“If there is no passion, there is no point!”
MAN Commercial have featured on a podcast for the first time, thank you to Amy Stephenson of The Human CEO for inviting our CEO Iain McCallister to take part!
This episode features Iain talking all things MAN, and sharing his thoughts on building a successful business – trust, honesty, passion and integrity are essential!
A really enjoyable listen, click the link below to access:
On 23rd April 2022, a 225-strong MAN team controlled proceedings at the long-awaited and much-hyped Fury v Whyte clash at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium. This was a personal achievement for us as we recorded our biggest ringside deployment ever!
Billed as a fight of a generation, this was the largest outdoor sporting event Europe has ever seen, with 94,000 spectators!
Such an occasion called for the very best leadership from the top, with our CEO Iain McCallister using his vast experience to take charge on the night! With assured assistance from Control Room Manager Scott Broadway and fellow trusted Events Supervisors, Iain led the team on what was a busy but enjoyable and adrenaline-fuelled occasion. “Some of us from MAN were there from 10am in the morning for safety briefings and final checks,” said Iain, “With the crowd all through the doors by 3pm it was then our job to protect the dressing rooms, the boxer’s walks to the ring and the ring itself.”
MAN Commercial enjoy a long-standing partnership with promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions as preferred ringside security supplier at their shows. Our involvement with this occasion actually started earlier in the week, when our specialist teams were in place to accompany and protect Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte at the televised pre-fight public workouts, press conference, and weigh-ins in the days building up to fight night.
Live on BT Sport Box Office, this unmissable sporting event attracted millions of viewers around the world, all of whom would have been able to spot our team looking smart in their red uniforms, keeping a watchful eye on proceedings.
An exceptional job was done by all, and we are proud to have received a large amount of excellent feedback from both our client and spectators, on their professionalism and expertise.
On 21st April 2022, the regional winners of the Security Personnel Awards at the British Security Awards were announced. After a record number of entries, over 50 officers and teams from across the UK were recognised for their commitment to keeping people, places and property safe over the last year.
We are delighted that two of our exceptional Security Teams have been named as regional winners in the ‘Best Team’ category for their respective areas!
Cambridge Leisure, Cambridge
The Brewery, Romford
The Security team of 8 at Cambridge Leisure are nothing short of exceptional, and are frequently praised by our client, tenants, members of the public and the emergency services. The team were put forward for recognition by MAN Commercial Protection after an outstanding 12 months. They are confident first-aiders, and are able to assist in a wide-range of challenging and dangerous situations that occur on site. These have included handling suicide attempts, medical emergencies, anti-social behaviour, fires, accidents and more.
Cambridge Leisure is busy complex, and welcomes high numbers of visitors daily. The location and amenities can attract anti-social behaviour, vandalism and thefts. It also means lots of maintenance issues, tenant concerns, and being the first responders to issues such as power cuts or flooding. The team are responsible for attending all incidents promptly, professionally and correctly, and safeguarding the public while ensuring minimum disruption to the centre and tenant operations. The team are often praised for enthusiastically doing more than is needed, with our client Stewart Belcher– General Manager of the site – saying,
“The team are always happy to go the extra mile with support to myself, cleaning team, occupiers and client even with tasks that would not normally be part of their day-to-day duties.”
Our Cambridge Leisure team are excellent role models to others in our company; they never hesitate to do exactly what is required of them, get involved where needed, and always maintain professional standards and communication.
The Brewery Shopping Centre in Romford have a Security Team of 14, and regularly receive more positive feedback, praise and thanks than anywhere else. Over the past year, the the team have received recognition for their handling of exceptional and out-of-the-ordinary events, such as being first response to a tragic suicide on site, dealing with anti-social behaviour and assaults, preventing thefts, and intervening to save a life following a suicide attempt in the multi-story car park.
This team stand out from their peers not just for the volume of challenging incidents they deal with, but the way in which they tackle and resolve them, and their general approach and attitude to their roles. These officers consistently act in the interest of public safety and welfare and to protect our client’s interests.
When MAN Commercial Director Gerhard Van Deventer was asked to sum up his team’s star quality his answer says it all, “All I can say is this – if I owned a shopping centre then this is the team that I would like to have onboard to protect and manage my security and health and safety, as well as ensuring a safe and friendly shopping environment for my shoppers and the public.”
