Discover how IMI’s Growth Hub drives innovative global engineering solutions
Focused on creating breakthrough solutions for a wide range of markets, IMI plc is a global specialist engineering company. The company designs, manufactures, and services highly engineered products for fluid and motion control applications in various sectors, including industrial and process automation, climate control, life science, fluid control, and transportation. Curious by trade, IMI’s team of experts enjoys solving problems and partnering with customers to address the demands of today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Embracing a culture of innovation, the company prioritizes outcomes that are not only good for business but also create a lasting positive impact on everyone.
Roy Twite, CEO, provides an overview of IMI’s operations. “Founded in 1862, our company headquarters are located in Birmingham, UK. What truly sets us apart in the industry is the close relationships we foster with our customers. To better understand their challenges, we put ourselves in their shoes, working together to develop solutions that make their businesses safer, and more sustainable and productive. Today, we employ over 10,000 people in 50 countries, with major operating footprints in Continental Europe, the Americas, the UK, and Asia Pacific.
“Notably, we are included in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index and have a market capitalization of circa £4.6 billion. By serving attractive growth markets supported by global macro trends and developing solutions for the most acute industry problems, we have established a platform for long-term profitable growth. Additionally, our dedication to relentless innovation and progress led to a year of record profit and margins in 2023,” he says.
Over the years, IMI refined its scope of operations to best deliver its products and services within five distinct sectors, which Roy tells us more about: “In the climate control sector, we provide innovative solutions that help our customers optimize their heating and cooling systems, reduce energy consumption, and improve building comfort. Through our valves, actuators, and digitally connected products, our customers can curb their carbon footprints, save money on energy bills, and construct more environmentally friendly buildings. Meanwhile, we are at the forefront of progress in creating cleaner, safer, and more efficient commercial vehicles within the transportation sector, thus advancing emission-free transport. As such, we support vehicle manufacturers in radically reducing pollutants and meeting emissions regulations, including for diesel engines. Our chassis aerodynamics are designed to improve fuel economy, resulting in greener vehicles, while our safety and seating innovations enhance vehicle safety and driver ergonomics.
“The life science and fluid control sector has seen us develop cutting-edge solutions that empower our customers to diagnose diseases earlier and provide highly tailored and patient-focused critical care. Among the key solutions we offer in that sector are fluid control valves that increase the increase the efficiency and reliability of ventilators and anesthesia machines. Our critical components, such as electron multipliers, detectors, valves, manifolds, high-voltage power supplies, and precision syringe pumps, are used in the best analytical and diagnostic instruments. In addition, in the process automation sector, we strive to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and safety of severe service applications, including oil and gas, power, and marine. By protecting people and assets from pressure surges and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, our products improve plant operations and process safety. We are also creating sustainable solutions that contribute to cleaner energy, including new decarbonization technologies,” he goes on.
Similarly, IMI provides environmentally conscious solutions within the industrial automation sector. “Indeed, the pneumatic and electric motion systems we provide help machine builders and end-users around the world automate and optimize their manufacturing and warehousing processes. As a result, their factories, production lines, and warehouse operations become smarter, safer, and more productive and sustainable. Our solutions are used in critical industries such as automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and even space. Finally, our expertise extends to enabling the automation of precision manufacturing, product assembly, testing, and packaging,” he adds.
With increased demand from LNG and green power clients, IMI’s operations have evolved to continue catering efficiently to their demands. Roy reveals that the
company has been particularly focused on working with green hydrogen. “Produced through electrolysis using a renewable electricity source, green hydrogen is poised to play a key role in global decarbonization. It has been identified as an energy source for the future, especially for mobility, transport and heavy industries such as refineries and chemical companies. At IMI, we are helping to build the hydrogen economy of tomorrow, as hydrogen and other low-emission alternative fuels are expected to make a significant contribution to energy supply by 2050. In line with that, we are developing transformative solutions for customers across the various sectors we serve and at every stage of the hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to transportation, distribution, and application.”
Always striving to stay ahead of industry and customer needs, IMI has recently launched an innovative solution that has garnered worldwide praise. “In 2023, IMI InSyt, our advanced data-driven engineering service for predictive plant maintenance, gained significant momentum by scaling up and going global. Paired with our valve doctors’ expertise, its preventative diagnostic software detects potential system problems like cracks and leaks before they occur. Not only does IMI InSyt enable safer and more reliable industrial processes, but it also helps our clients avoid costly unplanned shutdowns and catastrophic accidents.
“A testament to our innovation’s worldwide success, a leading electricity provider in the US who already used IMI InSyt at a combined-cycle site extended it to two more facilities. On the other hand, in Europe, we formed a close partnership with a waste-to-energy recycling plant, our first British customer, in order to solve their severe water hammer issues. With more plant operators recognizing the value of a sustainable, cost-effective and proactive solution to protect their people and assets, we are empowered to foster a safer future,” he enlightens.
On that note, Roy sheds light on the innovation process behind IMI’s groundbreaking concepts and products. “We are accelerating market-led innovation by embracing the culture and processes of our innovation engine, known as the Growth Hub. Our sprint teams collaborate to create breakthrough solutions that address important industry problems and support our customers in tackling their most complex engineering challenges. Recently, we have started working on exciting projects enabling our innovation pipeline to remain strong, with the Growth Hub generating over £90 million in orders in 2023. Supported by strategic mergers and acquisitions, our culture of innovation has contributed to our growth across the globe. It is worth mentioning that the integration of our recent acquisitions is progressing well, adding exciting new products, technologies, and enhanced access to attractive end markets to our portfolio,” he ends.
By fostering sustainability and innovation, IMI strives to further elevate safety, reliability and efficiency in various industries around the world.