Koller Engineering is celebrating a major milestone in 2025: 45 years of making travel safer and more accessible for wheelchair users.
Founded in 1980 by Max Koller, the Somerset-based company designs and manufactures wheelchair and occupant restraints, floor rails, removable seat fixings, ramps, and related equipment used in accessible vehicles.
Today, Koller is led by Max’s daughter Leoni Mullis (pictured above, seated), with her two daughters representing the third generation of the family in the business. For Leoni, the anniversary is both a proud personal moment and an opportunity to reflect on how much the industry has evolved since her father’s early days.
Q: 45 years is quite a track record. What does this milestone mean to you?
Leoni: It is a big one for us. My dad started the business because there were very few products available, and they tended to be expensive. He wanted to offer more cost-effective options and a wider choice, giving people an alternative supply.
To see how far we have come, and to remain a family business after all this time, is something I am truly proud of.
Q: How has the market changed since those early days?
Leoni: When we started, customers mainly wanted something that worked and fitted their vehicle, and there was not much choice. Now there is an expectation for complete systems – everything from the floor rails up, all fully tested, approved, and ready to work together straight out of the box.
Safety standards are higher, and rightly so, and people expect equipment that is reliable and easy to use. Today we are also seeing a focus on lighter, more durable materials, solutions that can accommodate a wider range of wheelchair users, and products that facilitate quicker installation and adjustment for operators.
Q: Koller has a reputation for coming up with new solutions. Has that always been part of the approach?
Leoni: Yes, we have always looked at what customers are struggling with and asked how we can make it better.
Sometimes that means challenging old ideas. Our Aluminium Lockable seat fixing is a good example.
When we launched it, some people did not believe that it could be stronger than steel, but the tests proved otherwise, and now it is one of our bestsellers.
We also developed the NEXXUS 200 restraint to accommodate heavier wheelchairs, which are becoming increasingly common.
Many of our restraint systems were among the first on the market to be crash tested to ISO 10542 for occupants up to 102kg, making them over 30% stronger than comparable products.
For us, innovation is about solving real problems and making sure that the equipment exceeds safety standards, not just meets them.
Q: What has been the most challenging part of building the business?
Leoni: In the beginning, getting our name out there. Many operators already had longstanding suppliers, so convincing them to try us took time. But once people saw the quality and experienced the service, they stuck with us. Whether a customer runs three vehicles or 300, we treat them the same; that has never changed.
Q: You also do training. How important is that in your work now?
Leoni: It is useful, but it is not our primary focus. Our products are designed to be straightforward, but some customers like the reassurance of hands-on training. We offer it for those who want it, but our main aim has always been to make equipment that is safe and easy to use from the start.
Q: This year you have chosen St Margaret’s Hospice Care as your Charity of the Year. How did that come about?
Leoni: St Margaret’s has helped so many local families, including my own. It does amazing work in Somerset, and we wanted to support that.
As both St Margaret’s and our business celebrate 45 years in 2025, we will be donating £1 from every wheelchair restraint we sell to the charity. It is a simple way for us to give something back to the community.
Q: And finally, what is next for Koller?
Leoni: We will keep designing products that meet new challenges, whether that is changes in vehicles, wheelchair design, or safety regulations.
That includes continuing to develop comprehensive solutions, from floor rails and seat fixings to wheelchair restrains, all designed, tested and manufactured to the highest standards.
The industry will continue to evolve, but our role remains the same: to ensure that wheelchair users can travel safely and comfortably. As a family-owned business now including the third generation, we are committed to ensuring that Koller Engineering remains strong for many years to come.
