Glasgow seems so long ago but it was just the other day, I’m talking about Security TWENTY Scotland of course.
It was great to see you all there and the sun was shinning on us. The charity dinner was in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust in memory of Graeme Hazlewood of the NSI who sadly lost his fight with cancer earlier this year. We felt that choice of charity would be a nice tribute to him and his family. The generosity of you all that attend these events still amazes me as we raised £1,600 on the night with the raffle and the ‘higher or lower’ game, but then a person in the room that wanted to remain anonymous doubled the sum to £3,200. I know who he was, he knows who he was and can I on behalf of the trust and Graeme’s family thank you for your support. Not to mention all those manufacturers and distributors that gave us the prizes for the raffle. Like I say I never take it for granted and am always amazed by your generosity; thank you.
It was good to catch up with some old faces from the days when I worked in Scotland. Such as Bob Steele now at EET, (formerly Pro-Vision in case you have not got your head around that yet). Likewise I bumped into Jess Bunce who has returned to the industry and set himself up as a consultant called IPS.
Distributors
Let’s talk distributor news for a minute, Security Dynamics (Europe) Ltd has opened a branch in Scotland, as launched at ST18 Scotland in Glasgow, to be managed by Sharon-Anne Ross and Sharon Carmichael. The company’s sales director Frankie Bellavia told me that the Braehead-based branch will have a showroom, stock, and a trade counter, and a training room for the distributor’s brands. “Our main two brands are Dahua and Hanwha. We have just negotiated an agreement with ICT and our portfolio is growing.” He also used the phrase ‘we have been Sharonized’! Is that a word Frankie? I’m not sure but I’m using it!
A big one has got to be that Phil Tennent is leaving/ has left Norbain. He is going to join the business with his wife Beatrice and the business is called Marsolutions LTD. They offer specialised technical translations for the security industry and other technical and business sectors, into more than 20 languages in diverse combinations. With a team of professional linguists, they provide customer-focused service, Phil told me. He also said that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and family and that the time had now come where the business was ready for that next step giving him the perfect opportunity. We wish him all the very best; and hey, if you need a translator for your product sheets, literature and so on, then these are your guys. Norbain meanwhile tell us that they have entered into a partnership with Satel to stock and distribute Satel’s range of graded passive infra-red detectors, intruder alarm boards and sirens in the UK.
DVS have been adding to their team, namely Anton Wedderburn as an Area Sales Manager. Anton was at Videcon as an business development manager. Plus two new internal sales staff: Michael Taylor and Josh Goodwin and two new members of technical: Rhys Larsen and Richard Mayled.
Let’s add some glamour shall we, Mark Raine tells me Jess and Sammy have joined the team at CCTV Direct. Both joined recently in sales and marketing ‘as we embark on a new path and add a new dimension to the growing team’. Using Mark’s words!
Staying with distributors Oprema tell me: “Several members of Team Oprema will be attempting to reach the summit of Mount Snowdon (1085m) via the Llanberis Path at night on June 30, raising funds for the MS Society and their work against Multiple Sclerosis. MS is a neurological condition. That means it affects your nerves and it’s caused when your immune system isn’t working properly. At present there are more than 100,000 people in the UK that have MS. We have nominated the MS Society as our charity for 2018 and it is a charity close to our MD Matt’s heart, who sadly lost his step-brother to MS in 2001.” Throughout 2018 they will be taking part in several fundraising events, find out more on the charity page on at http://oprema.co.uk/Contact/Charity.aspx.
Movers
Ocucon have appointed Anthony King, formerly of King Security Systems, as a consultant to the business. Ocucon offers cloud-based storage and retrieval, combining data analytics with the facility to store, analyse and retrieve HD video surveillance footage from within the Ocucon portal. The UK firm claims it’s the first of its kind to offer unlimited cloud-based storage as a service.
Jacksons Fencing have appointed Lorraine Preston as Commercial Business Development Manager, covering the north of the UK. She joined the Kent firm at the beginning of May, and brings with her many years of experience within the security sector.
GJD, the manufacturer and designer of electronic perimeter detection and LED illuminators, welcomes Fay Parker as a new Internal Sales Executive. Fay is responsible for building and maintaining customer relationships, and developing new business.
Company news
Canon have acquired Briefcam the video review and search software company. No surprise if I’m honest here as these guys seemed to work closely with Milestone whom are already owned by Canon. Trevor Matz, BriefCam President and CEO, said: “The acquisition will allow BriefCam to continue to deliver industry leading video content analytics solutions, while remaining a standalone company within the Canon Group. The opportunity is a testament to the innovative technology we have built, the outstanding team we have assembled, and the rapidly growing business we have created.”
