Diploma plc

Diploma plc is a British business supplying specialised technical products and services based in London, England. It is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History
The company, which was founded in 1931, was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1960, and was a market leader in electronic component distribution, building products and special steels until the late 1980s. The electronic component distribution business (SEI Macro) was sold in 1999, the building products business (Robert Lee) was sold in 2000, and the special steels business (Henry Whitham) was sold in 2001.

The company acquired RT Dygert International, a US-based distributer of seals, in December 2008, and Kubo Tech, a Swiss-based seals distributer, in March 2015.

It was announced in August 2018, that CEO Richard Ingram would be stepping down after four months in charge, with John Nicholas acting as executive chairman in interim charge. In January 2020, investors expressed concern about the bonus package offered to the new CEO, Johnny Thomson.

The company acquired Simonsen & Weel, a Danish medical equipment supplier, in January 2021, Tennessee Industrial Electronics, a Nashville-based parts distributor, for £76 million in March 2023, and Distribuidora Internacional Carmen, a Spanish-based distributor of fluid power products, for £170 million in July 2023.

Operations
Diploma is a distributor, operating in the three sectors of Controls (including specialised wiring), Seals (including seals and gaskets) and Life Sciences (including consumables and instrumentation).

The company has operations in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and China.