The Locksmith Journal Jul-Aug 2016 - Issue 45 | Page 100

100 • SAFES PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE Phoenix create new markets whilst still future-proofing customer interests »»LOCKSMITH JOURNAL’S Editor, Stephanie Wright recently visited Liverpool based, Phoenix Safe Company to chat with the company’s managing director, Daniel Thompson about how the business had evolved more so over the last few years; developing its product offering to cater for its existing and new markets, futureproofing its marketing initiatives to protect its customer’s interests and the passion the business has on ensuring it promotes the highest standard of products to the market. Phoenix Safe Company is one of the oldest UK manufacturers of safes and security products and can trace its history back to Liverpool in 1799. At that time, it was known as the Richmond Safe Co. Ltd., and was supplying the maritime trade between England and the United States with iron banded or iron clad wooden strongboxes and seamen’s chests. In 1986, the latest incarnation of the business took place with the formation of Phoenix Safe Co. Ltd. The business then had the idea to cater for the emerging technological market and during the early 80’s a new design concept was created in the form of a fire resistant safe, which would be able to protect technology data and information. Demand grew, and towards the end of 1987 Phoenix’s management team took the decision, in order to produce a more cost effective range of safes, to transfer part of the manufacturing from its UK operation to Korea, under the guiding eye of the company’s UK production team. Managing Director Daniel Thompson whose father was one of the previous owners and managing directors of the business, advised on the business past and future: “In those early days as Phoenix Safe, the company specialised in the protection of vital data for paper and computer media, our fire resistant safes are some of the most widely used across the UK and Europe, with a life-time after the fire replacement warranty, the safes are designed to hold and protect irreplaceable media against fire at temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees centigrade. “With the range concentrated on fire protection, we become recognised as a brand leader in this area, developing a strong sales channel through the office equipment dealer network and computer supply specialists. With a need to expand the company further we embarked on the development of a range of small domestic type home safes and light weight, high security graded safes, which we have been developing and expanding over the last 20 years. Continued on page 102 >>> LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JUL/AUG 2016 Sponsored by ASSA ABLOY PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE