Ashley Bancroft, a founding Partner of H&Hendricks LLP, discusses whether bigger really is better in the context of revenue and what red flags to watch out for if embarking on acquisitive growth. With the annual Infologue Top 100 Security Companies by Revenue due to be published this week, the question whether bigger does really mean better will again be a hot topic for debate. The annual rankings have again increased this year and so has competition across the security industry. The quickest way to gauge how well you’re performing versus your peers is to see where your company featur...

In his first editorial for Infologue.com, City Group Security CEO, Simon Giles, discusses the future of canines in managing violence and shop theft while exploring their role in crime deterrence with a focus on protecting retail workers.  In recent years, retail premises have faced an alarming increase in violence and shop theft, which poses a significant threat to businesses and employees. As technology advances, innovative solutions are emerging, and one of the most promising methods in combating this issue is using highly trained canines, often known as K9s. These intelligent and we...

In his first editorial for Infologue.com, First Response Group (FRG) CEO, Simon Alderson, discuss the difficulties faced by security employers in recruiting and retaining talented staff. These difficulties include low pay, licensing requirements, unsociable work hours, lack of flexibility, overcapacity in certain areas, reduced local job seekers due to Brexit, high levels of workplace violence, and in many parts of the industry, limited career pathways. Compounding this is the demanding nature of the job, competition from other firms, and limited growth opportunities. Simon argues that addres...

Matthew Margetts, Director at Smarter Technologies discusses how cable theft can be prevented through the use of smart sensors. His background includes working for blue-chip companies such as AppNexus, AOL/ Verizon, and Microsoft in the UK, Far East and Australia. How smart sensors prevent thieves from going off the rails Cable theft costs the UK taxpayer millions of pounds each year—and that’s just for infrastructure repairs. The total cost to the economy is even higher. Thieves are attracted to metal for its buoyant pricing, targeting overhead power lines, signalling cables, and ev...

Christian Hviid leads G4S’s close protection business in Denmark and with 14 years’ experience in close protection, security and an extensive policing background. A VIP CEO of a large Japanese technology company is travelling to a country on business and the best Close Protection Officer (CPO) is hired to keep him safe. The businessman’s movements are planned meticulously; The journey from the airport to the hotel; the hotel to a discreet upmarket restaurant for an important dinner meeting; back to the hotel; hotel to his morning meeting. Every site has been recced, every entrance ...

Noah Price, the Head of the G4S academy discusses the role of what he calls "the connected officer" in driving transformation within the modern security industry. For many years, too many people have associated security with disengaged officers, offering a limited set of skills and reluctantly performing and recording a minimum set of daily tasks. While customers may have been aware of these flaws, many have not prioritised security and, as a result, their security has continued in the same shape and design over lengthy periods, becoming outdated and ineffective. Common complaints h...

Ashley Bancroft, a founding Partner of H&Hendricks LLP, discusses how to value security businesses in this tumultuous business environment and what metrics you should be looking at. I’m sure you know the one about revenue being vanity, profit being sanity but cash always being king. But where does value fit into the equation? And when I talk about ‘value’ I mean the enterprise value of a company or the equity value of its shares. Despite the motto ‘cash is king’ being constantly bandied about, you would be surprised to learn that very few business leaders truly understand t...

Brendan Musgrove, Managing Director of  TSS (Total Security Services) provides an overview of the security threats faced by the retail sector, and five ways to help ensure businesses stay one step ahead through security best practice. The threats facing the retail sector include:   Threats to staff All UK employers are required to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees under government legislation and regulations. However, over the last few years, the level of physical violence and abuse directed towards retail workers has increased significantly. Retail fron...

Amulet Security Managing Director, Darren Read, discusses the importance of security officers and shares a story about the heroic actions of one of his team. There are few words in the English language that carry more weight than hero. While the term is sometimes bandied around in reference to athletes and some high-profile celebrities, the lines between role model and hero should not be blurred. Indeed, there is a clear distinction – heroics are not defined by occupation; they are defined by actions and achievements that go far beyond the call of duty. Enter Joshua Lenham, a securi...

In his first blog for Infologue.com, Noah Price, Head of the G4S Academy, provides an overview of the security threats faced by many businesses in the post-pandemic world while also covering some best practices.  With the current threat to the UK from terrorism rated as ‘substantial’, meaning that an attack is likely, terrorism is one of the biggest security concerns for many. Attacks could potentially occur at any location. Preventing them is challenging, with the target usually an individual choice that cannot always be anticipated. Activist groups that could pose a threat include Ex...