Paul Rosenthal is the Sales Director at Amthal Fire & Security in St Albans. With 25 years’ experience in the industry Paul quotes intruder alarms, fire detection, access control, CCTV – bespoke Security systems and fire management as areas of expertise. Amthal is accredited by the SSAIB, UKAS and BAFE.
Do you use a distributor or buy direct from manufacturers?
Over the years we have built some significant relationships with key distributors alongside long term manufacturer relationships. We believe we work in loyal partnership on both accounts, giving and gaining business from each other. And we hope this will continue for the future success of the supply chain as a whole.
Is third party accreditation beneficial to your company?
Third party accreditation is essential for the public sector and commercial work we do, both from the security perspective, alongside the requirements for fire safety and also health and safety. From Amthal Fire & Security’s own core mission perspective, in our desire to provide unrivalled quality and customer service; third party accreditations gives our customers peace of mind that we will deliver what we say we will as a credible business.
What would be a typical project for you?
Our projects are vast in type, requirements and even sector, so it would be difficult to identity a single typical project. However, we are currently working on projects whereby integrated and scalable systems are key drivers to fire and security protection; by example as we have recently installed at Malborough School, Watford Palace Theatre and Trinity Estates.
The company was born in the residential sector with intruder alarms installation, but we now cover commercial, health, public and private sector properties, alongside retail and more recently into education and building and facilities management offering complete fire and security solutions.
Generally, we believe that customers now come to us as we take the time in the first place to survey any site and work up the bespoke requirements for security and fire safety, to make sure all operational objectives for security and fire safety are achieved.
Another aspect, which is becoming more integral to our offering, is the ability to take over existing systems in place and maintain them. We often do this in a phased work programme and continue to offer advice and consult with our clients after completion, to ensure they are protected to the highest level with latest product innovations and fulfilling all legal duties as and where required.
Do you think there is a skills shortage in the industry? Any trouble recruiting installers?
Without a doubt! It has been well documented that the UK is facing its biggest skills shortage for a generation, with a talent gap across a range of professions. And the construction industry, a key economic driver, has been particularly hit hard.
From our perspective, the biggest issue with the skills shortage in the industry is that people have no long term experience and a lack of engineers understanding the specific disciplines of the industry, instead being trained as ‘multi-disciplined’ which often does not suit the intricacy of design in security and fire safety.
We have committed significantly to an annual apprenticeship programme to encourage job-specific skills. This is something we have invested in for the last 10 years and that has already proven its value in supporting the team, and an initiative we will continue to support and grow as a business.
Read the full interview in the September edition of PSI magazine
