NorthEdge Capital backs Orbis Protect’s bolt-on acquisition of Optosafe

Private equity-backed property, site and people protection specialist Orbis Protect has made its first acquisition following a strong period of growth despite the UK-wide lockdown. The business has bought Glasgow-based Optosafe, the 360-degree CCTV tower provider with which it has partnered for the last three years.

Orbis Protect employs more than 400 staff across 19 UK depots, working with clients across the private and public sectors. Its services include vacant property management and securing such properties so that they are ready for re-occupation, as well as site security for commercial offices, construction and other vulnerable sites. The business also offers a lone worker monitoring solution, supporting 35,000 workers annually with personalised alarm services.

The deal follows NorthEdge’s initial backing in 2018 and two years of strong organic growth for Orbis Protect, which has achieved consistent year-on-year organic EBITDA growth in excess of 20% since 2016. Earlier this year, the business ranked eighth in the Sunday Times’ Profit Track and, following this acquisition, is expecting to achieve in excess of £8 million EBITDA in the next financial year.

During lockdown, Orbis Protect has seen rapid grown of its decontamination services. In March, it had six team members trained to deliver specialist cleaning services, which include fogging technology to remove traces of COVID-19, with a further 60 being trained throughout lockdown to meet customer demand.

Supporting the client base

Guy Other, CEO at Orbis Protect, said: “During lockdown we have been able to adapt quickly to support our clients. This approach to spotting new opportunities for our business has been key to us continuing to report strong organic growth. NorthEdge has been supportive of our ambitions since backing the business, and its backing in terms of our first acquisition has been invaluable.”

Other added: “Over the last few years we have managed to develop a strong partnership with Optosafe on a range of client projects. The specialist insight which the team can provide makes this deal a key part of our ongoing strategy and will help us to further accelerate our growth.”

Optosafe CTO John Robertson has now joined Orbis as managing director of the Optosafe division and will continue to focus on delivering customer solutions, while at the same time driving new product development opportunities.

Robertson told Security Matters: “We know our markets well and are aware of the high demand for Optosafe’s services. It makes monitoring and security for areas like construction, infrastructure and the utilities much safer and more reliable than traditional security systems, which is key for clients who own and operate such assets. Working with Orbis Protect will allow us to accelerate our ongoing R&D work in order to develop new services for our customers.”

Details of the deal

The acquisition was funded in part thanks to financing provided by Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank. Orbis was supported on the acquisition by Deloitte (corporate finance), Browne Jacobson (legal), BDO (financial due diligence), Fairgrove Partners (commercial due diligence) and Better Basics (operational due diligence).

Kevin O’Loughlin, investment director at NorthEdge Capital, explained: “Orbis Protect has performed exceptionally well in the harshest of trading environments presented by COVID-19. The acquisition of Optosafe provides Orbis Protect with additional penetration into the high-growth CCTV towers market and underpins the exciting growth strategy which management has in place for the business.”

Ian Mansell, senior director at Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank, added: “We are delighted to have worked with the team at Orbis Protect and alongside NorthEdge Capital to deliver what is a highly strategic acquisition. To have completed this deal against such a challenging backdrop is testament to the resilient and highly sustainable performance seen across the core business, which should be further enhanced through this acquisition. We look forward to continuing to support Orbis Protect on delivering its ambitious plans for future growth.”

NSI to showcase Associate Consultancy Programme at CONSEC 2019

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) has announced that it will be exhibiting for the first time at CONSEC, the Association of Security Consultants’ Annual Conference, which takes place on Thursday 3 October at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow. The NSI team on site will be showcasing the Inspectorate’s Associate Consultancy Programme (ACP) – an independent referral listing.

The NSI’s Associate Consultancy Programme enables consultants to use the NSI ACP logo once successfully completing their application for membership of the programme, and signals the professionalism of the business to organisations seeking consultancy.

The NSI conducts due diligence on each consultancy prior to acceptance for the programme, and thereafter on an annual basis.

“For any business in the sector considering an external consultancy service, the Associate Consultancy Programme is a good starting point with participating consultancies covering a wide range of security and fire safety-related services,” explained Richard Jenkins, CEO at the NSI.

*For more information on the NSI’s Associate Consultancy Programme access: https://www.nsi.org.uk/information-centre/information-for-consultancies/

**Companies wishing to source NSI Associate Consultancies can find out more at: www.nsi.org.uk/information-centre/nsi-associate-consultancies/

Two-thirds of UK companies fail to check employee references ahead of start dates

According to new research conducted by HireRight – the leading global due diligence organisation – most UK companies are failing to check references before new employees start in their roles and are struggling to respond to other companies’ reference requests.

