About us

Having been educated in physical sciences at the Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, Martin began his working life in materials joining technology and integration of robotics in manufacturing.

In the mid 1980’s, he switched to the Photonics industry and particularly focused on the design, development and manufacture of high performance flash lamps for use in solid state lasers. In 2004, he was the joint founder of First Light Lamps Ltd with Paul Walker.

Martin’s day to day role includes devising and managing business strategies as well as overseeing the overall operations of First Light.

Talking about the company after 19 years of business, Martin says “Today we have grown into one of the leaders in our field. I am extremely proud of our dedicated team and the achievements we have made…..the future looks bright!”

Paul has been working in the photonics industry since leaving college in 1984 – initially in laser welding research and then as a service engineer for industrial, scientific and medical lasers.

In 1994 he joined a Cambridge based lamp manufacturer as Product Manager for flashlamps – responsible for lamp development and worldwide sales.
Ten years later, in 2004, Paul and Martin Churchley started First Light Lamps.

In First Light Lamps, Paul has been responsible for Production Engineering and Sales Development as well as the daily company operations.

Ian joined the First Light sales team in 2018 as Business Development Manager. He has over 16 years of technical sales experience in various fields, including radar systems, digital inkjet printing and specialist lamps for the Photonics Industry.

Ian quickly demonstrated his skills in product development, implementing sales strategies and managing staff. In 2021, he was promoted to General Manager of First Light, although he is still involved in developing the business globally.

Carl joined First Light Lamps team in 2013. Prior to this he held several sales roles within the Photonics Industry. Carl brings with him over 20 years of knowledge and experience of working with customers who are involved in the manufacture and servicing of lamp-pumped lasers used within the Aesthetic, Medical & Industrial laser markets.

Carl prides himself on building close working relationships with customers to ensure their needs and expectations are met.

Ed joined the company in 2020 in the role of Purchasing manager, overseeing all things procurement, inventory management and strategic sourcing.

Ed enjoys the challenges of procuring in the markets and supply chains associated with the manufacture of Flash Lamps, which include quartz, tungsten and various common and rare gasses.

Ed says his favourite part of the role is “working for an industry leading, successful and ambitious company with excellent leaders and a high-quality product range.”

Simon joined First Light Lamps Ltd in 2006 as a quartz worker/lamp assembler. He worked in the lamp assembly department for 7 years, while also taking on responsibilities for Health & Safety, taking part in the continuous improvement team and instigating our Recycling scheme.

In 2013, Simon was promoted to Quality Assurance Manager. His responsibilities include maintaining our systems to ISO 9001 certification standards, supporting all areas of the business through continuous improvement initiatives and overseeing our customer focused returns system. Simon is still involved with Health & Safety on site, continues to drive recycling initiatives and is working as part of a team to develop First Light’s involvement with charities.

Andrea has been a valued member of the First Light team since 2015. With nearly a decade of experience working in the manufacturing industry, Andrea has honed her skills in managing accounts, streamlining financial processes, and fostering a collaborative work environment. Andrea is not only focused on the numbers but also on building strong relationships with clients and colleagues. She takes pride in her ability to communicate financial information informally, fostering transparency.

Ben joined the First Light team in 2006 after earning a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge. As the Engineering Manager, he is responsible for our team of highly skilled engineers and all major engineering projects.

Another role of Ben’s is maintaining, improving and designing new equipment to improve processes within the factory.

Carla joined First Light Lamps in November 2023 to support and achieve organisational goals alongside developing talented people within the business to thrive and grow.

Carla values strong communication with all stakeholders and integrity, which she believes should be part of all teams across the business to build a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Michael joined First Light Lamps 2017.
He has 37 years’ experience in the arc and flash lamp business having quickly worked his way through from a production operator.

Always striving for customer satisfaction, high quality, continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and waste reduction to drive the business forward towards global leaders.

Paul is one of the founding members of First Light Lamps with 38 years of experience and knowledge. His skills across several production areas have enabled him to train and support multiple staff members. Originally leading the Lamp Assembly department, Paul took on the role of Production Supervisor in 2010 overseeing the workflow throughout all areas of production; from lamp design sign off to dispatching to customers worldwide.