Regional winners will go head-to-head to be named national champions at the British Security Awards 2022, which will be held on 29th June at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square. Good luck teams!
The heart of our business is our people, and we are delighted to announce that we have launched a new employee recognition scheme here at MAN Commercial Protection.
Having run our popular Employee of the Month scheme for over 10 years, we fully recognise the value in celebrating the achievements of our Officers and awarding fantastic work.
There are some examples of excellent performance however that are truly superb, and after receiving more and more reports of our teams doing amazing things, the Outstanding Act Award was born!
We have created a custom-made gold plated badge that is personalised with the Officers’ name; this Outstanding Act badge is to be worn with pride and signifies someone who has shown their skills in an unusual and difficult situation, often with life-saving results.
Spring has sprung at MAN Commercial, and after some prestigious contract wins, we are powering our way through some exciting new site mobilisations this month.
April will see the start of new contracts worth £2,000,000 a year.
We will begin a new contract with an existing Managing Agent client, looking after various nationwide retail and entertainment parks, including locations in Leeds and Kent. With over 25 new team members due to join us via TUPE, representatives from our HR team will be out and about this month to welcome everyone aboard! Our Operational team will also be busy, setting up everything on site from equipment and uniform to Assignment Instruction and Health and Safety policies.
We are also partnering up with a new client, and will be providing fully licensed concierge, reception and security personnel for prestigious locations nationwide, including office blocks, retail and residential spaces. Again, there will be opportunity for many more Officers to join us on TUPE transfer, and we look forward to adding to our ever-growing workforce.
Also with a 1st of April start is a new location for an existing client in the Automotive sector; we will take over security provisions at a site in Derbyshire.
We also have newly-confirmed contracts starting up in May, including a multi-site mobilisation for a new customer in the Northamptonshire area.
The Events scene is gearing up for an extremely busy year; we have teams out working this month at Cheltenham festival, boxing shows and weekly at Coventry City FC.
Additionally, preparations are already underway to supply teams the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in June, as well as various sporting and music events, including high-profile televised boxing shows.
It’s our birthday!
9th March marks 29 years of MAN Commercial Protection, and we have been celebrating today at HQ! To honour the occasion, we gathered our office team together to enjoy some delicious branded cupcakes and cookies, and have filled the office with balloons to add to the party atmosphere!
“29 years of MAN is something to be so proud of”, said Laura McCarthy, People & Communications Director, “We are delighted to be celebrating another incredibly successful year, and are very excited for all that is to come!”
2022 is off to a flying start, and we’re excited to see what the rest of the year brings!
March 8th is International Women’s Day! This important occasion has been celebrated globally for over 100 years, and is a special date here at MAN Commercial Protection; it’s a great reason to celebrate the fantastic work of the women in our team!
Security can often be seen as a male-orientated industry, and with only 10% of SIA Licence holders being female, it’s easy to see why. Here at MAN Commercial we are keen to change this perception, and actively encourage women to apply for our Security Officer positions across the country. We also have 3 female company Directors, and over 50% our Head Office team are women.
In celebration of today, we chatted to some of the amazing ladies in our team, and want to give a big shout out to all our females across the UK!
Jane has been with MAN Commercial for over 7 years. Having working in several positions for us over the years, Jane is now based in our Control Room at HQ, where she is integral to the day-to-day running of the Control Room – the most important room in the business! Control Room Administrator responsibilities include dealing with incoming enquiries and redirecting more complex issues, reporting and collating monthly figures, inputting rotas and completing Return to Work interviews.
“I have noticed a remarkable increase in women successfully applying to work in the security industry at MAN Commercial including an increasingly large female workforce within our head office,” says Jane, “I love working at MAN Commercial because no two days are ever the same, and I am supported and valued by my manager.”
Amy joined us late in 2021 and is new to the security sector, after joining MAN Commercial Protection following years of success in the hospitality industry. Amy’s role involves seeking new business opportunities for MAN Commercial; researching different business sectors, building client relationships, identifying and pursuing opportunities where we may be able to offer our excellent services.
Amy is a big supporter of International Women’s Day, “It is a time to reflect and celebrate what women have achieved all over the world. It is a day to remind ourselves to continue to support and motivate one another. We have come a long way; we should be proud and empower the girls of the future!”
