Amberstone Security “to become UK’s largest privately owned security company”

Amberstone Security offered a new risk-based model for deploying security and guarding solutions, using proprietary Artificial Intelligence-based systems. The overriding objective was to make sure the right people were in the right place at the right time and with the right equipment.

This risk-based approach, using historical data as well as myriad live data points, offered retailer customers numerous advantages. Not least among them was the opportunity to avoid wasting resources to reduce costs and eliminating inefficiencies. This has led to costs being driven down, while standards were simultaneously driven up.

The security guarding industry has often been accused of being slow to adapt. Amberstone’s risk-based model for the deployment of personnel and resources was perhaps a surprising development in the industry. Unsurprisingly, it proved to be a big hit with retailers, many of whom were being tasked to do more with less. As a result, Amberstone’s sales accelerated rapidly from £14 million in 2019 to over £77 million in 2021.

The business is currently on track to exceed £100 million per annum of profitable sales.

Now, the company has set a goal to hit £300 million of profitable turnover by 2025. To achieve this, there’s going to be reorganisation and a better focus on the needs of individual customers.

Changing operations

The reorganisation sees Amberstone changing its operations for retail from just horizontal integration to vertical segmentation as well. Within retail, the vertical categories are grocery, non-grocery, distribution and manufacturing, fashion and hospitality.

Each vertical has its own senior director to whom the account lead reports. Each lead is themselves a director or manager of the business. They are each supported by a team of colleagues.

“We want to be respectful of the different facets of each client’s business and ensure that they see a greater level of service than they receive at present,” commented Dan Hardy, managing director of Amberstone.

In addition, Amberstone has created a new Support Services Division that will work across vertical business segments. This offers tailored support in areas such as IT and HR that again respects the differences between, for instance, a distribution business and a non-grocery retail business.

As new business verticals are established and expanded, there will be an even greater scope for clients to flex their manpower requirements up or down as part of a risk-based security model. The size of the business will then offer greater flexibility on even a geographic location. For example, keeping particular staff with local knowledge in their local area yields obvious operational benefits.

Strategy statement

The overall strategy of the new approach is summed up in the company’s strategy statement for 2022-2025. That statement reads as follows:

“To facilitate the right person, in the right place at the right time internally and externally, by using data to drive a risk-based approach to all business decisions and investments. Excellent customer service must be our Number One priority, supporting client problem statements by taking a company values-based approach every time.”

*For more information visit the Amberstone Security website www.amberstone.co.uk