The Broadsword Security team
Pete and Marie Granville are the driving force behind Broadsword Security in Chipping Norton with Pete looking after the strategy and Marie running the day-to-day business. Company expertise includes all forms of commercial and domestic security – intruder alarm, CCTV, access control and fire alarm systems, monitoring and maintenance. With accreditations such as NSI Gold and SafeContractor, the business was a Finalist in the Security and Fire Awards 2018
What would be a typical project for you?
I don’t think there’s a security installer who would ever say there’s a typical project. We have a lot of domestic installations and, because of where we’re based, many of these are large domestic properties with fully integrated systems covering intruder, CCTV, fire and access control. However, I’d say the larger and faster growing area for us is commercial installations. We have a lot of estate managers and project leads who use us for multiple projects and we get a lot of referrals from them, so we’re very fortunate.
What is the best thing about working in security?
The sheer range of people that you work with is amazing. It’s lovely that every day is totally different. One day we’ll be dealing with customers who have been with us for over 30 years and the next day, we’re managing an industrial warehouse – the diversity is great.
Is third party accreditation beneficial to your company?
Yes, I do believe it’s increasingly important for a number of reasons. Where NSI Gold accreditation matters, for example, is that it holds us to an exceptionally high standard internally which we find beneficial and which means customers will get the best service and the best products.
Do you think there is a skills shortage in the industry? Any trouble recruiting?
We have an interesting challenge in that the specific skills we need for roles like Surveyor are pretty tricky to attract to the Cotswolds, despite the beauty of the location. We’re in the heart of the Cotswolds which isn’t a hotspot for surveyors and engineers! Luckily, we’ve got an amazing team, many of whom have been with us for several years so whenever we’re recruiting, we often end up getting referrals. We’re also passionate about apprenticeships and I don’t think the industry is good enough in supporting technical apprenticeships in our area specifically. Especially now that engineering is so complex – long gone are the days where we could have engineers specialising in different disciplines. Now all our engineers need to know how an intruder alarm from 1985 works right through to the latest app for our CCTV systems or how to install a fire system.
Read the full interview in the May edition of PSI magazine
