New Year, New Direction
Following the retirement of Alan Lingwood Snr in December 2018, Alan Lingwood Jnr has now assumed sole responsibility for the direction of Lingwood Security Management Ltd, with big plans for the future of the business.
Alan Lingwood Snr established Lingwood Security Management in 1995 to provide a professional, reliable, bespoke security service to the private and corporate sector. Through expansion and growth, Lingwood Security is now one of the UK’s foremost providers of professional security services and employs a large number of people across the country.
Having recently celebrated his 60th birthday, and with a keen eye for travel and adventure, Alan Snr felt it was the right time to take a step back and leave the running of the company to Alan Jnr. Alan Jnr has been involved in the business since 2000, and has gained a wealth of experience alongside his father. He has been a vital part of the growth and success of the business, particularly in tendering for large contracts and developing relationships with corporate clients in the core sectors of construction, rail and health care. He has also gained various qualifications in the security sector as part of his professional development, including the Level 5 BTEC in Security Management, and is a member of The Security Institute (MSyl).
Speaking about the transition, Alan Lingwood Snr said: “Alan Junior has really got stuck in from day one and has gone from strength to strength as a professional businessman. It is with immense pride that I can take a step back and watch him take the business to greater and better things. I look forward to seeing where he will take this business in the future.”
A transition of this nature takes time to plan and orchestrate, and several months’ work has gone into this prior to the announcement, during which Alan Jnr has steadily been implementing his plans and taking direct control of various aspects of the business.
A number of key changes have already been made with regard to communication between head office staff, ensuring that all key information is handled in the fastest possible way. This helps further improve response times to critical client situations, such as providing cover at short notice across the whole of the UK from our 24-hour manned control room. A new contracts manager has also been appointed, with a remit that includes managing the growing NHS contracts, and a satellite office was opened in 2018 at Watford to provide a more efficient service to clients in the South of the UK.
Following a number of successful tenders late last year, securing work with Network Rail and The Canal Trust, among others, Alan Jnr is keen to win more big clients during 2019, as well as maintain a strong service to the existing body of clients, as well as introducing new site services (such as portakabins and generators) to assist clients with the running of their projects.
Looking ahead, Alan has a number of other exciting plans in the pipeline for the business, and continues to drive standards and the pursuit of success, underpinned by the high levels of customer satisfaction which bring repeat business from our core clients. He also recently attended the Barclays Scale Up programme with Cambridge Judge Business School which provided inspiration for the future marketing strategy of the business, among other things.
Speaking following the public announcement of the change, Alan said: “I’d like to thank my dad, Alan Lingwood Snr, for leaving a legacy for the family and all of the people who earn their living through Lingwood Security Management. He’s not the type to take a rest from anything as everyone knows, so will still be involved in the business moving forwards, and is always there if I need any advice or a helping hand.
“I’m excited to be taking the business forward with a strong team behind me, many of whom have been involved in the business for a number of years, including Thomas (Doc), Ian, Jo, Heather and Summer, to name but a few. Our family business goes from strength to strength each year, and this is something I intend to continue to build upon.”
“I’ve told my dad to go and enjoy himself now, and to live life to the full, not that he needs any encouragement! He has worked incredibly hard to get where he is today from nothing, and I hope to do him and all the staff proud, and take this business to another level under my direction.”
