we have someone in here, it becomes easy.”
The managing director of LOBO electronic GmbH from Aalen has installed state-of-the-art technology worth almost four million Euros in his multimedia studio, putting any home cinema to shame. Mr. Bopp gives a rundown: four large “sparks” lasers, a “bliss” in the center, some smaller systems around it, six video projectors, “Moving Lights”, flame effects and water screens. “The interplay between everything is the most interesting part,” he explains. However, he stresses that lasers on their own are in no way boring – after all, the devices still form the foundation of his 30-year-old company.
Even before commencing his studies of precision engineering – a mix of optics, electronics and precision mechanics – at the University of Applied Sciences Aalen, Lothar Bopp founded his company LOBO at the age of only 19. “I had seen lasers at a fair and was fascinated,” he says. During his studies, Bopp already had a couple of employees. Among the 30 employees working there today, some have been on board since the very beginning, he continues. In contrast, LOBO’s focus has changed significantly over time. “In the beginning, we generated almost 100 percent of our turnover with laser systems for discos,” says Bopp. Today, this business segment only accounts for two percent of all turnovers. According to Bopp, total sales in 2011 were “in the high single-digit millions” and supposed to break the 10 million Euro barrier for the first time in 2011.
However, he is a bit more reserved with regards to the further possibilities for growth for his company: “Our market is more of a niche, so it is quite difficult for a 30-year-old company to continue growing at a fast rate.” On the other hand, there is the advantage of this niche being too small for large companies, such as Panasonic or Sanyo, meaning that there is no threat of competition from them. “We are lucky in this regard,” says LOBO’s manager. Of course, there are still competitors from all over the world. Still, LOBO is in a comparatively good position according to Bopp. As evidence, he points to the extensive trophy cabinet in his office. “For years, we have been receiving the most industry awards in the world,” says Bopp. For example, his company has already garnered 134 awards from the International Laser Display Association (ILDA). “Many are proud to have received only one,” the company’s founder explains.
While some manufacturers try to copy LOBO’s devices, the company does not attempt to protect itself against this in the form of patents. “We pursue the strategy of being quicker than the market with new products,” Bopp says. And the Chinese? “The Chinese simply can’t make it,” Bopp says succinctly. Obviously, there are Chinese companies flooding the market with 3000 Euro laser projectors. “However, these are far below our quality – only suitable for a little disco flickering.” On the other hand, LOBO lasers are high end products with unit prices of 50,000 to 250,000 Euros, depending on the product. Development and production are based exclusively in Aalen. “For our small quantities, production abroad would not be feasible at all,” Bopp says.
About 70% of LOBO’s business is still made with the sale and installation of such laser systems. LOBO systems are installed on cruise ships such as Queen Mary 2, in the Wagner Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, in amusement parks, planetariums, including the one in Stuttgart, or in museums, such as the BMW Museum in Munich. LOBO delivers all around the globe. “We have clients in 75 countries,” says Bopp. About 80 percent of LOBO’s turnover is generated abroad, with the largest orders coming from the Arab region.
Since the end of last year, Turkmenistan is also among LOBO’s clients. As part of a permanent installation, the highest towers in the capital Ashgabat are now connected by green bundles of light made in Aalen. “Some of the lasers there cover distances of about 30 kilometers,” says Bopp. Built-in GPS modules ensure that all devices are switched on each evening at the same time and are switched off again at five in the morning. “For them, money did not matter,” LOBO’s manager continues. For the whole system, the government of Turkmenistan paid about 2.5 million Euros.
Apart from permanently installed systems, LOBO generates about 30 percent of its turnover with a so-called event service. This includes conception, technical equipment – from lasers to video projections, screens and fire effects up to the composition of fitting music – and control of (mega) events. “As a standard, we can offer 300 shows,” Bopp says. Still, individual concepts are also developed often – for example for factory inaugurations and fair openings, but also for festive occasions such as 40 Years Oman or this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
With particular fondness, LOBO’s manager reminisces the Asian Games in Qatar 2006. “With more than 3.4 billion viewers worldwide, everything has to be perfect and there are no second attempts.” Despite a torrential downpour about an hour before the start, the show was a success – but the devices used at the time have been decommissioned by now. “The five systems had a consumption of 400 000 Watts of energy and required 300 liters of cooling water per minute,” Bopp explains. Each of the devices had a weight of 1100 kg. In comparison, LOBO’s newest generation of lasers, named “sparks”, only needs about one per cent of the energy, is fully air-cooled, has a weight of only 130 kg per unit and is also brighter than the previous models. Innovation made in Aalen – which many foreign clients want to see up close on location, as Bopp continues. Following a show in the multimedia studio, an order is only a mere formality.