Nathan Douglas-Smith is the managing director at Centurion Fire and Security in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the difference a well-run business can make for customers and for the team around me. I started from an engineering background many years ago and worked my way through project management, engineering management, sales, sales management, general management and into the role of managing director. Because of that journey I understand the business from multiple angles and I know how much effort goes into delivering a good result consistently.
What I enjoy most is taking that experience and helping the whole business move forward by continually improving service, supporting the team, building customer relationships and maintaining our standards high. There is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that what we do genuinely protects people, property and livelihoods.
I also find it very rewarding when customers recognise the effort that goes into doing things properly. In our industry, the best feedback often comes when a client realises they are dealing with a company that listens, communicates well, turns up when it says it will and delivers a system that actually fits the site. That trust is hard earned, easily lost and incredibly valuable.
What’s the project or client you’re especially proud of?
I’m especially proud of the breadth of projects we deliver and the trust customers place in us across very different sectors. We work with organisations ranging from nuclear facilities, manufacturers and logistics operators to schools and universities, NHS hospitals and police forces – a range which reflects the confidence clients have in our team and standards.
Recent projects highlight the breadth of work we do, including for major northern arenas, logistics and distribution clients such as Oxalis, Expect Distribution, industrial customers like Augean and Goodyear, and specialist, complex and sensitive projects like the CCTV system we are currently installing for a bridge in Ireland.
Rather than picking just one, what makes me proud is when a client trusts us with a critical site or a challenging upgrade because they know we will approach it professionally, combining compliance, reliability and practical customer service as part of one complete solution.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing, it would be a greater focus across the board on quality and long-term value rather than short-term price comparisons. Too often, good systems and good service are judged against cheaper alternatives that may not deliver the same features, standards, compliance or support.
In fire and security, poor decisions can have very real consequences. This is not an industry where “good enough” should be acceptable. Placing proper value on accreditation, engineer competence, documentation, lifecycle support and overall system performance is something the sector and customers need to focus on more.
I would also like to see continued investment in skills and people. Strong engineers, project managers and support teams are what keep standards high. Businesses that invest in training, apprenticeships and development strengthen the whole industry, not just their own company.
If you won £50,000 what would you do with it?
I’d invest it straight back into the business and use it to further strengthen the areas that make the biggest difference to customers and the long-term future of Centurion, namely people, training, technology and service reporting and capability.
That could include additional engineer development, expanding internal support tools, enhancing remote service capability and continuing to invest in the most effective new technologies where they offer real value.
I’d also look at anything that helps us further improve the customer journey, given it’s one of the things we pride ourselves on most. For me, the biggest return would come from investing it in a way that maintains high standards while giving customers and staff alike an even better experience.
Read the interview in the April 2026 edition of PSi magazine
