Dyson “lines up heir” by acquiring son’s lighting firm

Sir James Dyson has acquired his son Jake Dyson’s lighting firm, in a move which could see Jake lining up as heir to the Dyson company.

Jake Dyson Products, which makes energy-efficient lights, will now become part of the Dyson Group.

After studying at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design, Jake set up Jake Dyson Products in 2004.

His studio’s most recent release is the Ariel suspended LED light, which the designer claims will last for up to 40 years before any part needs to be replaced.

Both Jake, and his younger brother Sam, have been non-executive board directors at Dyson since 2013, but 67-year-old Sir James Dyson has hinted that there could be an element of succession planning in the move to acquire Jake’s company.

Sir James Dyson told the Financial Times: “I want the business to remain a family business.”

He added: “Jake is highly competent, loves technology, and has good business sense and marketing sense. He’s got all the things I had and more, because he’s more inventive. So he will take it to places I couldn’t.”

The move will also see Jake Dyson further develop his LED lighting products as part of the group. Dyson says he will also work to “drive future portfolios of technology”.

Sir James Dyson says: “Jake grew up alongside Dyson, he was making things at a young age in the machine shop, developing very practical technology ideas.

“After college he struck out on his own path developing his lighting technology from scratch with a small team in London.

“He has engineered a genuinely inventive step for LED technology which offers future opportunities for Dyson. Jake will join me and the wider team in driving the development of Dyson’s future technology.”

Dyson’s recent products include a humidifier, an intelligent robot cleaner and a vacuum cleaner “which never loses suction”.

Dyson has also recently launched the School of Design Engineering, alongside Imperial College London, which has been funded to the tune of £12 million by the James Dyson Foundation.