Safety is everyone’s responsibility

Today on World Day for Safety & Health at Work, we’re taking a moment to reinforce what matters most to us: the health, safety and wellbeing of our people.

Health & Safety is not just a policy or a checklist, it’s a shared responsibility and a core part of how we work every day. We want every employee to understand why it matters and what we can all do to keep ourselves and each other safe.

Across our manufacturing and service sites, we are proud to have dedicated HSE Leads who work tirelessly to embed strong safety culture, raise standards, and drive continuous improvement. Over the past few years, we’ve been on a comprehensive journey to audit all our sites, working closely with independent third‑party experts Safety Management Limited, who have supported us in benchmarking our performance against health and safety best practice.

This journey has been both challenging and rewarding, and the results speak for themselves. We’re delighted to have seen year‑on‑year improvements in audit scores across every site, a testament to the commitment, collaboration and accountability shown by our teams at all levels of the business.

But strong safety performance isn’t achieved through audits alone. It’s built every day through leadership, engagement, and a genuine care for one another.

To mark today, we asked four of our HSE Leads a simple but powerful question:

What drives you to ensure our safety standards are always improving?

We have a moral and legal obligation to protect our employees and provide them with the best possible safe working conditions. Over the past 3 years our positive approach to health & safety and engagement with our employees has seen step changes in our policies, procedures, control mechanisms, working practices and culture. Our continuous improvement philosophy ensures that we are always looking for new and improved ways to reach our goal of being best in class – Chris King – B.Eng (Hons) 🔵🟢/🟡🔴, UK QHSE Lead, Gloucester UK

Safety culture grows stronger when systematic processes and employee engagement align. At Severn Glocon, initiatives like the A3 approach, Kaizens (OPD-One percent daily improvement), MDI (Managing Daily Improvement), new SOP development, training, relay teaching, motivational programs, daily Gemba walks, and monthly audits have boosted performance. A safety suggestions system further involves all employees, reducing injuries and improving workplace safety. With patience and consistent education, safety becomes a way of life, keeping everyone aware and committed to continuous improvement. – Gnanaraj Perumal, Senior Manager, Chennai India

Early in my career, the first safety manager I met told me, “You’re not here to save the world, you are here to earn a living to provide for your family”. My job is to make sure you go home to them every day. Many of us spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our own family. Safety isn’t just about following the rules, it’s about watching over the person next to you like they are family, ensuring that every employee goes home in the same condition they arrived in. – Claude Deasy, HSE Manager, Houston USA

Our organisation views continually improving safety & health standards as critical to business performance and quality. As we strive toward achieving ISO 45001, we work closely with colleagues at all levels to obtain their input and expertise. This has enabled us to make significant changes and upgrades to our processes and procedures ensuring our site is an environment where colleagues can have confidence their health and safety is a priority. We realise that training and upskilling our employees in safe working practices is vital to achieving a better future. – Mustafa Emad Elroubi Bsc (hons), HSE Manager, Stroud UK

Their answers highlight what truly makes the difference, from protecting colleagues, to creating workplaces where everyone feels confident to speak up, challenge unsafe behaviours, and go home safely at the end of every shift.

As we recognise World Day for Safety & Health at Work, we recommit to:

• Putting people first

• Learning continuously

• Working together to prevent harm

• Building safer, healthier workplaces for everyone

Because when it comes to safety, there is nothing more important.

This year’s theme emphasises the collective power of people, communities, and organisations to drive meaningful environmental change. It focuses on reclaiming our voice and responsibility to protect the planet, through action on clean energy, environmental protection, and community‑led solutions, not just awareness.

At Severn Group, we’re proud of the steps we’re already taking together:

• Measuring our carbon footprint: We have been measuring our carbon footprint since 2022, making year-on-year improvements to the quality and accuracy of our data to better understand our impacts and track progress.

• Utilising solar energy: Both our Stroud site and Chennai sites are utilising solar energy as part of our commitment to reducing environmental impact. By integrating renewable energy into operations across these locations, we are lowering carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and supporting a more sustainable approach to manufacturing and office operations.

• Transition to green tariffs: Our Gloucester and Aberdeen sites have switched to green tariffs, demonstrating our commitment to renewable electricity sourcing and to reducing market-based emissions.

• Tree planting initiatives: During 2025, we planted 2,000 saplings at Anna University in Chennai, along with an additional 230 saplings at our Chennai factory, adding to the vast level of tree planting we have been doing over the last few years.

• Greener workspaces: Our Chennai facility provided 300 small potted plants for employees’ desks, bringing a little more nature into our everyday working environments.

• Reducing waste: Our Gloucester site increased the number of recycling bins across the office and shop floor, making it easier to improve waste segregation at source and reduce landfill waste. Our Houston site is working to reduce landfill waste. Through focused site waste reduction, recycling, and landfill diversion efforts, a substantial portion of site waste was recycled in 2025. By continuing to partner with our suppliers, we look forward to achieving further reductions in 2026 and beyond.

