The Touché Difference

Before launching Touché, Mike owned an electrical construction company primarily servicing the commercial sector. The decision to create Touché was driven by the observation that the current solutions available in the market were fragmented and lacked coherence. Mike identified contractors’ challenges during the installation process and the limited options available for hybrid lighting controls. At the same time, specifiers encountered difficulties finding solutions compliant with codes and improved energy efficiency regulations. These challenges prompted the development of Touché as a response to the fragmented nature of the market and the problems faced by contractors and specifiers in commercial lighting solutions.

The team responsible for creating a simplified lighting control system for commercial spaces developed a solution combining centralized and distributed control. Traditional systems previously faced several obstacles, with centralized control being complex and prone to failure, while distributed systems needed more coordination. To address these problems, engineers at Touché introduced a Master Interface device that enabled distributed and centralized lighting controls for buildings. This scalable, customer-centric approach allowed for adaptability in smaller applications and interconnected interfaces in more significant facilities, overcoming limitations of previous methods and supporting energy management across diverse spaces.

The team at Touché developed various lighting control solutions for different applications over time. These experiences have helped them understand industry shortcomings and limitations within their original solution. They used these insights to improve their lighting control technology, leading to the current iteration, the Room Manager. This device allows distributed and centralized control by facilitating direct communication between individual room controllers. This more robust design introduces fail-safe mechanisms, marking a significant advancement from the initial solution. It reflects the team’s continuous learning and refinement of their technology.

Touché has focused on establishing a robust foundation for their One Solution™ products that are flexible, adaptable, highly scalable, and modular. They have refined their solutions to create the Room Manager. These Room Managers can communicate with each other and share information at a network level, efficiently coordinating events like scheduled lighting adjustments throughout the building. Significantly, each controller operates independently at the room level, ensuring that the functions within each room continue to be used autonomously, whether they are part of the broader network. This approach allows for efficient coordination of events while maintaining local control within individual rooms.

Touché has introduced a groundbreaking solution that prioritizes cost-effectiveness and end-to-end functionality for entire buildings, which is very different from the standard approach taken by the industry. Unlike other manufacturers who acquire specialized companies to piece together solutions, Touché takes an integrated, custom solutions approach. The company’s platform comprises two cost-effective controllers: the Smart Pack controller, which is an affordable option for room-specific functions, and the Room Manager, which is equipped with advanced features for comprehensive networked communication. Both controllers share the same sensors, switches, and expansion modules, ensuring a consistent user interface. This design flexibility allows Touché’s solution to be seamlessly applied across entire buildings, addressing diverse functionality needs while maintaining unified and cost-effective lighting solutions.

Touché is the go-to solution for agents, contractors, and specifiers due to our unique understanding of the industry’s pain points, especially from the contractors’ perspective. The Touché team has been contractors themselves, so they understand the challenges related to cost and installation, as well as the need to reduce maintenance costs. Touché differentiates itself by adopting a customer-centric approach, focusing on the needs of agents and specifiers. Instead of imposing predefined solutions, the company seeks to understand and fulfill the specific requirements of these stakeholders. As a result, Touché is positioned as a responsive and adaptable choice for commercial projects.

Touché enhances customer experience through its websites, resource libraries, and portals. Its library offers more than 200 short videos for independent access to information. This is complemented by printable documents, all of which are seamlessly integrated into the Touché Insight app. The app is designed to streamline operations for contractors, end-users, and agents. With its direct connect feature, immediate assistance is always available. The portals cater to diverse customer needs, allowing agents to manage quotes independently, distributors to process orders swiftly, and contractors to access project-specific materials. Touché’s approach aims to simplify processes and provide tailored, integrated lighting solutions for each customer type.

Touché has a bright future ahead, with growth and acceptance of its innovative solutions being key drivers. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the company remained focused on American manufacturing, which helped it weather supply chain disruptions. Touché used this period to reassess and refine its product strategies and solution approaches. With the challenging times behind us, the company is experiencing a resurgence in growth. The positive reception of Touché’s solutions and approach to industry challenges is evident, indicating a promising future for the company. By committing to refining processes and staying resilient during tough times, Touché has positioned itself for continued success in the evolving landscape of centralized lighting solutions and building automation.

Touché was founded with a vision for positive change, and it has not only evolved its solutions and processes but also gained industry acceptance. Mike explains that many of their initial goals are met through their One Solution™ products, highlighting the significant impact that Touché is making. In a time of societal frustration, being involved in something that unites people is particularly rewarding. Mike further emphasizes that America presents unique opportunities for a company like Touché, armed with innovative ideas and a commitment to a better approach, to compete with industry giants and undertake diverse lighting projects across various verticals, from small retail spaces to large convention centers.