Safety Symposium.

The HIMA Group, a global leader in safety-related automation solutions, proudly marked a significant milestone: the 50th anniversary of Sella Controls. On October 9, 2024, a safety symposium was held in Birmingham to commemorate this achievement, honouring Sella Controls' journey from its modest beginnings in Whaley Bridge to its status as a leader in safety and control systems, now part of the HIMA Group.

Sella Controls, acquired by HIMA in February 2023 after a long-standing partnership, played a pivotal role in enhancing HIMA’s portfolio, especially in the railway sector, while also expanding the business in the process industry in Britain and Ireland. Over the past five decades, Sella Controls has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation and safety, making significant contributions to projects across multiple sectors, including rail, oil and gas, and petrochemicals.

Celebrating the Achievements, Envisioning the Future
With locations in Stockport and Ashby (GB), currently Sella Controls hosts 131 staff members across the two sites. Sella Controls acts today as the regional centre for the HIMA Group in Britain and as Global Centre of Excellence for rail activities.

LtoR: Dr. Michael Löbig (CFO at HIMA Group), Steffen Philipp (Shareholder of HIMA Group), Rachael Benson (nee Lardner), Trish Lardner, Jörg de la Motte (CEO at HIMA Group).

The family of one the founders, Terry Lardner, attended the 50th celebrations. Trish Lardner, the wife of Terry, and their daughter Rachael attended the Safety Symposium in Birmingham, together with various customers, partners and friends of Sella Controls.

The Safety Symposium reflected on Sella Controls’ rich history, including its transformation into a key player in the safety sector. Notable speakers from HIMA, Sella Controls, and key customers addressed how the collaboration had propelled both companies into new markets and technological frontiers.

• Steffen Philipp, Shareholder of HIMA Group, discussed the history and partnership between the two companies.
• Jörg de la Motte, CEO of HIMA Group, focused on the strategic growth opportunities that resulted from the acquisition.
• Dr. Michael Löbig, CFO of HIMA Group, shared insights on the investment strategy and future growth plans.
• Chris Parr, CTO of Sella Controls, spoke about the technological evolution and innovation at Sella Controls.

In addition, industry leaders such as Rob Stockham, Director from GI Systems and Mark O’Neill, Technical Director and Jorge Santos, Project Director at Amey Rail Limited, discussed key projects and the integral role Sella Controls had played in advancing safety and control solutions in both the process and rail sectors.

Steffen Philipp, Shareholder of the HIMA Group, highlighted the enduring relationship between the two companies: “HIMA and Sella Controls shared a long-standing and close partnership, built on safety excellence, shared values and vision. To become an integral part of the HIMA Group has been a logical next step for Sella Controls and it represents a key milestone in HIMA’s company history.”

Chris Parr, CTO of Sella Controls remarked “ Reaching our 50 years milestones is a huge achievement for Sella Controls. Over this period, we have significantly contributed to the safety and operability of our client’s assets through a combination of technical innovation and functional safety expertise. We look forward to the next 50 years as an integral part of HIMA group.”

The future.
For the past 50 years, Sella Controls positioned itself as a future-oriented and growing company. With new solutions, such as digital rail solutions showcased for the first time at InnoTrans 2024, they enriched HIMA’s portfolio. They strengthened the HIMA Group’s position as a technology partner for the global railway industry.

Jörg de la Motte, CEO of HIMA Group, emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition: “Thanks to Sella Controls HIMA’s Products- and Solutions Portfolio is now much broader, especially in the Rail sector. The related R&D activities at Sella Controls in the UK will be further expanded to accelerate the time-to-market, in line with the customer requirements.”

Dr. Michael Löbig, CFO of HIMA Group, pointed at the good results and achievements of the integration process: “Major activities as e.g. the complete IT-integration have already been completed within year 1. Sella Controls’ business and team are continuing on a solid growth path. HIMA Group will make additional investments to develop the company forward, as a Top Service provider and Top Employer in business.” 

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