10 years of Helix Operations.
One decade of development, challenges, new ideas, and plenty of time spent in the mountains.
To mark our 10th anniversary, we're taking a look back at where Helix started, how the company has evolved, and some of the people and milestones that have shaped the last decade.
Where it all started
The idea for Helix began in the winter of 2014/15.
A winter climbing trip to Ben Nevis, quickly turned into conversations about equipment and the gap between high-performance civilian mountaineering equipment and the requirements of specialist tactical operators.
The plan for the day was to meet up with a group at the CIC Hut and head out for some winter climbing. As we approached the hut, however, we were met by the group heading back down the mountain.
They had spent the night listening to avalanches coming down the mountain and had decided that climbing was probably not the best plan.
So, we retreated to Fort William.
Over a beer in the hotel, the conversation about equipment continued. We started looking at how the knowledge and technology behind high-performance mountain equipment could be developed further to meet the demands of tactical end users.
This was where the name Helix was born.
The name represented the connection between two worlds: high-performance mountain equipment and specialist tactical operations. It reflected the idea that knowledge, materials, design, and experience from one environment could be developed to solve problems in another.
And with that, the foundations of Helix were in place.
Building the team
By 2017, the first new employees had joined Helix.
In 2018, we moved into the Victorian pay office, Offis Fawr, just outside Vivian Quarry in Llanberis. The building quickly became a busy hub for the growing team and our expanding training operation.
As our PPE training courses developed, the number of people coming through the doors increased significantly. It wasn't long before the building started to feel a little too small.
During this period, our work also expanded beyond our original focus. We began working with government agencies, police forces, mountain rescue teams and NGOs.
As the range of organisations we supported grew, so did the scope of Helix. It was around this time that we removed "Tactical" from the company name and became Helix Operations Limited, better reflecting the wider range of operational environments and customers we were working with.
From a 5m x 5m warehouse to two floors
Our warehouse at Offis Fawr measured around 5m x 5m.
It didn't take long for it to become very full.
As Helix continued to grow, we moved into the end section of the DMM drop tower building, giving us a much larger warehouse spread across two floors.
For a while, it felt like we had more than enough space.
It didn't stay that way for long.
Both Offis Fawr and the new warehouse eventually became stretched as the team, product range, training operation and customer base continued to grow.
So the search began for the next home for Helix.
A new home
After plenty of searching, conversations and support from DMM, we found it.
In April 2022, Helix Operations moved into Woodlands House at Parc Menai in Bangor.
The move gave us the space and facilities needed to support the next stage of the company's development.
Since then, the team has continued to grow, our knowledge and experience have expanded, and our work across vertical access, training and operational equipment has continued to develop.
We've also been proud to receive recognition for our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, progressing from the Silver Covenant Award to the Gold Covenant Award in 2026.
Being one of just eight companies in Wales to receive the Gold award makes this a particularly significant achievement for the Helix team.
Looking back and looking forward.
Ten years is a significant milestone.
The Helix of 2026 looks very different from the company that started with a conversation on the slopes of Ben Nevis in 2014/15. What hasn't changed is the reason we started.
We continue to work closely with end users, learn from their experience, and develop equipment and training around the environments and tasks they face.
The last decade has been shaped by people, partnerships, experience, and a willingness to keep developing.
We're proud of how far Helix has come, but we're equally interested in what comes next.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far, from our team and manufacturing partners to our customers, trainers, suppliers, and end users.
10 years down, the next chapter starts here.
Here's to the next 10 years of Helix Operations.
