In the right place: Safeguard director Tony Grimes
It started with a key-holder's job at £50 a week. It's turned into a brilliantly successful business which provides security, cleaning and maintenance for some of the biggest names in the land. In just five years Speke-based Safeguard Property Services has become an indispensable ally of schools, construction firms, housing developers and many more.
"It started almost by accident," says director Tony Grimes. "But we kept on accepting one challenge after another and we love what we do. The family are all involved, we have 40 employees on the payroll, and we expect that to double within the next 12 months."
It's an encouraging picture which is repaying the energy invested by Tony and his wife Caroline since taking the big gamble in 2000. "Before 2000 I'd worked for my dad's company Safe and Secure. Then I started working for myself from home. One day I bumped into one of the bosses from South Liverpool Housing. He was looking for a key-holder for one of their offices and I said I'd do it.
"One thing led to another and not long afterwards we sold the house to finance our own business. It was me, Caroline and a van."
Today the company's clients include Balfour Beatty, Bellway Homes, Lovell Construction, Bramall Construction, Amey and Securitas. Long term contracts have been secured with Wirral Partnership Homes and Parklands School. "I was a pupil at Parklands on its former site as Speke Comprehensive," says Tony. "Now I'm looking after the place!"
It hasn't all been plain sailing. Safeguard have had to stand strong in the face of keen competition for cleaning contracts. "There's been a lot of under-cutting in cleaning. We charge a lot more than the average cleaning contractor - but we keep getting the work and all our clients are happy." Security has been a difficult area too, but Tony is pleased that strict new licensing regulations are raising standards all round.
"This is where I expect to see a lot of expansion," he says. "The new regulations are driving out cowboy security firms. We have gone through all the checks and we're in the right place to seize new opportunities."
Tony's aim is to provide the whole care package for buildings: cleaning, maintenance, security and environmental upkeep. His verdict: "We're proud of what we've done so far and we think we can still do a lot more."
Contact details: Safeguard Property Services
STC House
Speke Hall Road
Liverpool L24 9HD
tel: 0151 486 6665
Email: Click
