Let me start by wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year. I hope that you all manage to achieve everything you need to and want to.
So. Here we are 2017, already in our 28th year of bringing you all that news, views and, of course, gossip, so here we go. It seems that just before Christmas the IP transmission product company Veracity bought icomply, the privately-owned control room software company.
Manager Mike
As always we see people moving around in the industry so let’s start with Mike Tolley who has left Hikvision and joined Gratte Brothers Group, the building services company. There Mike is the software solutions manager. What does that mean? He told me that he has overall responsibility for the suite of software that has been developed over the years to help blue chip organisations manage their risk. The software has been designed from the ground up with involvement and input from end users. The software involves loading bay management, visitor management and retail loss prevention and risk management software. “I shall also manage the relationships with the end users and oversee projects globally where one of our software products is being used.” Good luck Mike.
Hikvision joiner
Going back to Hikvision, Jeremy Furze has joined them to replace Steve Dobby, who we spoke about last month. Jeremy has been in the industry since around 1995, where he was at ADT. He moved to the manufacturing side in March 2005 when he joined Panasonic. Recently he was working for Avigilon and seemingly doing quite well but could not resist the offer from Jason Yang. As Steve is Scottish I assume he will be looking after them up north!
He’s still a baby to me
Talking of moving from installations to manufacturing, Steve Proctor has joined RBH Security as sales director. Now Steve also started his career in our industry working for installers, Abel Alarm in fact, way back in 1978 (I started in 1972 so he is still a baby to me). He even worked for the White Group at one point, where did they go, I wonder? Steve moved into the manufacturing side in 1995 when he joined Dedicated Micros but you may well remember Steve from the 11 years he worked as sales director for NVT of course. I ought to award a prize of some sort if you know what NVT stands for, although you only have to look at their website to find out. Anyway he is now in charge of the sales for these guys. Steve also mentioned that Katie Gibbs has joined as a technical support advisor. Steve tells me “an addition to the already strong technical support team based in Evesham. Katie arrives fresh from her recent studies of Emerging Technology level three for two years at South Worcestershire College”.
BDM move
Ashley Cardno who has just celebrated his birthday has become the new Business Development Manager for Oprema covering the North of England. Ashley, pictured, has over 20 years’ experience in the security industry. Before, he was divisional director at another distributor, HBL Security. Ashley started his career at Intervision Ultrak and has held roles at Norbain, Avigilon and Mirasys, and for ten years was at Panasonic, where he was distribution manager for their security solutions products.
Area, regional sales
Mark Wall has joined Dahua UK and Ireland as area sales manager, covering the Midlands and Wales. He has been in the electronic security industry for over 25 years, starting as an engineer in the family installation business before working in a commercial capacity for major CCTV and security distributors. And IDIS has appointed Reece Ellis as regional sales manager covering the south of England. He’s reporting to Jamie Barnfield, senior sales manager of IDIS Europe and based at the European head office in Brentford. Reece will support national and regional installers plus develop new end user accounts.
Promoted to MD
Andy Rainforth has been promoted at Grosvenor Technology from sales and marketing director to MD. Andy said: “It’s been a great process, preparing Grosvenor for growth. We’ve learnt a lot about our NSI and SSAIB installer base and what they look for in an access control manufacturer. It’s taken two years’ work on a commercial proposition and a product range that differentiates Grosvenor installers from the mass market who are fighting for the same, ultra-competitive projects.”
In brief
ACRE, LLC, the holding company that owns Vanderbilt Industries, Mercury Security and recently acquired the access control company ACT in Ireland, have been buying again; Communication Networks LLC (dba ComNet), the video and data transmission equipment makers.
