Christer Sigurd: Continuing to grow within a larger context

When ETP became part of Volito Industri in 2021, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in a journey that Christer Sigurd had helped shape for more than a decade. Since joining the company in 2010, and later taking over ownership in 2013, he had seen the business grow, develop and establish a strong position in the market. At the same time, though, a new question was starting to emerge: how would ETP take the next step?

"We'd built a fantastic company and saw great opportunities ahead. At the same time, we realised that certain types of business and customers would be hard to reach on our own. For me, it wasn't about leaving — it was about creating better conditions to keep developing the company," says Christer.

The timing was unusual. ETP had just won a very large order, just as the pandemic was creating uncertainty, component shortages and long lead times. In the middle of all this, Christer was on parental leave, which gave him the chance to step back from day-to-day operations.

That's when Volito Industri got in touch.

The timing was unusual. ETP had just won a very large order, just as the pandemic was creating uncertainty, component shortages and long lead times. In the middle of all this, Christer was on parental leave, which gave him the chance to step back from day-to-day operations.

That's when Volito Industri got in touch.

"It came at exactly the right time. We'd been thinking a lot about how to make the most of the company's full potential. As we got to know Volito, we quickly saw that we shared the same view on business, culture and long-term thinking."

An important part of the decision was also the similarities with HydX, which was already part of the Group. The two companies served similar customers and markets, which created opportunities for both knowledge-sharing and new business.

For employees, the change in ownership meant few changes to day-to-day work. ETP continued to be run by the same management, with the same culture and the same focus on customers. Some work was initially needed on integration, new systems and administrative processes, but once the fundamentals were in place, the focus could return to developing the business.

What perhaps surprised Christer most was the degree of freedom.

"I think I expected more direction on where we were headed and how we should work. But that hasn't been the case. We set our own goals, develop our own strategy and run the business our way. There's a strong belief in local entrepreneurship and decentralised responsibility."

At the same time, being part of Volito Industri means ETP no longer has to face every major strategic question alone. New opportunities have emerged through networks, the exchange of experience and collaboration within Motion & Drives.

"We've gained new colleagues to learn from, new perspectives and access to experience from other companies. That creates value that's hard to build up on your own."

Customers and suppliers see the benefits too. Being part of a larger industrial group provides greater credibility and capacity, while ETP has been able to retain its identity and way of working.

"Being part of something bigger makes it easier to hold your own in bigger contexts. We've kept our culture and our way of working, but at the same time, there's real strength in having a larger organisation behind you."

Looking back on the decision made five years ago, Christer says it was, above all, about the opportunity to keep developing.

"We wanted to become part of something bigger without losing what made us successful. I think we've managed to do that."

Today, he sees great opportunities ahead. With a strong market position, new collaborations within the Group, and an organisation that enables continued development, ETP is well equipped for its next chapter.

"We've ended up in a context where we can both contribute and keep growing together."