Based in North West London, Neg Earth Lights has been a pillar for lighting and rigging rental across the live events industry since it was founded in 1983 by husband-and-wife duo, Dave and Pip Ridgway. “I’m still amazed that we have done so well; we always strive to make things stronger, and our passion is to do a great job,” Dave smiled, giving TPi a tour of the company’s 83,000sq ft HQ.
“Pip and I started Neg through hard work and determination, and off the back of that and the understanding of the industry, we have managed to create a great team of full-time staff and an extensive network of freelancers.”
Values are important to the team, with family at the core of everything the team achieve – for the Ridgways, other principles include community, high standards and delivering sustainable efficiency. Community, especially, has been a key focus, with the company organising initiative days for its staff from neurodiversity training, which saw the team attend a talk from Maisie Cass, Neurodiversity Consultant, who discussed how work can fit people, rather than people fit to work.
Other highlights in fostering the community at Neg Earth Lights include litter picking down the Grand Union Canal for World Earth Day, a partnership with ABEP and The Zoo XYZ to advocate for greater diversity, and representation and a visit from Nicola Moore, Nutritional Therapist, to discuss the importance of healthy eating.
“People are at the heart of everything we do at Neg Earth; from our longest-standing staff members to new additions. We always support our people and want people to know we always have their back,” Dave commented. “We have had staff members that have left us to move across the world, and yet they always pop back to visit. A lot of people have been here for a very long time, from the early ’90s; it’s lovely to work with these people.”
That family ethos extends well beyond the present, with Dave and Pip’s son, Sam, dubbed “the future of the company”. Dave elaborated: “We are a true family-run business, and we’re excited that Sam will be taking on the mantle whenever it is time for us to step away – he is currently our Business Development Director, and we’re so happy the business will continue growing with a Ridgway.”
Sam added: “I’m so proud of what my parents have achieved. I grew up as a child of the entertainment industry, with many weekends spent driving up and down the country with my dad. Seeing how the business started and where it is now fills me with excitement for how we can continue to develop and grow.” Indeed, growth in the company has been proven specifically in the People & Culture department, which has doubled in size since Haley Simmonds joined the company in January 2025.
“I started as an HR business partner, and I rebranded the entire department to People & Culture because I believe that we do so much more than traditional HR,” Simmonds said. “Something that sets Neg Earth apart is the investment in individual development. We put a lot of effort into resources focussed on empowering and upskilling our people, and I haven’t seen a company so dedicated to employee development before.”
In the time since Simmonds joined the company, Neg Earth has updated its benefit portfolio for staff with the introduction of enhanced maternity and paternity schemes, Medicash, and life insurance for all staff, among other benefits. “Pip, Dave and Sam are encouraging about investing in the right places, and to them there is no better investment than their people. I’m proud to work for a company that bolsters individuality in everyone,” Simmonds added.
Placement Technician Samuel Hagger first had a taste of the industry when he did work experience at Neg Earth at age 15, and he is now reaping the benefits of the company’s focus on people and after returning to the supplier following his studies.
“I was one of the youngest people to come and get a taste back then, and I was told to come back when I was 18, and here I am,” Hagger said, smiling. “I’m a month in, and I am just getting to grips with things. I feel like I have the resources I need to keep growing in my career in lighting. From team morale to future training courses, I feel very supported. I have also been nominated for a Breakthrough Talent Award at Production Futures and some of the team and I will head up to Wakefield for that, so I am excited that they are supporting my achievements.”
Gus Modeste, Head of Governance and Compliance, joined the company and immediately got to work introducing ISO 9001 to help streamline operations at Neg Earth. “I didn’t want my role to be a daunting one for everyone here,” he stated. “It’s important to me to ensure that I am constantly working with people to show that I am here to support everyone and show the importance of quality.”
As for ISO 9001, Neg Earth is in the process of implementing the standard across the business; for Modeste, this means working closely with each department’s manager to ensure that procedures are robust across the board. “Every person in a management position in this business is a subject matter expert; it’s not my job to tell them they aren’t doing their job properly, but rather to look at it from the ISO standard side. It’s important for me to empower each department,” Modeste said. “When looking at other certifications we could acquire, I spoke with certified bodies who told me that ISO 9001 is the foundation of business – so we listened, and hopefully in the future we will look at other certifications. I am putting a lot of energy into fostering a strong foundation.”
It’s not only lighting and rigging that the company has provided for some of the world’s major tours – such as Take That’s The Circus Live , Harry Styles’ Together, Together and Dave’s The Boy Who Played The Harp. The company also has an on-site rehearsal space in its LH3 studio at its Park Royal base where productions can give the Neg Earth Lights team exact specifications to be followed for ease of use. The studio is 6,800sq ft, has one level dock, two lower docks and access to the full inventory of Neg Earth’s stock – with access to over 13,000 lights, 1,500 motors, lighting consoles and 20,000m of cable. Live productions that have taken advantage of the space include Kylie Minogue, Florence and The Machine, and Pet Shop Boys.
After a recent promotion to Warehouse Operations Manager, Dan Skinner, who has spent the past 14 years at the company, is most proud of the standards that the Neg Earth follow day in, day out. “Ultimately, everything comes from Pip and Dave; our standards are high because theirs are I am personally most proud of our attention to detail as a company,” Skinner said. “From having the same hex code silver colour across our vans, to replacing our logo on flight cases often enough that they don’t get worn out. We even go as far as placing our truck signage further down the truck so that when the doors are open, you still know where the kit came from.”
More than a decade on from a devastating fire that destroyed the company’s HQ in 2015, Skinner believes that the support from the wider industry played a huge role in helping Neg Earth bounce back so successfully. “While there are competitors in the industry, there is still a real togetherness that comes with it, so when the fire happened we felt more than supported as we had lighting companies all over the country stepping in to help us,” he recalled. “When we came back, there was a desire to start afresh, so that’s what we did. The building has underfloor heating and cooling when necessary and we have the advantage of recycled air. Pip and Dave get everything right, and that’s what makes people work the hardest they can.”
For Dave, rebuilding after the fire was a privilege. “Our insurance company told us that only 12% of companies survive after a fire, and after facing so many obstacles on the way back to life, we fought our way through to get where we are now.”
As well as working across some of the world’s biggest tours and festivals, which are often seen in the pages of TPi, the company is also pushing to support grassroots, offering its services pro-bono. Anna Gould, Head of Marketing, explained: “We invite grassroots productions to our site to experience our facilities first-hand, and work alongside them – sharing our expertise and equipment to help bring their projects to life. We’ve supported events including the Capel Military Show and Hanwell Hootie, as well as working extensively in theatre. Supporting grassroots productions is an important part of what we do.”
With the company winning its tenth TPi Award for Favourite Lighting Rental company in 2026, Gould asserted that it is an honour that is never taken for granted. “We work every year to make our expertise, technology and innovation better, so to be recognised for it is something we’re hugely proud of,” she commented. “We have over 110 people across our warehouse and offices and it’s a huge effort from them to deliver the service we do – so to be able to see it in an award is great.”
Looking to the future of Neg Earth, Sam concluded: “We are a family-run business, and we want to remain that way – we want people to feel like it’s the company that works for them rather than the other way around. We’re looking forward to taking on new challenges, expanding what we do, and proving we’re just not a small London outfit anymore.”
This story originally appeared in TPi Magazine #296.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: TPi
