An ambitious Nottingham firm with clients as far and wide as Abu Dhabi and Beijing has announced significant investment in the business. Thanks to a funding injection of £390,000, Global Fire Systems is set to create 100 jobs and train 10 apprentices.
Based in Nottingham with its Head Offices in Nottingham and regional offices in London and Scotland, Global Fire Systems designs, supplies, installs and maintains fire detection, voice evacuation alarm, disabled alarm, fire telephone, intruder alarm, CCTV, access control and fire suppression systems.
Global Fire Systems have recently been awarded the accolade of The London Stock Exchange Group – 100 Companies to Inspire Britain and are also ranked number 32 in the Fastest Top 200 growing companies in the East Midlands by the CBI.
Co-founded by local entrepreneurs Ian Grantham and Stuart Beeley, who were both schooled, educated and lived in Nottingham all their lives with their families, the company’s national and international client base now includes Harrods, O2 Arena, Olympic Stadium, The Savoy, The Shard, Royal Household Residences and services within all UK Airports. Internationally the company has delivered specialist projects in the Ascension Island, Shetland Island, Abu Dhabi, The Olympic Games in Beijing and The Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Thanks to a grant of £390,000 from the Nottingham Technology Grant Fund (N’Tech), the company will develop its total building management service with the aim to create 100 jobs. In addition to the grant, Global Fire Systems is receiving support from Nottingham City Council to help recruit and train new employees, including 10 apprentices.
Established in 1999, Global Fire Systems currently employs 150 people across three offices in Nottingham and one in Canary Wharf. Its headquarters is based at the NG2 Business Park. In addition to its high profile clients, the company also works with hospitals, banks, shopping centres, high-rise office blocks, hotels, sporting stadiums and universities, with contracts ranging from £5,000 to £3million.
The business is leading innovation in the field of ‘Total Building Management’ by developing a service that will monitor all of a building’s fire and security systems via an integrated network, which takes information from each separate monitoring system and shows it in one screen. These systems enable businesses to reduce manpower and costs and increase efficiency.
In addition to the above, this will create a further IT offering with capability of integrated networking, designs, switches, cloud technology and bespoke service facilities 24/7 for existing and new clients IT services.
Talking about why the company was established in Nottingham, Co-Founder and Managing Director Ian Grantham said: “We find the city a perfect place to have a national business being centrally located in the UK, with cost effective quality office accommodation, links to the University of Nottingham, which means we’re able to recruit talented graduates, and other key supply chain partners.
In addition, the road, rail and airport networks are improving and with the high speed rail link and tram network the city should prosper.”
N’Tech grants are geared towards the growing life science, digital content and clean technology sectors, the N’Tech fund is run by Nottingham City Council. The programme is focussed on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the greater Nottingham area.
N’Tech is a core element of the Nottingham Growth Plan a blueprint for the city’s future business growth and one of the most ambitious strategies of the UK’s Core Cities. Measures introduced as part of the plan have played a key role in encouraging new business formation through various finance and support packages.
N’Tech grants are funded solely through the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Nottingham City Council secured RGF from the Government for grants to help fast track development of businesses based in the city. The funding can provide grants of £20,000 to £1million per successful company to support growth and expansion.
The N’Tech fund has so far had 43 successful applications across the digital content, life sciences and clean technology sectors and awarded grants to the value £4.9 million with 874 jobs created and safeguarded. N’Tech closes to applications on 30 September 2014.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Jobs and Growth at the City Council, said: “We are very pleased to be able to further support the expansion and development of Global Fire Systems. They are a great local success story and it’s great news that Global Fire Systems will be taking on new staff, including 10 apprentices. Ensuring that local people benefit from the upturn in business Nottingham is seeing is a major priority. The growth of innovative local companies like this has far-reaching benefits for the city and we wish them every success in their new and expanded ventures.”
