Remembering Malcolm David Kelly OBE

30 Jan 2023

We are very sorry to report that Malcolm David Kelly OBE passed away on 1^st December 2022, aged 84 years.

Malcolm was born in Edinburgh on 19^th December 1938 and grew up in Scotland, where he began his hydraulics career with Cessna. He later moved South and joined Sterling Hydraulics in Crewkerne (now Parker Hannifin), before forming Integrated Hydraulics Limited in 1973, based in Warwick, where he remained CEO until his retirement.

Malcolm was a great supporter of the UK fluid power industry, being very involved in both the UK trade association and also CETOP for many years. He was the last Vice-chairman of the Association of Hydraulic Equipment Manufacturers (AHEM) in 1985, alongside Brian Newman who was the last chairman. A year later AHEM admitted members from the pneumatics industry and BFPA was born so for 1986 Brian Newman was the first BFPA Chairman and Malcolm the first BFPA Vice Chairman, becoming BFPA Chairman (now the position is called President) in 1987, and holding this post until 1989.

Friend and colleague Mike Meacham (ex-Parker Hannifin) kindly sent us this photo of Malcolm and his wife Jenny, alongside Mike and his wife Janet, taken at the annual BFPA Dorchester Dinner and Ball in 1989.

As an active member of the BFPA Board, Malcolm assisted Neil Percival, the then Director of BFPA in gaining the finance required to buy the offices in Chipping Norton when BFPA moved out of London to Oxfordshire in 1993.

Malcolm was elected President of CETOP in 1993, holding this position until 1996, and attended many European meetings at that time in his capacity as CETOP President.

It was around this time that Malcolm was awarded the OBE for his services to the fluid power industry. Neil Percival recalled the challenge to keep the application secret from Malcolm: “Malcolm’s secretary knew, but it was difficult keeping such a big secret at the time. It was worth it though, as it was complete surprise to Malcolm when he found out. Malcolm was a lovely person with a great sense of humour and incredibly generous in every way; he well deserved his OBE award”.

Colleague and friend Bernard Hawkins commented: I’ve known Malcolm, Jenny and the family for more than 50 years from my first meeting with him as an apprentice at Sterling Hydraulics’ way back in 1967 to the formation of Integrated Hydraulics which I joined in 1975. Malcolm truly was a wonderful person both as an employer and a very good friend, always considerate and thinking of his employees, there job security and wellbeing. Over the life of the company until its sale to Eaton Corporation we never had one lay off or redundancy which at the time of sale numbered in excess of 300.”

Paul Cooke commented: “This is very sad news indeed. Malcolm was a pioneer as well as a supporter of the BFPA. I admired Malcolm’s drive to improve fluid power and his company Integrated Fluid Power was a great advocate for standards and development in the early days of cartridge technology.”

A devoted husband, wonderful father and adoring grandfather, Malcolm was well-know for his generosity, kindness and good humour. He is survived by Jenny, his wife, his children Susan, Jennifer, Claire, Steven and Gillian, by his eight grandchildren and great grandson. He will be greatly missed.