Following the significant acquisition by Comelit Group UK of PAC GDX, IFSEC Global editor James Moore caught up with Managing Director Francesca Boeris, to find out more about what this means for the company, group and industry as a whole.
Francesca Boeris, UK Managing Director of Comelit-PAC
Francesca Boeris (FB): Comelit Group is a company characterised by constant growth. We have seen both Comelit UK & Comelit Group’s turnover significantly increase in the last six years. We have over 750 employees, 11 branches and we export to more than 90 countries.
In research and development, we have five dedicated centres across the globe and commit approximately 8% of our turnover, a symptom of a constant desire to innovate.
From a humble beginning of being known for door entry, we have evolved our product portfolio to encompass CCTV, intruder alarm, home automation and fire detection.
Here is where PAC and GDX fits into our story. Standing as two historic brands in the UK, where during the last 40+ years, the company has earned a reputation as the market leader in the development and manufacture of cutting-edge, end-to-end access control solutions and door entry systems.
Today, PAC GDX offers a complete range of access control solutions including readers, controllers, ID devices and management solutions that can be integrated with video surveillance, time and attendance, intruder, and staff protection systems. PAC GDX also offers a complete range of door entry systems, designed for the social housing market.
PAC GDX has great growth potential, combining with Comelit Group UK to allow us to present our own IP access control and complete our high-end security offering.
But more than this, it positions newly-formed Comelit-PAC as a manufacturing facility, whereby we can offer support to our customers right from initial design and specification through to project completion, with all the products required and services needed to ensure a smooth delivery to end users.
“Anyone who turns to Comelit-PAC can now speak to a product specialist and create their own standalone or integrated system in security and fire safety, with confidence in our already established focus on reliability, scalability, futureproof technology and design.”
We have put our investment in to ensure Comelit PAC can continue to leverage our capabilities and deliver the best security technologies across sector specialisms.
Ultimately, together we are stronger and able to serve our customers better.
FB: Moving forward, we want to be able to provide our installers and system integrators with a complete solution for everything related to the low voltage package.
From video door entry systems to CCTV to fire detection systems, from anti-intrusion to home automation, anyone who turns to Comelit can speak to a single specialist and create their own system. Moreover, everything can be integrated together.
This product proposition is backed by technical and sales specialists that can support our customers from initial design and specification to project completion. With our Luton offices, together with a new competence centre in Manchester, the home of PAC and GDX, we have the capability to offer on-site training, marketing, sales and customer support to allow our customers to leverage the product portfolio as much as possible.
FB: The significance of the acquisition can be seen in how Comelit itself is rebranding to Comelit PAC. We are convinced the PAC brand has great commercial value and we can make the most of it by placing it in synergy with the Comelit brand.
From an operational perspective, not only will there be investment in Manchester, but also in our recently opened Luton facility.
We have already expanded the warehouse to enable us to hold much larger quantities of PAC and GDX stock and ultimately by increasing our inventory, it will enable us to deliver goods quickly and efficiently.
We look forward to the opportunity to welcome our customers to see for themselves our new facilities and the great impact of the Comelit PAC proposition to enable us, ‘in business together’, to deliver the highest level of smart security and fire safety systems, all from one brand.
FB: This is an exciting time. Comelit-PAC presents an all-encompassing solution. As Justin Hawkesford, Comelit-PAC’s new Operations Director says: “Anyone who turns to Comelit-PAC can now speak to a product specialist and create their own standalone or integrated system in security and fire safety, with confidence in our already established focus on reliability, scalability, futureproof technology and design.”
We are looking forward to the opportunities for our customers, new and existing, and market as a whole with our new proposition, comprising innovative products, an impressive market presence and a very experienced team.
Together, installers and engineers with our current partners in the market will profit from further investment, an enhanced service offering and increased support in delivering innovative new products.
Ultimately, they will benefit from a brand that is ‘with you always.’
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