CFS EXPANDS IN SOUTH WITH ACQUISITION

Contract Fire and Security (CFS), the national provider of fire, safety and security has increased its national presence with its fourth acquisition within two years.

This latest move involves acquiring Chris Lewis Fire and Security, Southern Branch and its offices in Southampton.  The operation, which has a turnover of £3 million, 25 staff will increase CFS’ presence in the South of England.

CFS now has bases in East Kilbride, Scotland, London, Bagshot, Southampton and its main head office in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Joint Managing Directors Steven and Gary Quirke, who established the company in 1985 have taken CFS from a £12 million turnover in 2008 to a £25 million turnover expected this year.  The growth is part of a strategy to develop the business across the UK and increase the intensity of contracts for its growing team of nearly 200 engineers.

As Steven Quirke explains, “Our focus is to provide customers with the total solution for safety and security and our engineers are specially trained to cover off all aspects within each customer visit to reduce disruption.  By increasing the number of contracts across the whole of the UK, our engineers are travelling less and able to spend more time servicing customers.  The acquisition of Chris Lewis Fire and Safety, Southern Branch will include 1,500 regional contracts in the South of England, such as National Oceanographic Centre, University of Southampton, Ordnance Survey Centre and Hampshire County Council.”

CFS now looks after 44,000 sites in the UK, 250 sites in Europe and has 300 employees located in the four offices within 200 engineers focused on areas.

Joint Managing Director Gary Quirke believes the recent gain complements the CFS plan.  “Chris Lewis Fire and Security is an independent business like our own.  The merger with CFS will be seamless as we are able to quickly take on the existing contracts and bolster these through our operating processes.  Throughout our twenty five years we have worked hard to be at the leading edge of the sector and our investment in developing the business around the requirements of customers is the basis of our success.”

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