Notice Board
Employee Takeover
A Partnership Between Friends : Able2Access
» WE CAUGHT UP WITH ABLE2ACCESS , a well-established business in Leicester with a 15-year history , that has recently undergone a change in ownership . The company was acquired by Sara Farrington and Brett Howard , both of whom were former employees with a deep appreciation for the business .
An Opportunity Too Good to Miss When the previous owner , Chris Nicholls , was planning his retirement , he told me that he would be putting the business up for sale . I knew there and then that I wanted to own it , but the investment was too much on my own , but it was an opportunity too good to miss .
So , I asked Brett , a longtime friend , if he wanted to go into partnership to buy the business and he thought it was a great business opportunity too , so thankfully he said ‘ Yes ’ and we were able to combine our resources to successfully acquire the business and continue its legacy .
How it Became more than Locksmithing
Chris spent 45 years in the building trade before deciding to move away from contract work . Looking for a change , he took some locksmithing courses and started working as a locksmith . Chris found himself involved in supplying other lock related products such as multi-point locks , gear boxes and other structural ironmongery which eventually became the core business . Chris , originally operated the business from a van before acquiring a physical premises .
As the business expanded , Chris took me on to help out with trade counter sales and product support , as well as bookkeeping – I had worked there for three years when Chris retired so pretty much knew the business operation and was very well acquainted with his customers . The growth in sales for locking devices was so significant that locksmithing services were no longer a primary focus , allowing us to channel our efforts into the shop ’ s operations and customer service .
My job was very hands-on , I learned how to repair multi-point locks by changing individual parts instead of replacing the entire mechanism . Brett is a computer engineer I met through a mutual friend , he has another business and shared the offices at Able2Access for a while , so we got to know each other better . Brett naturally became involved in Able2Access due to his fascination with mechanical products and the “ techy ” aspects of biometric systems . His interest in programming and technology aligned perfectly with the business ’ s focus , making him an ideal partner to help lead the company into its next chapter .
Handling Housing Maintenance
We undertake a lot of work for housing associations and social housing landlords as part of reactive maintenance programs , supporting their teams with the supply of various parts for window and door gearing and hardware when properties become vacant . We also provide spare parts for electronic entrance systems to electrical companies .
Although traditional locksmithing is not a major part of our business operations now , we maintain a longstanding relationship with a trusted locksmith who handles those services on our behalf . This allows Able2Access to concentrate on their core business , which has grown significantly over the years .
Plans for Able2Access
We ’ ve been busy getting the premises sorted out as our landlord is doing repairs and maintenance on the building , which was an old factory . Inside is lots of business units and we ’ re waiting to be allocated an area for our unit ’ s business signage and branding .
6
SEPTEMBER 2024
locksmithjournal . co . uk Issue Takeover