Founding
2001: the story begins
Pioneering development
Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging was co-founded by Dr Nick Bolas, ex Oxford graduate and keen horse owner and rider. Working alongside a highly skilled team of specialists, some of whom remain with the company today, Hallmarq pioneered the development of the world’s only MRI scanner for the standing, sedated horse. Key personnel, each with over 20 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of clinical MRI systems, worked to install the world’s first Standing Equine MRI system at Bell Equine, Kent, in January 2002. The rest, as they say, is history…
First steps
2003 – 2006: the revolution
Ongoing refinements
With the safety of both horse and handler ensured, interest levels peaked as vets around the world became increasingly able to see a wide range of previously unknown pathologies. The revolution in lameness diagnostics had begun! Intense R&D development brought improvements to the original scanner and a major upgrade program and rebranding to our EQ2 system followed in 2006. Safe, fast and accurate equine MRI was rapidly becoming the global gold standard in lameness diagnosis.
Expanding
2009: sharing knowledge
The power of education
Our first European Clinical User Meeting was held in Chamonix, France in 2009. Industry experts delivered invaluable insights, attendees brainstormed with us and each other, both in the classroom and on the ski slopes; it was an instant success. Chamonix continues to be a key date in our calendar, providing an opportunity for the company to learn from its customers and vice versa. Aware that the value of education and peer to peer learning cannot be underestimated, we continue this today with webinars, case studies and other invaluable resources available exclusively to our Hallmarq Community.
Continued innovation
2012: branching out
Introducing Small Animal MRI
With standing equine MRI firmly established, and building on years of industry experience, 2012 saw the introduction of the company’s first Small Animal MRI machine. This 1.5T high-field system meant rapid growth in our R&D and Sales teams globally, and the introduction of a new type of customer base. Designed specifically with small animal anatomy in mind, this innovative system was always intended to be a far cry from a refurbished human MRI. With vet and pet a priority, we designed the machine so that there’s no need for an RF shielded room or helium refills. In addition, the patient bed and top-open coils allow for optimised positioning; keeping operating costs down and reducing staffing expenses.
Adapting
2013: the Equine Modular Room
Cost-effective MRI ready to go
Our first Equine Modular Room is installed at Veterinair Centrum Someren in the Netherlands. Understanding the limitations that lack of space within a practice can bring, we designed our modular room to be shipped “ready to go.” With no need for upfront capital expenditure, a purpose-built room with RF shield, or the headache of obtaining planning permission, the system is simply dropped onto a concrete hardstanding, plugged into power and the internet and is ready to scan. Since then, the demand for modular rooms continues as practice owners see the value that this unique solution offers their business.
Recognition
2015: industry recognition
A hat-trick of awards
One of only two companies in the UK to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in two categories, we were proud to be recognised for innovation and international trade. A visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal provided an opportunity to show what goes on behind the design and manufacture of our MRI machines. In addition, we were awarded the prestigious Institute of Physics Award for our Motion Correction Software; designed to compensate for the slightest movement of a horse’s limb during image acquisition. In 2017, Hallmarq was listed as one of the FT1000’s fastest growing companies in Europe and, in the same year, were also Surrey Super Growth (UK) winners.
Landmarks
2018-2019: our 100th site
Making our marq
2018 saw refinancing, refocus and relocation with a change to a non-technical Senior Management team and a focus on growing the companion animal market in North America. Our 100th site installation took place at Pferdeklinik Dalchenhof in Switzerland and we passed the 100,000th scan mark. It was quite a year! 2019 saw the UK offices get a long-overdue makeover, providing a bright and airy space in which our growing team can work; long gone are the days where we sat amongst the boxes of component parts in the factory unit!
New Products
2021: Vision CT
Branching out
2021 ended on a high with the launch of Vison CT; designed to bring safe, effective, affordble 3D imaging to every equine practice. This technology enables vets to fully evaluate and diagnose lameness, fracture and disease in the equine distal limb. The standing sedated horse is scanned on a walk-in-walk-out system that incorporates our novel dual concentric ring design. The detector plate remains close to the region of interest for improved image quality and the system incorporates our exclusive motion correction technology. Not forgetting small animal MRI, 2021 also saw our 1.5T machine win another Queen’s Award for Innovation.
The future
2022 and beyond
What next for Hallmarq?
The journey continues. As Hallmarq approaches its third decade, redesign and rebranding continues to meet the exacting specifications of a growing customer base. In 2023, we launched the world’s first zero-helium small animal 1.5T veterinary MRI machine to address the growing problem of helium scarcity from the point of view of both cost and the environment. In 2024 we passed the half-million mark for our Standing Equine MRI scans – testimony to the passion that both our staff and customers have for the product that launched us.
“Wow! Half a million scans. It’s fantastic to see how the excitement of Hallmarq’s staff and customers has turned standing MRI into such an established tool for today’s lameness examinations”
Dr. Nick Bolas, Founder Director, Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging
We continue to grow our global team of experts to provide the knowledge, experience, and passion to help your veterinary imaging service thrive. Most of all, we continue to innovate, offering solutions that help you provide the exceptional care that your patients and their owners have come to expect.
Over half a million scans
That’s a lot of images by anybody’s standards! To date, our customers have performed over half a million scans on horses, cats and dogs around the globe. We can proudly say that we, and they, must be doing something right. The industry’s demand for the perfect image is met by our ability to deliver advanced diagnostic solutions that meet those exacting requirements.
Over 150 sites
With over 160 customer sites worldwide, we continue our collaboration with the industry to deliver advanced imaging solutions for improved animal health. Our Standing Equine MRI paved the way for veterinary specific imaging solutions for your practice. Today, Hallmarq’s unique Vision CT for fast 3D imaging of the equine lower limb, and small animal veterinary-specific, zero-helium 1.5T MRI, continue to make advanced imaging accessible for every veterinary practice.
Over 25 countries
Since the installation of the world’s first standing equine MRI system two decades ago in the UK, to the latest small animal MRI and equine CT machines in the USA, Hallmarq continues to see global growth. With customers located in 27 countries, get in touch today and join the forward thinking practices already on the map.
Company culture
Our values
Since its inception, Hallmarq’s aim has always been to improve animal health. This key concept is still at the heart of all we do and is reflected in our mission statement:
“We will listen to our customers’ needs, innovate and translate these into veterinary diagnostic technology and services and deliver unrivalled support, enabling access around the world.”
A shared pride in our work, never losing our curiosity, and cultivating partnerships around the world are just some of the core values that we believe help drive our decision-making. These shared values form the basis of our company culture and help define how we conduct ourselves and our relationships with our stakeholders.
The Environment
“Hallmarq recognises its responsibility to the environment and is committed to reducing our environmental impact while striving to improve our performance.”
In addition to a passion for animal care, we strive to understand and embrace the challenge of caring for our planet. From shipping carbon neutral, to using recycled consumables and everything in between, we endeavour to minimise the impact of our business on the environment.
We have offset annual CO2 emissions from our global travel and energy usage, to support projects that help combat climate change as well as caring for local communities. We’ve planted hundreds of native broadleaf trees at schools local to our UK offices, participated in beach cleans in a bid to reduce the plastic in our oceans and, latterly, supported reduced deforestation in Brazil through Carbon Footprint’s America’s Project.
Read more about Hallmarq’s ESG Policy here.
