FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHTS

What FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHTS does

Francis Searchlights Limited designs and manufactures specialized high-intensity searchlights and lighting equipment from a purpose-built 18,000 sq ft factory in Bolton, United Kingdom. Founded in 1901 and operating as a subsidiary of the Fort Vale Group, the company produces a comprehensive product portfolio spanning LED (45W–800W), Laser (250W–500W), Xenon (150W–7kW), Metal Halide (70W–2.5kW), and Halogen (50W–3kW) light source technologies, with barrel diameters from 180mm to 710mm and operational ranges from 400 to 30,000 meters. Its products are organized into named ranges — Voyager (marine vessels), Halogen FR/Lite, Xenon, Metal Halide, High Power LED & LASER, Suez Canal approved, Signalling (including the MED/SOLAS-approved FSP127 MK5 Aldis Lantern), Small Spotlight, Vehicle Lighting, and Architectural/Extravaganza (Moonraker, Stardrift, Polaris) — and are certified to ISO9001 with type approvals from Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, UK authorities, and the Suez Canal Authority.

The company operates a B2B enterprise sales model, generating revenue through direct hardware sales of customized, often bespoke searchlight units priced by configuration (manual, cabin control, or remote control) and power rating. Distribution combines direct sales from the Bolton headquarters ([email protected], +44 1204 558960) with a worldwide network of regional distributors — exemplified by Aquanautic Agencies Singapore covering Asia-Pacific — supported by a multilingual website in eight languages and downloadable technical documentation. Customer segments are organized vertically: Marine/Commercial Shipping (the primary segment, from small launches to super tankers, including anti-piracy and Suez Canal-compliant applications) and Defence & Security (prisons, borders, military vehicles, anti-riot applications) are the two primary verticals; Architectural & Event Lighting and Vehicle Lighting (military and emergency services) are secondary use cases. Reference customers include the Royal Navy, RNLI Severn-Class Lifeboats, Singapore Police Fast Boats, and super yacht/patrol craft operators worldwide.

Commercial terms are not publicly disclosed — buyers contact sales directly for quotes — and the company does not publish revenue figures, pricing, or unit volumes. Manufacturing, product development, and certification remain concentrated at the Bolton site, with the Managing Director Malcolm Dobson leading day-to-day operations and Group Chairman Ted Fort OBE providing corporate oversight through the Fort Vale Group structure.

Name

FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHTS

Legal name

Francis Searchlights Limited

Website

https://francis.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Francis Searchlights Limited, founded in 1901 and based in Bolton, UK, designs and manufactures specialized high-intensity searchlights (LED, Laser, Xenon, Metal Halide, Halogen) for marine, defence and security, and architectural clients worldwide, including the Royal Navy, RNLI, and Singapore Police.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Lighting & Signaling Systems (Internal/External) (IMAJAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Signaling & Stack Lights (Tower/andon lights, beacons, strobes, signal columns) (IMAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Marine searchlights
• Defence lighting
• Security searchlights
• Architectural illumination
• Signalling lanterns

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Specialized Searchlight Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of high-quality lighting products including marine searchlights, vehicle lighting, security and architectural units. Revenue generated through direct sales of hardware products ranging from small 45W LED spotlights to large 7kW Xenon searchlights.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Francis Searchlights designs, manufactures, and sells specialized high-power searchlights and lighting products across LED, laser, xenon, metal halide, and halogen technologies, with power ratings from 45W to 7kW and operational ranges from 400 to 30,000 meters. Products are manufactured in marine-grade stainless steel, brass, and aluminium for marine, defence, security, vehicle, and architectural illumination applications, including SOLAS-type-approved signalling lanterns.

Product overview

Francis Searchlights Limited manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of professional searchlights and specialized lighting products since 1901. The product portfolio includes multiple core product ranges: the High Power LED & LASER Range (45W-800W LED, 250W-500W laser), Halogen Lite Range and premium Halogen FR Range (100W-3kW), the Voyager Range for marine vessels (LED/Halogen/Xenon/EmArc), Xenon Range (150W-7kW, including the world's most powerful 7kW model), and Metal Halide Range (70W-2.5kW). Specialized offerings include Suez Canal approved searchlights, SOLAS-compliant Signalling Range with FSP127 MK5 Lantern, Small Spotlight Range, Vehicle/Fire Engine Lighting, and the Architectural & Extravaganza line (Moonraker, Stardrift, Polaris) for dramatic building illumination. Products are available in manual, remote control, and cabin control configurations across 180mm to 710mm barrel diameters, serving marine, defence/security, and architectural applications worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• L300RC 250W Laser equivalent to 2.5kW Xenon with 8km range at 1 Lux
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fort Vale Groupparent companyOthersFrancis Searchlights Limited is part of the Fort Vale Group of companies, a dynamic and market-oriented business with strategic locations worldwide. The Group is chaired by Ted Fort OBE, an accredited designer and business professional with innovation, flair and drive.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pfannenberg: Pfannenberg is a German manufacturer of industrial signaling and thermal management equipment, including signal towers and alarm lights. They are a broad incumbent with industrial signaling products that overlap with Francis Searchlights' signaling categories, but with a much broader industrial portfolio.
• Werma Signaltechnik: Werma is a German manufacturer of industrial signaling equipment, including stack lights, beacons, and signal columns. They are a broad incumbent in the signaling equipment market with overlapping but not identical products to Francis Searchlights' Aldis Lantern and signalling range, serving industrial customers more broadly.
• Patlite: Patlite is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial signaling equipment, including LED signal towers, beacons, and warning lights. They are a broad incumbent in industrial signaling with broader product portfolio and global reach than Francis Searchlights' narrower searchlight and signaling focus.
• Hensoldt: Hensoldt is a German defense electronics company that produces sensors, radar, and illumination systems for military applications. They are a broad incumbent in the defense market with overlapping capabilities in high-power illumination and target identification systems for naval and land defense customers.

Direct peers

• Ocean Signal: Ocean Signal is a UK-based manufacturer of marine safety and signaling equipment, including SOLAS-approved products. They directly compete with Francis Searchlights' Signalling Range and FSP127 MK5 Aldis Lantern in the maritime communication and safety market with overlapping Type-Approved products.
• Glamox: Glamox is a Norwegian lighting manufacturer specializing in marine and offshore lighting for ships, oil rigs, and industrial applications. They directly compete with Francis Searchlights in the marine searchlight and signaling category, with a broader portfolio of LED and specialty marine lighting solutions.
• Trakka Corp: Trakka Corp is an Australian company specializing in high-intensity searchlights and multispectral imaging systems for aerospace, defense, and security applications. They are a direct competitor in the high-power searchlight category for military and government customers, with similar illumination and observation products.
• Carlisle & Finch: Carlisle & Finch is a US-based manufacturer of high-power searchlights for military, marine, and airport applications. They are a direct competitor to Francis Searchlights in the searchlight category, serving similar naval and defense customers with comparable Xenon and halogen products.
• Hella Marine: Hella Marine is a New Zealand-based division of Hella that produces marine lighting for commercial and recreational vessels. They are a direct competitor in the marine lighting space, with LED and halogen searchlight offerings for similar commercial shipping and superyacht customer segments.

Others

• Robe Lighting: Robe Lighting is a Czech manufacturer of entertainment and architectural lighting, including high-power moving lights for events and venues. They are an adjacent company in the architectural/event lighting space, with overlap on Francis Searchlights' Architectural & Extravaganza Range but serving different end customers in entertainment rather than defense/marine.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/francis-searchlights-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHTS