The security arm of the facilities management contractor Mitie reports a pair of contract awards, together worth £5m a year. A contract with retailer IKEA has been awarded for three years while Springfields has extended a contract for a further three years for guarding its nuclear fuel production site at Salwick, outside Preston.
At IKEA, Mitie will offer a range of security services on sites across the UK including manned guarding, gate duties, vehicle and individual searches, and managing the security control room. This is the first time IKEA has changed its security provider in the UK in nine years and has chosen to adopt a different model to its other European operations, the contract firm says. Mitie reports that it will be modernising the retail chain’s CCTV operations and identifying any efficiencies. Initially, Mitie will conduct technical and systems reviews across all IKEA’s retail sites and two distribution centres. This model will also support IKEA with its retail specific training and customer service.
In support of IKEA’s commitment to the Living Wage Foundation, over time, employees will get a pay increase. As part of the its contractual commitment, Mitie will work towards providing all staff the National and London Living Wage, as well as providing a range of Mitie Rewards which includes staff discounts.
As for Springfield, Mitie will offer security services from reception and vetting to gate duties, vehicle and individual searches to the management of the security control room. Mitie has delivered a Security Guard Force at the site since 2011. This new contract extends that remit with the introduction of SMART Platinum, its bespoke task and incident management platform, to combat unauthorised access and the removal of nuclear materials.
The contractor says that SMART Platinum can cover an estate while remaining tailored to each site as well as providing full visibility of the security and risk profile. SMART Platinum enables the firm adds intelligent decision making by collecting data from multiple sources through one system to reveal opportunities for efficiencies and service improvements across sites.
Jason Towse, Managing Director of Mitie’s security business, said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen as IKEA’s first solely UK service provider and delighted to have extended our strong working relationship with Springfields. Mitie’s security business continues to drive innovation in the industry and both clients will benefit from the introduction of new technology. Implementing SMART Platinum will enable us to continually improve our service, spot opportunities for efficiencies, use trends in data and work collaboratively to ensuring a better experience for Springfields.”
Photo courtesy of IKEA; Edmonton, north London.
