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. But a new question was beginning to emerge: how could 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 difficult to reach on our own. For me, it wasn’t about leaving – it was about creating better conditions to continue developing the company,” says Christer.

The timing was perfect. ETP had just won a major order as the pandemic was creating uncertainty, component shortages and long lead times. In the middle of it all, Christer was on parental leave, giving him an opportunity to step back from day-to-day operations.

That was when Volito Industri got in touch.

Another important factor in the decision was the similarities between ETP and HydX, which was already part of the Group. The two companies served similar customers and markets, creating opportunities for both knowledge-sharing and new business.

For employees, the change in ownership brought few changes to day-to-day operations. ETP continued to be run by the same management team, with the same culture and focus on customers. Some initial work was required to integrate 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 going 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 decision-making.”

At the same time, being part of Volito Industri means that ETP no longer has to tackle every major strategic question alone. New opportunities have emerged through networks, knowledge-sharing 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 difficult to build on your own.”

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

“Being part of something bigger gives us greater strength and opens doors to new opportunities. We’ve kept our culture and our way of working, while gaining the support and resources of a larger organisation.”

Looking back on the decision made five years ago, Christer says it was, above all, about creating 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 significant 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 become part of something where we can contribute, learn from others and continue growing together.”