Roy's Monthly Gossip

Happy Easter everyone

by Mark Rowe

Will the Easter bunny be able to visit this year? nope, because we are still in lockdown, but the light is at the end of the tunnel. I have had my first jab already so there are some benefits in getting old; it was the Oxford one and I felt fine afterwards, it was quick, simple and painless so now Bill Gates is reading this as I am writing it lol.

Let’s get to it; firstly last month I mentioned Norbain had lost Jeremy Hockham; I hear that Steve Marshall is also leaving, Steve has been with Norbain for just under 28 years and has decided that he wants to further his career elsewhere. He told me that he has had a difficult time over the past few years having left his home up north and having to live out of a suitcase for a while until an amazing customer offered him a place in Kent to stay. That was several years ago and he has weathered the storm so to speak. Steve is a very sincere guy, one of the nicest I’ve met to be honest, and wants to thank everyone that’s helped him along the way. He told me that he has many offers to consider so I will keep you posted where he ends up. I have to say if you look at the years of service people dedicate to Norbain it’s very impressive. Steve was recently responsible for the national and key accounts.

I can also tell you that Steve Proctor has left Blue Helix another company within the Newbury group and joined AJAX. Steve was at Blue Helix for just under the year and before that with Mayflex, so now he is responsible for the distributors so you could say he is a poacher turned game keeper. Instead of being sold to, he is now doing the selling! The picture shows Steve holding a baseball bat very menacingly but I can tell you that Steve holds seven black belts in Karate (ok it might be called something different, as I am not sure; but it’s very similar). Perhaps he doesn’t need a baseball bat to protect himself, those hands of his can be lethal weapons on their own. Just saying, in case you owe him any money!?

Mark Clark has joined Pelco as a regional sales manager. Mark is based in the north and came from CEM where he spent his last four and half years, CEM being part of Tyco Security Products. That was where Steve Harrison was also before he moved so you can see where the connection is, that’s what I love about this industry; everyone knows everyone so that’s got to make recruiting easier, surely.

Mike Mitchell has joined Dahua based in Scotland of course. I first met Mike at an ST event in Glasgow and at the that time he was working for DVS, he has been with ADI, Videcon to name but two so that tells you he is very well connected in Scotland and knows what he is talking about.

Samantha Bamford has moved to the energy firm EDF as an IT and Communications System Technical Lead. Wow; that’s a long title, Samantha told me that she will be responsible for delivering contracts to the likes of Hinckley Point power station; so you could say that she is another one who is a poacher turned gamekeeper. I bet she will be getting loads of new friends now as she will be responsible for managing and leading the surveillance contractor who I understand are using Avigilon cameras and of course that is where Samantha worked in 2018.

Let’s give you some company news now, firstly Avigilon that I just mentioned. It seems they (parent company Motorola Solutions) have opened a new, video security and analytics (VS&A) factory in Richardson, north of Dallas, Texas. The firm says that the 136,000 square foot building, represents the company’s continued investment in North American manufacturing. The company says that it has made a number of significant acquisitions in the US and internationally in video security and analytics; namely the Canadian video manufacturer Avigilon; and, last year, California-based Pelco, not to mention the UK’s IndigoVision of course. The company says that the Dallas factory will be the central hub of production and will integrate the company’s mobile and fixed video products, aimed at businesses and first responders such as police.

Evolution, the fire and security systems integrator based in Bucks, has opened a new office in Cork to service what it calls increasing new business opportunities in the area. It coincides with the appointment of Mark Field as a Key Account Manager. Mark, who has a technical background, joins with more than eight years’ experience in the security industry. And Arno Redelinghuis joins as a Service Engineer. Arno has more than seven years’ industry experience and has specialist knowledge of Access Control, Fire Alarm and CCTV. Mark Corrigan, Evolution Director in Ireland says “It’s important for us to ensure we have the resource in the right location to service new business, deliver exceptional customer service at every stage, and develop new opportunities.

Fortus the security distributor, has announced the acquisitions of Enterprise Security Distribution and remote CCTV monitoring specialist RE:SURE. These transactions effectively double the size of Fortus to 100m euros in revenue. Now far be it for me to say I told you that some months ago but: Fortus was supported in terms of financing for these transactions by AIB Corporate Banking (Dublin) led by Conor Brogan; and Rockpool Investments (London) led by Guy Ellis. Enterprise, founded in 1992, is a UK supplier of security products to installers. The company has nine locations – Sheffield, Birmingham, Kent, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham, Bedford, Bramley and Norwich – and employs about 90 staff, and has a customer base of 8,000. Management across the nine branches will remain.

Re:Sure Intelligence Ltd is a specialist remote CCTV monitoring service serving clients across Ireland and the UK. The company was set up in 2007 with the aim of providing a CCTV service that prevents crime rather than just recording it, in a cost-effective manner. It is and will continue to be led by John McMahon (Managing Director) and Emmet Hogan (Commercial Director) who retain a significant stake in the business. The RE:SURE management team will also remain, and the company will continue to conduct business-as-usual with its service and product offerings. The business has the main Alarm Receiving Centre in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland with a smaller office in Sandyford, County Dublin.

Wireless CCTV (WCCTV), the supplier of redeployable surveillance solutions, has secured £30m for a minority stake from the mid-market private equity firm LDC. That will WCCTV says accelerate its ambitious domestic and international expansion plans and support the launch of new products and services. Pictured left to right: David Gilbertson, CEO, and Tim Williams, chairman of Wireless CCTV.

Based in Rochdale, WCCTV offers wireless surveillance products including body worn cameras. Its products are used by the infrastructure, utilities, retail, transport and construction sectors, as well as local authorities and housing associations across the UK and the US. In February WCCTV received ISO 27001 accreditation, the gold standard in security management across the industry, for its products, services, offices and operations in the UK.

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