Our History

A simple start, done properly

It all began in 1980, when entrepreneurial salesman Joe Stewart, armed with energy, determination, and an estate car full of car stripes, set out with a simple idea: things could be done better. There was no grand plan at the time, just passion, a few ideas, and a belief in looking after people properly. That small start became the foundation for what is today SCC Advanced Fleet Safety.

Joe’s way of working was straightforward: pay attention to detail, do what you say you will, and make sure you give your customers what they need, not just what is easiest to sell. Word spread quickly, and a solo enterprise soon became a business with real momentum.

Outgrowing the driveway

By 1988, demand had outgrown the driveway and we bought our first building in Armley, Leeds. This gave us the space to start thinking bigger.

Killjoy changed everything

Just a few years later, in 1993, we launched the Killjoy immobiliser, our first true step into vehicle safety. It might not have looked like much at the time, but it changed the business forever.

Xvision Parking Sensors arrive in the UK

By the late 1990s, that drive led us to Xvision Parking Sensors, launched in the UK in 2001. As one of the first companies to bring PDCs to the country, Xvision caught on fast and became a turning point: SCC was no longer a small outfit, but a recognised name in vehicle safety technology.

A milestone partnership with Ford UK

That reputation continued to grow, and by 2005 we were proudly working with Ford UK, a milestone that showed just how far we’d come.

Ford Europe and 28 countries

In 2012, our relationship with Ford expanded beyond the UK, when we became Ford Europe’s only approved aftermarket system of choice across 28 countries, a leap that transformed us into a truly international business.

Vauxhall and the push into R and D

A year later, in 2013, we began trading with Vauxhall, further cementing our presence in the European market. This partnership also pushed us into in-house R and D, when French legislation required a new solution for aftermarket installations.

X-Wire and the Truck Division

The innovation that followed would ultimately lead to our flagship X-Wire technology and the launch of our Truck Division in 2014.

Jaguar Land Rover joins our OEM partners

2015 saw Jaguar Land Rover join our list of OEM partners.

Expansion into North and South America

We expanded into North and South America in 2017. These partnerships weren’t just new logos on a list, they were proof that our products and way of working could stand up anywhere in the world.

From sensors to cameras, a world first

Meanwhile, our R and D team worked behind the scenes to refine X-Wire for the commercial vehicle market. By 2020 it was ready, and what we’d already achieved with sensors, we could now do with cameras: the world’s first hard-wired or wireless system.

Innovation continues

From 2021 onwards, our focus has been firmly on the future: new patents, new technology, and new ideas. The world has changed a lot since Joe’s estate car days, but our values haven’t. Honesty, quality, and a relentless drive to make every journey safer still guide everything we do.

Although Joe is no longer with us, his family continues to honour his legacy, carrying those values forward every day as we work to make the world’s roads safer for everyone.