Notice Board
An Army of Trades :
Shades of Green Secure
» THIS EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS based in Halifax : Shades of Green Secure , is proud to be number two locksmith in Yorkshire . Ran by Colin Pool who owns the business and James Mack who helps out . The services offered by the company don ’ t stop at the door ; Colin explains that they actually start at the door . He is actually a fully qualified ‘ multi-trade ’ offering an army of services : locksmith services , electrical work , kitchen fitting , plastering , tiling , plumbing and UPVC repair .
Why so many services ? Colin explained : “ I spent 25 years in the Army and I am now a reservist . For every year I spent in the Army I accumulated learning credits , which I used when I left The Army to train in many trades . I really love to learn and help as many people as I can offering a range of services . I trained to be a locksmith , an electrician , a kitchen fitter , a plaster , a tiler , and a plumber . I don ’ t like people thinking I ’ m a ‘ jack of all trades and master of none ’ so I carry my qualifications with me to show customers ; it ’ s important to give reassurance . I personally thank the Army for equipping me with so many useful skills .”
Why Shades of Green ?
Explaining Colin said : “ Shades of Green is a military clap back to the combat 95 kit which is all shades of green . I added ‘ secure ’ to name to signify that we offer secure , ethical and reliable services .”
Colin Pool and James Mack are veterans and army buddies going back 15 years . Colin does all the hands-on trade work , while James helps with the administration , website , and SEO .
Likes and dislikes
When asked about the likes and dislikes of offering a multitude of services , Colin says : “ I like doing so many different jobs , I have different challenges every day and lots of variety . I like offering reasonable prices and building up a reputation with customers . I get a call about replacing the door cylinder , and then the customer sees my van and says , ‘ so you do electrics also , or kitchens , plumbing etc ’ and then one job turns in to three .
“ My dislikes are when customers want prices over the phone , I don ’ t charge a call out fee , so I prefer to price the job in person . That way , I can I give my customers the most accurate pricing estimate as it ’ s important to clarify what work needs to be done , as well as confirm identity before a job takes place , such as before regaining entry to a home .”
James says : “ I like to help behindthe-scenes work , taking calls , preparing formal quotations and looking after the company ’ s website . I know a lot about SEO so it ’ s a great challenge to get our website ranking on search engines for so many trades , and collecting the important things like reviews . I ’ m in a wheelchair so helping out Colin keeps my brain active .”
Totally fearless
You have to be pretty fearless to join the Army , but after you leave it doesn ’ t stop there , as Colin explains : “ I am a riding martial for TT races twice a year and I love motorbikes . I will be retaking my test this year , as I don ’ t intend to stop and , as professional riders get faster , I need to achieve 16-17 minutes in my test ( currently at 18 minutes ).
“ In my work , I am pretty fearless too and have even done roofing . I had a bad accident in 2022 when a roof collapsed and I fell through , suffering a head injury .
It ’ s not put me off going on a roof again . The only thing I won ’ t touch is gas .”
Shades of Green Secure pride themselves on their integrity and drive to deliver honest and professional service . Offering a fully qualified experience and work to highest standards , with no call out fee , they are fast and efficient in an emergency . Based in Halifax , they provide a quality and reliable service covering West Yorkshire .
Find out more at www . shadesofgreensecure . co . uk or contact Colin on 07756 087 549 or on WhatsApp .
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MARCH 2024
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