The Locksmith Journal Mar-Apr 2014 - Issue 31 | Page 8

INDUSTRYNEWS SPONSORED BY UNION Good Samaritans’ New Year security deed Winter is a busy time of the year for the Samaritans - so one Blackburn company decided to help the charity out with a New Year’s good deed. The Samaritans of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley contacted Blackburn Alarms about updating the security system at their New Park Street branch. Much to their surprise, the security specialists - based at the B1 Business Centre on Davyfield Road - offered to carry out the work free of charge as a ‘random act of kindness’ . Daniel Halenko, MD of Blackburn Alarms, said: “We’d been planning to start 2014 with a random act of kindness and had been coming up with various ideas before the Samaritans got in touch. “As soon as their enquiry came through we felt it was the perfect way to give something back to the community and start the New Year on a high. “Charities like the Samaritans do such an important job and their work is especially poignant over winter with Christmas and the New Year - we are delighted to have done our small bit to benefit a great cause on our very own doorstep.” Chris Ashcroft, Director of the Samaritans Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley said: Daniel Halenko from Blackburn Alarms with Chris Ashcroft from the Samaritans. “I would personally like to thank Blackburn Alarms on behalf of the branch for its very generous gesture of making our branch a much safer place to visit for those who need it. “We are here to listen 24/7, 365 days a year for those individuals who feel they are in the need of emotional support, please call 01254 662424 or 0845 790 9090 (local rates apply) or email [email protected]” . For further information or to make a donation visit www.samaritans.org, www.blackburnalarms.com PICKERSGILL-KAYE: LOCKING IN OVERSEAS SALES Leeds lock manufacture PickersgillKaye Ltd has posted sales of over £2.25million for the year ending November 2013, of which 33% (£751,912) was export business – the biggest proportion of total sales the company has ever achieved. Part of the Joseph Kaye Holdings Group, Pickersgill-Kaye, which designs and produces locks and safety products for the rail, security and custodial and industries, last year won contracts with a number of well-known blue chip names. The specialist engineering firm has developed a growing reputation for well-designed and quality engineered rail and high security products. It is this manufacturing commitment, backed up by excellent levels of service, which has helped it fill its overseas order book against often tough competition. Demand for its rail products continues at a pace. In North America, the company supplied Axion Technologies with further passenger alarms for fitting to 8 MAR/APR 2014 Toronto Transit ‘Rocket’ subway cars and locomotive cab door locks to several train companies in the USA. In Europe, the business manufactured toilet door switch units for EVAC in Germany, emergency hammer boxes for a new build tram project in Belgium, cab door locks for Irish Rail’s 18-strong fleet of 071 class locomotives, emergency break access panels for trains in Austria, budget locks and break panels for Siemens’ Desiro trains and an ongoing supply of loco door locks for the Bombardier Traxx locos. On the other side of the globe, Pickersgill-Kaye has received an initial order from Jardine Engineering for cell door locks and strikers for the first railway satellite police station on a new rail link between Hong Kong and China as well as EED (emergency egress device) and EAD (emergency access device) units for Hitachi Japan, destined for trains being built for the UK. International demand for PickersgillKaye’s range of high security and custodial locks for prisons and police stations continues to increase with ongoing sales of its cell door locks, strikers and hatches to Ireland, multi-point lock to a Libyan company and Kaye-Rota padlock for France. Pickersgill-Kaye’s sales director Harry Griffiths said: “Overseas sales are a growing proportion of our business. During the 12 months the company has maintained exports to the three continents of Asia, America and Europe.” All Pickersgill-Kaye products are designed on state-of-the-art CAD software and are subjected to extensive and challenging testing on key operation, lock construction and overall durability and resistance to attack, in order to satisfy the operational requirements of national and international market sectors. The company is confident of strengthening its presence at home and breaking into even more markets overseas in 2014. To read more, visit www.locksmithjournal.co.uk