25 years in their sights...

Jan 15 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

AS A LAD, Stockton’s Andrew Petch played pass-the-parcel with ticking time bombs crafted by his dad, Terry - founder, somewhat ironically, of Safeguard Security Systems. Years later, he’d play his part in protecting the Enron power station against terrorist threat and even came close to outwitting a crack team of soldiers determined to bag a local landowner’s pheasants. As the company celebrates 25 eventful years, MIKE PARKER reflects on the growth of a well-respected family firm...

From an early age, Andrew Petch knew there was something a little bit special about his dad.

“When I was a kid, if it was your birthday, everybody played pass the parcel,” he recalls. “But, in our house it was an electronic bomb made out of a toilet part. It used to tick when you had hold of it.”

His dad, Terry, was the architect of the fake explosive which was constructed out of an old cistern flush.

Aside from the kudos it gave his lad, it was an indication of the unnatural passion he had for tinkering with electrical products and inventing new and unusual gadgets.

That technical know-how was to prove a God-send when Terry was later made redundant by the steel fabrication firm he worked for, which fell victim to the changing fortunes for manufacturers in an ever more challenging global economy.

The idea of signing on for dole payments was alien to him and, armed with the desire to never again be placed in the position of being laid off, he took advantage of a Government support scheme to start his own venture.

Safeguard Security Systems Ltd was created in 1982. Terry signed up for the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, which paid newly self-employed people a base wage while they got their businesses up and running.

Terry recalls: “I had no desire to have somebody else deciding whether I succeeded or failed. If you are employed, it doesn’t matter how hard you work, if the business you work for isn’t functioning properly or is in a recession industry you are down the road with everybody else.”

The company began as a specialist intruder alarm designer, manufacturer, installer and maintainer at a time when such deterrents were largely unheard of in the average home. But, with burglary on the rise and people’s attitudes to home safety changing at pace, it was a niche opportunity that was to grow rapidly.

The company started picking up initial contracts through friends and family with Terry’s inherent desire to design systems ensuring that the early versions were Safeguard’s unique creations.

For the firm’s first customer, a police sergeant, the initial prototype was a little too unique - a conflict in radio frequencies meant that every time the customer flicked on his kitchen lights, the fluorescent tubes triggered the burglar alarm.

“We soon got it fixed,” Terry says.

Safeguard has changed dramatically since those early days, however it stays true to the values it started with and still maintains family at its core with Terry at the helm, his wife Heather and son Andrew both heavily involved. Only his youngest son, Chris escaped the clutches of the family business and he now teaches physics in Nottinghamshire.

The family connection even stretches to four-legged family members with Andrew’s pet dog – a Parsons Russell terrier called Jacques – an ever-present feature of the company premises in Stockton.

The company’s ability to deal with every eventuality and to provide a bespoke solution service for potential customers has since won it business from a range of unique quarters.

The biggest undertaking the company ever faced was putting alarms, access controls and CCTV in to what was then the Enron power plant at Seal Sands. It was at a time when terrorism was a growing threat and the authorities were concerned the gas-powered plant was a potential target.

It wasn’t the only time Safeguard was called upon to neutralise a threat from aggressive forces. One client called on the company to keep out the most elite fighting force in the world.

Terry explains: “One customer wanted to alarm a forest to stop local soldiers going on manoeuvres there. They were sleeping rough and eating his pheasants. We found a way to do it but in the end the customer decided against alarming it.”

If that wasn’t challenging enough, another potential customer approached them six years ago to protect a compound that did not have the luxury of electricity – a tall order for an industry that relies on power.

Andrew says: “We managed to create a system where a mobile phone could trigger a generator which turned on battery powered, wireless sensors to set off the alarm and alert the guy.

“We can always find a solution.”

Another challenge saw Safeguard find a way to protect entire compounds of new cars shipped in to the North-east by Nissan before they established manufacturing operations in Washington.

In the days before press-button alarm fobs which would identify individual cars, the keys had to be left in the car with the doors unlocked which made them an attractive target for criminals.

The intruder alarm market is now largely saturated although the company still maintains and upgrades systems for its 5,000-strong customer base. Safeguard is called upon more now to install and maintain access control, CCTV and fire alarms.

The company has achieved the rigorous standards necessary to become an accredited member of the National Security Inspectorate which authorises it for installations to meet the requirements of the insurance industry. The business also works closely with the local authorities and police.

Safeguard has never advertised, other than a Yellow Pages listing, and has picked up all its business from word-of-mouth referral.

Looking to the future, a marketing push is on the cards as the company looks to maintain its growth in an ever-more competitive marketplace.