On Wednesday, 15th October 2025, Zikodrive marked a decade since the launch of its first official motor controller product. The team celebrated with a night out in Hebden Bridge — drinks at Vocation Bar, followed by pizza at local favourite Fratellis — swapping stories from across the years and raising a glass to how far the company has come.
When Graham Fick and Phil Bates first conceived the idea of a motor control design business, they could hardly have imagined what it would become a decade later. What started with a handful of designs and a homemade website has grown into a global manufacturer of motor controllers, now producing our own designs in a dedicated factory facility here in West Yorkshire and supplying companies large and small across a diverse range of industries — from industrial pumps to specialist OEM applications.
The last ten years haven't been a straight line. We've navigated component shortages, a global pandemic, and no shortage of turbulent political and economic events, all while deepening our understanding of customer needs across electronic design, engineering, and manufacturing. Along the way we've invested heavily in both people and technology — building out our test and validation capability, working towards ISO 9001 certification, and tightening our processes so that quality is designed in rather than inspected in afterwards.
None of this happens in isolation. Today, we're proud to be part of the vibrant British manufacturing community — a sector that's had to be resilient and inventive in equal measure, qualities that feel very close to Zikodrive's own story.
We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who's supported us along the way. To organisations like the CKMA, Make UK, and the Calderdale Growth Team — thank you for backing regional manufacturing and helping businesses like ours grow. To individuals including Guy Lewis, Dave Cantle, Neil Kendall, and Marie Lang — your guidance and support have made a real difference at key moments. A special thank you goes to our investment partner, SycoTec, for believing in us from early on, and to the countless customers, partners, and staff whose trust and hard work have carried this journey.
Here's to the next ten years of innovation, growth, and success.