The retail and logistics guarding contractor Cardinal Security Limited has a new ownership structure. A management buy-in sees a group of private individuals take ownership of the firm, with previous CEO and founder, Jason Trigg, leaving the business.
New owners include as Chief Executive Officer, Simon Chapman – previously Managing Director at Lodge Service; Chairman, Michael Goddard – with over 40 years’ experience in the FM sector; and Director of Strategy and Finance, Stuart Marcy. Graham Allison, who joined Cardinal recently as Commercial Director, has been made Managing Director.
Cardinal will remain an independent business with a focus on retail, distribution and logistics. The firm is also expanding its head offices in Great Chesterford, Essex, with a training academy, a control room and ‘intelligence centre.’
Jason Trigg, former CEO and founder, pictured: “When considering the next stages for Cardinal Security it was obvious to me that the business would benefit more from a corporate structure rather than relying on my entrepreneurial skills.
“I was keen that Cardinal should not be swallowed up by a larger business or one of the big security firms as it would inevitably result in poorer and less responsive customer service, so I am delighted that we have in place an experienced management team who not only understand Cardinal’s ethos, but can take the business to even greater heights”, continued Trigg.
Cardinal stresses that it will continue to provide a specialist security service tailored to customers. Simon Chapman, new CEO, said: ‘As a large but independent business, Cardinal combines the best of both worlds. So, while we are uniquely placed to provide specialist services to the largest of retailers, we are able to do so with a responsiveness and agility that larger providers simply cannot match.’
Cardinal says that it will continue to have access to technologies and systems in the broader Cardinal Group – including Amberstone’s electronic security technology and the Ministry of Ideas’ data solutions. Over the years Cardinal has supported the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS), which it founded in 2011, and ORIS Forums, which it acquired in 2011, and supported the growth of the ORIS Media business. These are now standalone and independent businesses in their own right no longer part of the wider Cardinal Group. There will be no change to the way these businesses are operated.
MD Graham Allison said: ‘Talking to customers, I know that they value our intelligence led approach to manned guarding. The new investment in the business allows us to ‘change up a gear’ and deliver a more robust infrastructure to support customer needs. We are really excited to be starting this next stage in Cardinal’s development.’