The Point of Reference research suggests that two-thirds (66%) of new employees begin work before their reference checks are complete. Two-in-five (39%) of Human Resources (HR) function leaders believe this is normal practice within their industry.

However, such checks are absolutely vital. The HireRight study reveals that more than half (58%) of successful applications contain errors*. In tandem, one third (36%) of HR leaders admit they need a clearer way of identifying job candidates with malicious intent.

Steve Girdler, managing director (EMEA) at HireRight, explained: “References reveal important details about an individual’s history and help employers ensure they can trust the people they allow to work with their customers, clients and colleagues. By failing to carry out due diligence before people start work, companies risk hiring individuals unable to fulfil the duties of their respective roles, who may commit fraud or theft or even damage customer relationships.”

Steve Girdler: managing director (EMEA) at HireRight

Girdler added: “A great deal of damage can be done between the moment an employee starts at a new company and when referencing requests are completed.”

‘Administrative burden’ on HR Departments

HireRight’s Point of Reference research results are based on the perspectives of senior HR leaders in some of the UK’s biggest companies. The results also highlight that reference checking is an administrative burden on many HR Departments at a time when they’re already struggling to find enough hours in the day for important strategic work.

One third (31%) of HR Departments are ‘bogged down’ with responding to queries about references. In a quarter (27%) of cases, employees have complained to their managers about the amount of time they spend working on such requests.

Many HR Departments simply don’t have the spare capacity when one third (34%) of their time is spent on administrative tasks. HR leaders themselves estimate they spend an average of two hours and 12 minutes every day on what might be described as ‘low value’ work.

This latest Point of Reference research is based on detailed interviews with 140 senior HR leaders in both regulated and non-regulated UK companies boasting more than 5,000 employees.

*The inaccuracies figure quoted is based on the analysis of data from candidate due diligence programmes, with this quarter’s findings focused on 121,000 checks of almost 34,000 applications between July and September 2014

Corps Security introduces CorpsConsult expert consultancy service

Corps Security has announced the introduction of a new business division that provides a diverse range of consulting, investigative and training services specifically designed to help customers improve risk and threat management.

CorpsConsult uses the extensive in-house expertise that Corps Security possesses. CorpsConsult is headed up by Mike Bluestone, Corps Security’s director of security consulting.

“Our experts all have recognised academic and professional security qualifications and come from a diverse range of corporate backgrounds,” asserted Bluestone. “In addition, several leading members of the team have served with distinction in the police and the military. This wide-ranging experience combines to ensure that CorpsConsult has unrivalled levels of knowledge and expertise that can be used to advise companies on the security of their people, property and assets through both human and technological means.”

Mike Bluestone, who heads up CorpsConsult, discussing strategies with a client

A key element in having the right security solutions in place is an awareness of risks and threats. CorpsConsult’s consulting services provide both strategic and logistical answers to an organisation’s security requirements. These services include strategic security reviews, the development of corporate security policy and strategy documents, risk and threat assessments, security surveys and audits.

CorpsConsult prides itself on providing clear reports with easy-to-follow guidance and recommendations.

Selection of training courses

CorpsConsult’s investigative services are used by organisations looking to carry out due diligence in areas such as mergers and acquisitions and the examination of corporate fraud and financial impropriety.

Areas of potential risk can be identified through discreet checks on the backgrounds and reputations of companies and individuals. Other services include scene of crime work, personnel screening and vetting and corporate surveillance.

To complement its other activities, CorpsConsult also offers a selection of training courses delivered by its specialist experts. These courses can be designed to meet a client’s specific needs. Here, the subjects include security management, security auditing, fraud prevention, strategic security and security awareness training.

Speaking about the introduction of CorpsConsult, Corps Security’s CEO Peter Webster explained: “The importance of a clearly defined and implemented security strategy cannot be overstated. Organisations in all business sectors now realise that expert guidance is an invaluable part of this process.”

Webster continued: “Although we have offered consultancy services for many years, the formation of CorpsConsult galvanises our extensive knowledge into one complete offering. I believe it’s a valuable addition to our existing specialist security services, and we will continue to develop it to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers.’

For further information contact Corps Security on Tel) 0800 0286 303 or via e-mail: info@corpssecurity.co.uk