After recently interviewing two industry characters leaving the security profession, Una Riley our regular interviewer was happy to hear that one of the most innovative figures in the security distribution business was returning.
When I was the owner of Euro Security Systems we chose CCTV Warehouse as our original preferred supplier for CCTV. CCTV Warehouse was a very modern, forward-thinking company in its day and as a consequence it did not take long before Norbain acquired it. However, before the acquisition the origination of CCTV Warehouse and its targeted marketing of the CCTV installers was second to none. It supported installation companies in a way that was unique at the time. CCTV Warehouse was not only providing a great distribution service; it was also adding value to the installer The distributor introduced tools at the time to enable CCTV specifiers to perform their job and design and produce professional schematic specifications for their clients. The marketing support was leading edge. We dealt with Tim Cox who looked after us and was a trusted supplier and a great enthusiast for innovation where CCTV distribution was concerned. I recently caught up with Jeremy Cox, brother of Tim, and the former CEO of CCTV Warehouse. I heard that Jeremy was getting back into ‘CCTV’ and wanted to know more. I am always eager to know how people came into the security industry and Jeremy is no exception.
‘I sort of fell in’
I asked how did he get into the security industry? Jeremy replied: “Like many people in the security and CCTV industry I sort of fell into it. Around 1980 I was a newly qualified accountant and had just finished a masters in business at City Business School in London. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and have my own business.” We laughed when I explained that in my time in business I have found accountants to be the most ambitious of people. Jeremy continued: “The great thing about being an accountant is it gives you the opportunity to get into organisations at quite a high level. Usually higher than your experience deserves, but accountancy is held in high esteem in business, somewhat unjustifiably because actually the technicalities of accounting are very simple and the techniques of accounting are too focused on historical transactions to be of great use in my opinion. Most big organisations are I believe top-heavy in accounting staff and those there are should mostly focus on cash and margin control and real time relevant financial information.” Once again we had a laugh as I outlined that he had proved my point. Jeremy went: “My accounting background gave me the opportunity to get to know the CCTV industry through a company that was an early leader in small scale manufacturing and had been bought out by a construction services conglomerate, but that had failed financially. It was at that time when I was getting to know the CCTV market that it occurred to me that there were no real distribution companies in the sector. I have to say that essentially that was the start and origination of CCTV Warehouse. Around that time Norbain were also just getting into CCTV distribution in the early 1980s as I recall. You would have expected the manufacturers to welcome the introduction of a distribution arm to the sector but strangely enough it was not with the blessing of manufacturers at the time. In fact there were some who made it quite difficult initially, until they realised how it would ultimately benefit them.” We discussed the importance of the distribution sector and how invaluable it became to installation companies. I said that CCTV Warehouse just seemed to burst on to the market and take it by storm.
Demand days
Jeremy smiled and said: “The market was ripe for expansion in those days, demand was materialising and reliable products were starting to be available mainly from Japanese manufacturers. Prices were relatively high and margins were good, although we didn’t necessarily realise that at the time. In terms of technology we had camera tubes and no real recording capability, but technology changes were imminent and time lapse recording provided one of many technology boosts to the market.” We chatted about the explosion of the CCTV market at that time and Jeremy said: “CCTV Warehouse was very much about growing with the market and the lots of new companies that were around to service that emerging market. That in itself caused numerous problems as many of those companies were inexperienced and incapable in many ways, as well as being financially weak. Consequently there were lots of bankruptcies and we had to steer through a constant minefield to survive.” We went on to discuss the companies that survived; luckily Euro was one of them! Things were changing and quality had become an issue so expertise had become very important to the client.When Euro won the Esso contract it was the first time a small company had been awarded a three year contract for an oil company … we went on to serve them for over 15 years. During that time creative thinking and a new approach to CCTV was winning awards both within and outside the industry.
Time for innovation
Jeremy said: “It was an interesting time for innovation. We ourselves introduced a number of innovations. My brother Tim and I wrote the CCTV handbook, the first technically sound complete guide to designing and specifying all types of CCTV systems. Installation was very messy and time-consuming and we encouraged manufacturers to develop their products to be more integrated. Simple things like supplying and then fitting lens plugs on auto iris lenses, which all originally came separately. We developed what we called pre-building in those days, making it easier for installers to get on with the job. We worked hard to structure an efficient logistics system that could deliver from stock for next day delivery, all things that didn’t exist back then. And to counter the financial weakness of many of our customers we developed a lease and rental services company that took a lot of the risk out of the supply chain.” CCTV Warehouse became synonymous with innovation and installation companies were the better for it. Jeremy went on: “In those days it was Norbain and ourselves battling it out in the CCTV market. However Norbain were then a publicly quoted company and in 1994 their star was high and they were able to make a rights issue, effectively issuing new shares onto the market, that because they weren’t paying a dividend was essentially funding at nought per cent, although obviously diluting existing shareholder interests. They were in a position to make acquisitions for a while and as we were number two in the market, we were an obvious target and I think a successful acquisition for them.” For installers that had chosen to be with CCTV Warehouse like myself it was a great loss. However, I have to say that it was a seamless transition from CCTV Warehouse due to a lot of the same people still being in situ initially. I enquired what Jeremy did after selling the company. He said: “I personally then spent the next few years concentrating on fledgling CCTV distribution companies overseas and particularly the Spanish market where through CCTV Center SL I’ve been involved in the Spanish CCTV market for 20 years. During this time, I got involved in various ventures including a media mix of trade press and web media along with various travel and hotel ventures. As an entrepreneur I found the diversity very interesting.”
Back from the background
We discussed the fact that he is back in CCTV in the UK and what that means to him? Jeremy said: “From the background I’ve watched the UK market throughout all these years and frankly been quite glad I wasn’t in it. It’s seemed to me to be in a death cross for many years of massively increasing numbers of manufacturers, leading to declining prices and margins for distribution, making the area highly unattractive to deploy any capital. All the technology advances seem to continually complicate the basic idea of CCTV, which is getting images from one place to another. For the user it doesn’t really matter how it’s done as long as it’s reliable and reasonably priced. Technology has of course helped in as much as images can now be more flexibly accessed, using the internet and images can be processed to allow them to be used more accurately and automatically. Concentrating on the latest technology acronyms and buzz words generally leads to poorer CCTV solutions in my opinion. The what, where, who and how approach to CCTV will lead to sounder solutions normally.”
Wider vision
So what made him want to get back into CCTV after all this time? Jeremy laughed and said: “None of this would suggest that I’d have any desire to enter this market again, but lo and behold I come across a manufacturer with a sensible wider vision of CCTV, who has designed a whole range of products that fit together simply and they are of the highest quality and scalable. Not only that, but the company is only just getting established in the UK, so it’s not tied down by existing structures, and is flexible and hungry … whilst being backed up by an organisation in Korea that is well capitalised, packed full of engineering capability and already established as an international OEM manufacturer, in fact the fifth video security brand in the world. To me that is an amazing set of circumstances and one I didn’t think would happen again in my lifetime … an opportunity not to be missed … so here I go again”! I asked about the new company and Jeremy said: “The brand I am referring to is IDIS by the way and my new UK company vehicle is iCENTER HD Ltd. I am really excited about the new business and I am confident in the product.” If this company is as successful as CCTV Warehouse was, he is already on to a winner.
