Can’t believe we are half way through the year already! This is the June magazine after all, time just slips away.
Where to start with the gossip? Ok, Phil Tennent who left Norbain some four years ago to concentrate on the family business Marsolutions which is a language services provider for the tech sector, has accepted a role as International Business Development Director for VitaProtech. We know them as TDSI, the access control manufacturer. The Tennent family business meanwhile will continue with Phil’s wife Beatriz while Phil gets back to travelling and developing the business for his new employer. He starts on June 6 so good luck Phil and welcome back into the mainstream of the electronic security industry we all so love.
Talking Sales Directors, and Norbain, they have a new Sales Director, Paul Isaacs. He joins from Canon (UK) and brings with him experience in business development and leading sales teams. Having worked in sales all his career, Paul’s most recent position as Sales Director of Canon’s direct business saw him delivering across their commercial and public sector clients. He was in charge of a large team covering field and internal sales, he delivered on both budget and mid-term plans; sounds like just the man for the job.
Mayflex, the IP product distributor, has appointed Simon Steer as Director of Sales for Security. Simon has worked for IndigoVision for the last ten years, where his last position was Sales Director covering the UK and Ireland. Before them he worked for a security installer for eight years.
Tony Burns is likewise on the move. Now Tony had worked at Pelco for more than 15 years (here is my picture of him at ST Glasgow) but has moved and joined Convergint as Business Development Manager covering Ireland, of course. Anyone who is anyone will know Tony especially if you live in Ireland as he is so well established. Poacher turned game keeper eh! I wonder what cameras Tony will be selling?
Kelly Knowles has joined Fenix Monitoring as their new commercial director, Kelly has worked in ARCs or central stations for the last 20 years or more so is more than qualified to pick up the role and someone that Carl Mason had said he wanted on his dream team for some time. Congratulations, she is now on it!
Promotions:
Let’s congratulate Theresa Stenebring at Axis, she has been there now for almost eight years and before that was with Anixter. With Axis she has been distribution manager; she is now moving to look after Global Accounts and I know that many of her distribution customers are already missing her. Good luck with the new role, sounds like a lot of air miles coming your way.
At Genetec David Petrook has been promoted from Product Group Director to European Consultant Programme Director. A fancy title but likewise I suspect another load of air miles coming your way also! Good luck David.
In brief:
The door entry firm Comelit-PAC has welcomed Peter Kernachan to champion training in the new Manchester offices, meaning new opportunities for customers to build on their knowledge of Comelit-PAC products and services.
Vaylia Integrated Security announce that Alexandra Weller will be joining, managing Key Strategic Accounts.
Acquisitions
Did I mention Motorola? Indirectly as Pelco are part of them as you know! They have been on the acquisition trail, again, and announced they acquired Calipsa, Inc., a tech firm, offering cloud video analytics, based in London. Calipsa’s scalable platform enables businesses to optimise security with AI-powered analytics that verify alarms, enable content-based searches, detect tampering, and assess the health of cameras in real time.
Greg Brown, chairman and CEO, Motorola Solutions said: “We believe AI, spanning from the edge to the cloud, is driving the future of video security. With Calipsa, we can rapidly extend our intelligent analytics across any video security solution and support the accelerating trend of enterprises using cloud technologies to enhance safety and security.” Who’s next I wonder?
Talking of acquisition Allied Universal the North America-based security and facility services company, has acquired Attenti Group, an electronic monitoring company. Allied Universal will integrate Attenti Group with G4S Monitoring Technologies, to create Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring Services. The combined business has pro-forma 2021 revenues over $150m with operations in 35 countries.
Steve Jones, Global Chairman and CEO of Allied Universal, said: “The purchase of Attenti Group aligns perfectly with our long-term strategic growth plan of investing in our international business through the acquisition of high-quality global companies. This acquisition gives Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring Services a global footprint and an established platform for continued growth in North America, which is the world’s largest opportunity for electronic monitoring.”
Charities
West Midlands based home security provider, ERA, has raised over £20,000 for Hope House Children’s Hospices, its nominated charity for 2020 and 2021, which supports seriously ill children and their families. Over the last two years, employees from across every area of ERA’s operations have taken part in fundraising. This included the ‘GMF 100’ Cycling Challenge, which saw employees cycle 100 miles in a day. Helen Downer, President of Tyman UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted to have supported Hope House Children’s Hospices over the last two years and to have raised crucial funds to help the charity provide essential services.”
At ABUS UK staff joined forces with colleagues in eastern Europe to collect and deliver urgent essential items including food, blankets, clothes, and toiletries to centres for refugees in Poland and the Ukrainian borders as people fleeing the war in Ukraine are escaping into the EU. ABUS UK employees, their families and friends, and business partners, customers and members of the wider local community have collected supplies which have been sorted, packed, and driven across Europe by ABUS UK. ABUS Polska’s MD Józef Grabowski and colleagues from ABUS Polska are distributing the donations to the people who most need them in various locations in Poland where Ukrainian families are being supported, and to entry points on the Poland-Ukraine border. The ABUS team has even been providing hot drinks to Ukrainians at the Polish border to welcome them.
