A luxury car dealer HR Owen has had wireless access control installed to cover its 110,000 sq ft showroom in Hatfield, and protect high-end cars worth millions of pounds – brands including Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Lotus.
While primarily based in London, the company expanded to Hatfield. The dealership sought a security solution that could meet their operations and aesthetics of the display rooms. Each brand that HR Owen sells has its own design requirements, meaning that security infrastructure needed to blend into the overall look and feel of the site. Its size was also a consideration as the site had various types of doorsets, ranging from frameless glass doors to wooden fire doors and electronic barriers, in turn presenting logistical and technical challenges.
The installer Knightsbridge Security Systems had provided security for HR Owen’s other sites across the UK. Knightsbridge have specified and installer Abloy products for many years. Abloy UK recommended SMARTair as it was able to offer scalability and flexibility, and being wireless offering easier installation without a need for cabling. With over 100 devices installed around the facility, the solution was able to blend in, the installer adds.
SMARTair Wall Readers and SMARTair i-max Handles were selected. SMARTair allowed the dealership to manage access remotely. The ability to revoke access remotely provided an added layer of security. The SMARTair Openow access control allowed staff to use their mobile devices as credentials instead of physical cards. A Parking Mode feature allowed drivers of high-value goods to access the premises, without having to leave their vehicles. The systemโs remote barrier operation, using mobile credentials from a distance of three to five metres, made for a smooth and efficient process, while reducing the potential for unauthorised access.
Ifazaad Liaqat, Technical Sales Manager at Abloy UK, said: โWe were able to work with Knightsbridge to provide HR Owen with a cutting edge, wireless access control solution that seamlessly integrated into the dealershipโs high-end aesthetic. With over 100 devices installed, the system ensures operational flexibility, real-time security management, and future scalability, delivering both convenience and peace of mind.โ
Matthew Taylor, Operations Director at Knightsbridge, said: โDuring the planning stages with HR Owen and the architects, it was abundantly clear that Abloy UKโs SMARTair solution was the only real choice for the site. Having worked with Abloy UK for a number of years they were an ideal choice to assist us with the designing and planning of this project.โ
And Sean Nevatte, Group Aftersales Director at HR Owen, said: โSecurity is paramount as we needed to ensure that we are not just protecting our high value products, but also our staff and our customers. Knightsbridge and Abloy UK have been extremely supportive in both the maintenance and upkeep of the system since it was installed. Their reliability and assistance has been unrivalled.โ
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