20 Years in the Making

This year marks 20 years of SGC Security Services.

 

When I look back over two decades in business, it’s difficult to put into words just how much has changed – both within SGC and across the wider security industry.

 

Twenty years in business brings plenty of highs and lows. There have been major contract wins, exciting opportunities, fantastic people, strong partnerships and moments when everything seemed to come together.

 

There have also been incredibly difficult periods, contracts lost, economic downturns, cash-flow pressures, staffing challenges, changing legislation and difficult commercial and personal decisions.

 

That is the reality of business. Success isn’t a straight line.

 

And then there is another side of business that people don’t always talk about: people, loyalty and integrity.

 

Over 20 years, I’ve employed and worked alongside some outstanding individuals who have demonstrated tremendous loyalty and professionalism. Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced the opposite.

 

I’ve encountered toxic former employees and individuals whom I trusted, only to later feel that trust had been abused. I’ve experienced situations involving alleged dishonesty and manipulation, and circumstances where I believe company staff, time and resources were used for purposes that were never intended to benefit SGC.

 

I’ve also watched individuals change when they received a title or position of authority. Sometimes a job title creates a sense of entitlement, and people quickly forget the team, organisation and opportunities that helped them reach that position.

 

The same lessons apply to the labour provider market.

 

Over the years, I’ve supported labour providers in their development and growth. I’ve watched some move on, establish themselves independently and achieve fantastic success. I genuinely respect those businesses. Seeing people and organisations succeed after you’ve played some part in their development should be something to celebrate, not resent.

 

Unfortunately, I’ve also experienced the other side.

 

I’ve seen relationships with labour providers terminated because their values and business practices were no longer aligned with mine, only to subsequently watch some of those organisations continue to grow.

 

What concerns me is when, in my opinion and based on my experiences, commercial ambition becomes greed and ethical standards become secondary to revenue.

 

I’ve watched parts of the industry publicly call for higher standards, greater transparency and “time for change”, while their own operating practices have, in my view, not always reflected the principles they publicly advocate.

 

I’ve also seen organisations obtain positions within trade associations and present themselves as voices for ethical change and industry leadership while, from my own experience, questions remain about the transparency of some of their underlying business practices.

 

That contradiction is something our industry needs to be prepared to challenge.

 

Ethics isn’t a slogan. Integrity isn’t a social media post. And membership of a trade association doesn’t automatically make an organisation ethical.

 

If we’re going to demand change within the security industry, that change has to start with how we operate our own businesses, how we employ people, how we pay people, how we procure labour, how we treat suppliers, how transparent our commercial arrangements are and whether our actions match what we say publicly.

 

For me, ethical leadership starts when nobody is watching.

 

Throughout these 20 years, one thing has always remained particularly important to me: My staff, and especially the frontline security professionals who represent SGC every single day.

 

Without frontline staff, there is no security industry.

 

They are the people working nights, weekends and bank holidays. They are often the first expected to respond when something goes wrong. They deal with conflict, vulnerability, medical emergencies, safeguarding concerns, mental health situations, crowd management and potentially life-threatening incidents.

 

Yet, as an industry, I believe we still have a long way to go in establishing the correct level of pay and recognition for frontline security professionals.

 

The responsibilities and expectations placed on security staff have increased considerably, but remuneration across parts of the industry has not always kept pace.

 

We cannot continually talk about professionalising security while allowing the people actually delivering that security to remain at the bottom of the commercial equation.

 

Clients, contractors, labour providers, trade associations and the regulator all have a part to play.

 

The security industry itself is almost unrecognisable compared with 2006. Technology has transformed how operations are delivered and managed. Compliance, licensing, training, safeguarding, counter-terrorism, risk management and professional standards have all developed significantly.

 

I have also seen continued legislation and increased expectations from the regulator. Good regulation and professional standards are essential, but regulation must raise standards across the entire industry rather than simply place further obligations on organisations already committed to operating professionally.

 

If we genuinely want security to be recognised as a profession, then standards, training, regulation, career development, recognition and pay all need to move forward together.

 

Security professionals today are expected to do far more than the traditional perception of a security guard. They can be responsible for protecting hospitals, major events, critical infrastructure, businesses and thousands of members of the public.

 

That responsibility deserves professional recognition and appropriate remuneration.

 

Over the last 20 years, SGC Security Services has had to evolve too. I have made mistakes. I have learned lessons. I have adapted to changing markets (sometimes screaming and kicking), invested in people and training, embraced technology and continued developing the business.

 

I’m certainly not claiming that I have got everything right over those 20 years.

 

I haven’t.

 

But experience teaches you that admitting mistakes, learning from them and changing is far more valuable than pretending they never happened.

 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that running a company isn’t simply about turnover, contracts or profit. It’s about people, reputation, relationships, integrity and resilience.

 

I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has genuinely contributed to the SGC journey particularly the frontline men and women who have worn the SGC uniform and represented our company over the last two decades, as well as our managers, clients, suppliers and partners.

 

But on a personal level, this milestone means something much more.

 

I dedicate this chapter of my life to my daughters, Ellie and Darcie.

 

Building a business over 20 years requires sacrifices that aren’t always visible from the outside. There have been long days, late nights, weekends away, difficult decisions, disappointments and times when the business demanded more of me than I would have wanted.

 

Everything I’ve experienced – the successes, failures, betrayals, friendships, mistakes, achievements and lessons – has helped shape the person and businessman I am today.

 

Ellie and Darcie, you have been part of that journey throughout your lives. When you look back at what your dad built, I hope you see more than a security company. I hope you see the determination to keep going when things became difficult, the courage to learn from mistakes, the importance of treating people properly and the resilience to get back up when others have walked away from me.

 

Ultimately, businesses, money, titles and contracts come and go.

 

Character, family and the legacy I leave behind are what truly matter.

 

Twenty years is a significant milestone, but it isn’t the finish line.

 

There is still plenty that needs to change within our industry, and there is still plenty that we want to achieve as a business.

 

I’m proud of where SGC has come from. I’m proud of the people and businesses that genuinely contributed to our journey. I’m equally proud to have learned from those relationships that didn’t work out.

 

Twenty years has taught me that you cannot control how other people choose to operate.

 

You can only control your own standards.

 

And ours will continue to be about people, professionalism, integrity and doing the right thing – particularly for the frontline staff upon whom this entire industry depends.

 

 

People. Professionalism. Integrity. Resilience. Family. Legacy.

 

20 years – and still moving forward.