• Community water project: Our Chennai facility supported a project in rural India that uses smart, sustainable technology to deliver reliable access to safe drinking water. The project introduced an IoT‑enabled water management system with real-time monitoring, automated chlorination, and solar-powered backup, improving water quality, reducing wastage, and ensuring a more consistent supply for local households, creating lasting environmental and social impact.

• Mangrove planting – Our Dubai team took part in an activity to restore the UAE’s coastline by planting mangrove saplings. The project is aimed at helping to restore vital ecosystems, protect marine life, and combat climate change.

• Volunteering day – Members of our Stroud site used their dedicated volunteering day to support a local hospice by either decorating and a garden tidy-up or the hospice’s Operation Christmas Tree where people donate to have their tree collected and chipped for use as biofuel or on pathways and car parks.

As we mark World Earth Day 2026, we recognise that meaningful change comes from consistent action, collaboration, and shared responsibility. While we know there is so much more to do, we remain committed to using our collective power to reduce our impact, support our communities, and protect our planet, today and for future generations.

Severn Glocon Valves Private Limited is now officially 9COM approved control valve manufacturer for manufacturing Severn Glocon severe service control valves and general service control valves locally in Saudi Arabia through our trusted Saudi manufacturing partner, Saudi Mechanical Industries Co. (SMI).

This 9COM approval in Saudi Arabia represents a significant advancement in Severn’s ability to deliver locally manufactured control valve solutions for the Saudi oil & gas, energy, and industrial sectors, ensuring faster project execution, reduced lead times, and local compliance.

This achievement reinforces our commitment to IKTVA localisation objectives, Saudi Vision 2030, and to delivering world‑class severe service control valve solutions — manufactured in‑Kingdom, engineered to global standards, and delivered faster and closer to customers in Saudi Arabia.

With local control valve manufacturing in KSA, Severn Glocon strengthens its position as a trusted severe service control valve supplier, supporting critical process applications, high‑pressure and high‑temperature services, and mission‑critical flow control systems across the Kingdom.

Following Global Expansion Severn Group Confirms it has been entered into agreement to be acquired by Valmet Corporation as Part of an Exciting New Chapter in the Firm’s History

• – The $480-million deal marks a new chapter in the story of Severn Group.
• – Under Bluewater stewardship Severn Group has transformed from an energy focused manufacturer to a diversified industrial business operating across 12+ sectors worldwide
• – The acquisition by Valmet, a Finland-listed global industrial leader, underscores the complementary nature of the two businesses.
• – “We are delighted to join Valmet and begin a new chapter for Severn Group. Bluewater’s support has been instrumental in shaping the business we are today, and we now look forward to the future with confidence and momentum,” said Perttu Louhiluoto, CEO of Severn Group.
• – The acquisition is expected to be completed during Q2 2026

London, 22 December 2025: Severn Group, one of Britain’s longest-established valve manufacturers, today announced that it has been acquired for $480 million dollars by Valmet, a Finland-listed global industrial leader. Contour Holdings International Limited, known as “Severn Group,” is the holding corporation for Severn Glocon, ValvTechnologies and LB Bentley. This transition follows a successful global expansion strategy led by its largest investor, Bluewater, and marks an exciting new phase in the company’s growth journey.

The global expansion of manufacturing locations in India and USA, positions Severn as a complementary fit within Valmet’s existing footprint.

Perttu Louhiluoto CEO of Severn Group, said, “We are proud to welcome Valmet as our new owners and look forward to building on the strong foundation laid over recent years. Thanks to Bluewater’s visionary leadership, Severn Group has grown from a British manufacturer in the energy space into a global industrial business with a truly international footprint. As we look ahead, the scale and breadth of the global opportunities in front of us are greater than ever and ones we cannot fully unlock alone. Joining Valmet positions us to accelerate our growth, expand into new markets, and deliver even greater value to customers worldwide. We are excited about this next phase of Severn’s journey.”

Thomas Hinnerskov, CEO of Valmet said, “This acquisition marks a significant step in the execution of Valmet’s Lead the Way strategy, strengthening our Process Performance Solutions segment and expanding our Flow Control business. Severn’s strong capabilities and proven track record in severe service for demanding applications make it an excellent strategic fit for Valmet. This acquisition strengthens our commitment to deliver lasting customer value over the life-cycle. We are proud to welcome Severn’s skilled and dedicated employees to Valmet,” says Thomas Hinnerskov, President and CEO of Valmet.”

Under Bluewater’s strategic guidance, Severn Group transformed from a predominantly upstream oil and gas business (73% in 2020) into a diversified global industrial company, expanding into over 12 new sectors and quadrupling earnings.

Tom Sikorski, Founding Partner at Bluewater, added, “We are pleased to hand Severn Group over to such a capable and global owner. Bluewater’s partnership has transformed Severn into a world-class business, and we thank everyone involved for their dedication. With the acquisition by Valmet, we think we have found Severn a sustainable and complementary home and the business is now well positioned to continue its successful journey and deliver long-term value on a global scale.”