seca GmbH & Co. KG. is a German company that develops, produces and sells

weighing scales A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, massometers, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal dis ...

and measuring instruments. It's an international market leader and, because of its high degree of specialisation, it is considered a hidden champion. Its products are exported to more than 110 countries. The company’s headquarters is in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and it has branches in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Foundation and history

In 1840, master

locksmith Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal ...

A.C.C. Joachims established a scale manufacturing business in Hamburg after learning from the

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

mechanic and monk Friedrich Alois Quintenz who had invented the decimal scale in 1821. Over the course of the next thirty years, the Joachim's workshop evolved into a small factory. However, following his death in 1874, the business stagnated and the factory's prominense waned until 1988, when Frederik Vogel, a young businessman, acquired and revitalised the factory. Vogel expanded the product range and introduced the brand name "seca" which he had registered for a trademark in 1897. The brand name was derived from the Latin word ''secare'' meaning 'to cut'. The name refers to the "cutting edge", the crucial contact surface on a balance beam, where a smaller surface area enhances a mechanical scale's precision. The company survived

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

in the 20th century. In 1934 Frederik Vogel passed the management over to his son Robert. Robert Vogel steered the company through

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and began with the successful post-war reconstruction immediately after the end of the war. When Robert Vogel died in 1966, his son Sönke Vogel joined the company. In 1970, Sönke Vogel implemented a pivotal shift in the company's focus toward medical measuring and weighing, repositioning seca as a leader in producing essential diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Since then, seca has specialised in developing products that accurately measure patients' weight, height, and body composition. One of the key technologies employed is bioimpedance analysis, which utilises a low-current method to assess critical health metrics such as fat mass, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle mass, visceral fat, total body water/extracellular water, and phase angle. The product portfolio has been consistently expanded and is available on all international markets. In March 2010, Sönke Vogel stepped back from day-to-day operations and joined the company's advisory board. Robert and Frederik Vogel junior, the sons of Sönke Vogel, subsequently joined the management board and took over the leadership. Robert M. Vogel overseeing Sales & Marketing, and Frederik Vogel handling Technology and Development.

Corporate structure

seca GmbH & Co. KG. has the following subsidiaries: * seca France, Semur-en-Auxois, France * seca United Kingdom, Birmingham, United Kingdom * seca North America West, Los Angeles, CA, United States * seca North America East, Hanover, MD, United States * seca Schweiz, Reinach, Switzerland * seca Zhong Guo, Hangzhou, China * seca Nihon, Chiba, Japan * seca Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico * seca Middle East, Dubai, United Arab Emirates * seca Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil * seca Suomi, Espoo, Finland * seca Latin America, Bogotá, Colombia * seca Asia Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Products

The range includes: * Baby scales * Column scales * Flat scales * Multifunction and wheelchair scales * Bed and

dialysis Dialysis may refer to: * Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric po ...

scales * Height measuring and measuring instruments * Medical Body Composition Analyzer

References

Medical technology companies of Germany German brands manufacturing companies based in Hamburg Weighing scale manufacturers {{measurement-stub