ESP
OPPORTUNITY BECKONS
Are you missing out on £2bn worth of business? Neil Baldwin, sales director at ESP, examines
the opportunities for electrical contractors in the booming electrical security sector.
W
hether you already
have a foot in the
door of the security
sector or are
considering entering,
opportunities abound
for the security minded contractor.
Economic uncertainty intensifies the
need to identify and pursue business
opportunities in growing markets and the
security systems market is one of them.
World security is also an issue. We have
never been on a higher state of alert in
the UK and because of that people are
more conscious of having security. The
police are encouraging us to use CCTV
to protect homes and businesses and
as a manufacturer we are constantly
developing our products to make them as
user friendly and reliable as possible.
With businesses and homeowners
seeing the value of investing in security
to protect their premises and properties,
and seeking the appropriate measures to
do so, the UK security market continues
to grow.
As it stands,
security remains
a sector that is
largely untapped
by the electrical
contracting market.
Driving the market
According to a report published by
AMA Research, the total UK electronic
security market, comprising electronic
access control, intruder alarms, CCTV
and associated services, was estimated
to have been worth approximately £2bn
in 2015, at installed prices. CCTV sales
were estimated to account for a 50 per
cent share by value, followed by intruder
alarms with 30 per cent and access
control with 20 per cent. Technological
developments and cloud based solutions
have continued to drive the market.
Opportunities for electrical
contractors within the security products
sector are primarily in the domestic
market and small commercial premises,
where the requirements for specialist
knowledge and ongoing service contracts
are less important.
The majority of electronic security
installations in the domestic sector
are intruder alarms, along with
access control systems, which are
predominantly installed in apartments.
Home automation is a growing
application area and is currently
experiencing double digit growth.
This market provides significant
opportunities for electrical contractors
to offer an integrated package, eg.
security products, lighting, climate
control, home entertainment, that can
be centrally controlled.
Untapped sector
Sources covering the sector, such
as IFSEC, Keynote and BASEC, are
forecasting double-digit growth for the
product ranges that ESP covers.
Yet, as it stands, security remains a
sector that is largely untapped by the
electrical contracting market. Security
is still considered to be a specialist area
and as such comes under the remit of the
professional security installer.
16 | June 2017
Security & Fire Safety
There is no reason for the electrical
contractor to shy away from these
products and this sector. At ESP, we
are putting a lot of time and investment
behind getting the message out there. The
electricians already have the necessary
skills and, with the right products and
some training, they can take advantage of
the potential this sector offers.
For those electrical contractors
who would like to add fire and security
equipment to their product portfolio, but
who feel that they do not have the core
knowledge and confidence to do this, any
opportunities for training and education
are vital. ESP currently offers a number of
free in-house training programmes which
are aimed at contractors and wholesalers
and designed to cover product awareness
- with a general overview of the different
products available; CCTV, access control
and external area protection – as well
as a more in-depth course covering
addressable fire training, where
demonstration equipment is provided to
allow the attendees to learn the skills of
building and commissioning a fire system.
Where manufacturers are investing
in the provision of training and support
programmes, they are helping educate
contractors and giving them the product
knowledge, skills and confidence to take
on security installation projects and
ultimately increasing their share of this
growing sector.
For further information visit:
www.espuk.com