Linked In is a great tool for Amy – Connect with her @AmyWillock and @MANCOMMERCIALPROTECTIONLIMITED
Charlotte, a CCTV Operator from Birmingham has been with MAN Commercial now for five years. Her role includes safeguarding vulnerable members of the public and working closely with the emergency services. “My role is varied, and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Security is a lot more complex than the stereotypical opinion,” says Charlotte, “Over the years I’ve seen the opportunities for female advancement improve so much; my manager is female and is very successful, a great role-model.”
Charlotte has loved her time with us so far, adding, “MAN Commercial is a very diverse company, and I thoroughly enjoy working here.”
This month our Team were invited by the FD & CFO Centre to attend the Entrepreneurs Club 2022, which is a buzzing networking evening held at The Oyster Club in Birmingham.
It was a fantastic night from start to finish; Steve Anderson, the West Midlands Regional Director of the FD Centre & CFO Centre, served as host for the night ensuring proceedings went smoothly. MAN Commercial CEO, Iain McCallister, was one of two guest speakers on the night, delivering a truly inspirational speech, reflecting on our journey and ending with our exciting plans for the future. Iain said, “I love to share our story; I have a great relationship with the FD & CFO Centre and it was a pleasure to speak at such a great event.”
To introduce Iain to the stage, the Customer Success Story video that the FD & CFO Centre recently created for us was played, which really captured the audience’s interest and prompted some great questions in the Q&A session!
We’re thrilled to announce our CEO Iain McCallister has been shortlisted for Company Leader of the Year at the 2022 West Midlands Leadership Awards! The awards, hosted by the Business Desk, celebrate the achievements of the best leaders across the region over the last 12 months. CEO Iain McCallister said of this nomination, “It is an honour to have been nominated for the Company Leader of the Year award, I am so proud of what MAN Commercial Protection has achieved this past year”. Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony in March, held at the Macdonald Hotel in Birmingham. Good luck, Iain!
Some very exciting news this month – MAN Commercial Protection have recruited our very own Company Trainer, who will be heading-up our brand-new Training department! It is important here at MAN Commercial that we are always ahead of the game when it comes to being a fantastic company to work for, and with recent changes to SIA licencing requirements, we felt that now was the right time to move forward with this project. Being able to offer First Aid and SIA top-up training is a strong incentive to help us drive recruitment, while also boosting officer retention.
Our Company Trainer will also support with induction training and toolbox talks, as well as conducting a range of valuable training programmes as required: SIA Courses/Top-Up Courses, Site Inductions, First Aid at Work, Fire Warden, ACT Counter-Terrorism Training, IOSH, Manual Handling, Equality and Diversity, and more. The Company Trainer will also liaise directly with our clients where required to create tailored training programmes or focuses, that can be delivered one-to-one or for the whole team as required to address any gaps in training or areas of difficulty.
So, who have we appointed to help us kick-start such an exciting project?
We are pleased to welcome our first-ever company trainer to the team, Dene! In this new role, Dene will be responsible for the planning, administration and implementation of all of our training courses.
Dene brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the security industry; having started his career on the doors with a Door Supervision Licence, and then spending over 14 years specialising in accredited training courses. He has also held a Close Protection License for over 20 years! Dene will be integral for MAN Commercial to build on our training foundation, ensuring we become a bespoke academy suiting our clients’ needs and requirements.
“We’re extremely lucky to have Dene on our team,” said CEO, Iain McCallister. “We’ve been looking for someone to reinvigorate our security training programmes, and Dene brings the experience and vision necessary to create a high-quality training scheme.”
When the opportunity arose to join MAN, Dene expressed that it was an easy decision. “MAN Commercial Protection is an extremely well-respected company within the security industry, and I’m really proud to be here. The growth MAN has experienced over the last few years is incredible and I want to be part of its future growth.”
Already hitting the ground running, Dene has shared plans to build up MAN’s Commercial Training Academy that will help guide the next generation, giving them the best possible start. “My long-term goal for the Training Academy is for MAN to be recognised on a national scale for high-quality training alongside the excellent security services we provide.”
Discussing both short-term and long-term goals for the training academy, Dene added: “In 5 years’ time I anticipate we will have a full team of qualified instructors that will enable us to be more versatile to suit our client’s training needs.”
Dene joins us with great enthusiasm, we’ll be sharing regular updates on MAN’s Training Academy via our social media channels and website!
