On October 1, 2010 Securitas AB announced the acquisition, through Securitas Security Services (Thailand), of the Pattaya based ESC & SSA Guarding Company Limited. This is a very significant foreign investment into the security and safety industry in the Kingdom and proves that the values and expertise inherent in Thai business are attractive to international companies.
Steve Graham, who has built the ESC Group into a leading multi-functional business, will stay on as the Managing Director of ESC & SSA Guarding under Securitas.
Since being founded in 1935, Securitas AB has experienced very rapid growth throughout the world. The company is now the largest security manpower company in the world with some 270,000 security staff employed in nearly 50 countries. Securitas is the clear market leader in the US and Europe and is a publicly listed company on the Stockholm stock exchange with annual turnover of some 9 billion USD.
In 2008, Securitas determined that in order to better serve its global clients (such as Honeywell, Verizon, GM, HP, Microsoft and many others) the company needed a strong presence in Asia. This focus has led to rapid expansion and Securitas Asia now has some 5,000 guards and businesses in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, with plans to open in other Asian countries within the next 12 months. Here in Thailand, Securitas Thailand, based in Bangkok, commenced operations in May 2009 and has quickly grown to a strength of over 400 guards.
“The attractions of ESC & SSA Guarding Company for Securitas were many,” said David Viccars, the managing director of Securitas Thailand.
“The attractions of ESC & SSA Guarding Company for Securitas were many,” said David Viccars, the managing director of Securitas Thailand. “To start with, the company has a strong regional presence throughout the Kingdom with operations in Samui, Hua Hin, Maptaput, Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the head office in Pattaya. In addition, the reputation of ESC is very strong and the client base, especially in the hospitality sector, impressive. When looking at the company in more detail we saw a very capable leadership team and a company that shared many of the same values and beliefs as we do. All in all it looks a good fit.”
Viccars went on to say, “I am delighted that all the leadership, indeed all the people working with ESC & SSA Guarding Company are staying with business under the Securitas ownership as well as, as far as we can tell, all the clients. This in itself speaks volumes for the good name of both ESC & SSA Guarding and Securitas.”
When asked about the plans for the future of ESC & SSA Guarding within Securitas, Viccars had this to say: “We have no plans at all to make any changes to any of the management or staffing of ESC & SSA Guarding. Security manpower is a people business and we recognize that the people who have built ESC are key to its continued success. What we will do, however, is to introduce our training and skills based philosophy as well as look to standardize the terms and conditions of all employees so that staff, and in turn clients, benefit from having the strength of a major international security company behind them. We will also introduce the Securitas brand into ESC & SSA Guarding but only in a controlled fashion. The key is stability and continuity in all things.”
Steve Graham, who has built the ESC Group into a leading multi-functional business, will stay on as the Managing Director of ESC & SSA Guarding under Securitas. Graham commented that, “It is great that an international company like Securitas has recognized the skills and expertise within our company and I am delighted that the team we have built since our foundation in 2001 will all be staying together with Securitas. I can see nothing but positives in this. Being a part of Securitas will allow our staff to develop and our clients to benefit from the international expertise of such a world renowned brand as Securitas. It will also allow us to expand and grow ESC security equipment (alarms, CCTV, fire) and consultancy alongside Securitas.” ESC is still owned and operated by Steve; only the guarding side of the business was acquired by Securitas.
Securitas is now the largest security manpower company in the world with some 270,000 security staff employed in nearly 50 countries.
