As featured in the June 2015 print issue of Professional Security magazine, Linx International Group recently acquired a majority shareholding in UK based Tavcom, the security systems training company. In this interview, David Gill, a Chartered Security Professional and CEO of Linx International Group which includes security management training providers, ARC Training International and Perpetuity Training, as well as Linx Consulting, goes into the thinking behind that investment in Tavcom.
Q: David, with two highly successful training companies already under the umbrella of the Linx International Group, why have you felt a need to acquire Tavcom?
A: Anyone who works within the electronic security industry will be aware of the outstanding reputation that Tavcom has built over the last 21 years for developing and delivering world class security systems training. It is an area of security which neither ARC Training International nor Perpetuity Training has previously addressed. Tavcom is therefore a very welcome addition to our Group. We can now truly claim to offer anyone who wishes to develop a career within the security sector, the widest possible choice of specialist security systems and security management training programmes.
Q: Will the Tavcom name disappear?
A: Absolutely not. Tavcom will continue to operate under its existing brand within the Group and clients can be assured that they will continue to receive the very highest levels of service that they have come to expect from Tavcom. Mike Tennent, who founded Tavcom, has been appointed the company’s non-executive Chairman, whilst Paul Tennent, previously Sales Director for Tavcom, has been appointed Group Sales Director for Linx International.
Q: Why was it necessary for you to acquire your shareholding in Tavcom? With your extensive experience of operating training organisations, could you not have simply added security systems training courses to what ARC Training International and Perpetuity Training already offers?
A: When you invest in a company such as Tavcom, you not only acquire a superb portfolio of tried and tested accredited training courses, as well as a very large database of satisfied clients, you also gain access to its people. With Tavcom, this is particularly significant because of the quality of its tutors who have all been handpicked for their technical knowledge as well as their teaching skills. I am delighted to have the opportunity to be working with these highly competent professionals who share a passion with myself and colleagues at ARC Training International and Perpetuity Training for helping security professionals add to their skill sets.
Our investment by way of acquiring the major shareholding in Tavcom is just the beginning of what I am sure will be a very exciting journey for the team and our clients.
We will, for example, continue to develop Tavcom’s superb classroom and workshop facilities in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire. Under the leadership of our Group Training Director, Ken Livingstone, we can also expect to see further development of Tavcom’s accredited online ‘e-learning’ courses which offer a practical alternative to traditional classroom style courses, allowing students to learn in their own time without having to come ‘off the road’.
In addition, we will continue to support initiatives such as the Tavcom Military Resettlement division which focuses on facilitating the transition of ex-forces personnel into the security sector.
Q: What does the future hold for Linx International Group?
A: One thing we can be certain of is constant change, whether that be in the form of advances in technology or the increasingly sophisticated activities of criminals and terrorists. I am in no doubt that to be effective and successful within the security sector during the 21st Century, it is essential for security professionals to underpin their knowledge and expertise acquired at the coal face, with business acumen and career enhancing academic qualifications.
I am therefore determined that all three training organisations within the Group continue to develop and deliver progressive training programmes that are topical and relevant to the challenges facing all who enjoy working within the security industry.
