The Locksmith Journal Sep/Oct 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 8

Industry News Eurosafe UK Name Change Message from Alan Bullock - Chair BSVTA. » » WELCOME TO THE FIRST newsletter under our association’s new name British Safe & Vault Trade Association (BSVTA). Why change you may ask. It would be fair to say that we in the UK adopted the name from our parent organisation in Europe upon our birth some years ago. The Eurosafe organisation in Europe is made up of individual countries across the continent and mainly consisted of manufacturers of safes and vaults. The reasoning behind the organisation was to safeguard standards and quality and to give manufacturers a strong voice in the industry. The parent organisation has been successful in putting forward manufacturers’ thoughts on testing procedures and tool lists as the EC committees discussed potential changes to EN1143-1 which is the predominant standard for our industry. There was a feeling, however, that we in the UK required a more focused approach to the challenges in the UK market and to promote a more vigorous defence of our manufacturing base and promotion of standards. Hence the change of name to BSVTA. To be fair, the majority of countries affiliated to Eurosafe across Europe also have a name which reflects their country. The new name may seem rather long but we in the Management Committee wanted to reflect the diversity of the UK safe industry, which is served not only by direct manufacturers, but by companies who offer safes from many sources to give customers a wide choice. The BSVTA membership truly reflects this diversity. Our aim in the UK is not changing, we continue to expect our members to offer safes, vaults and fire- 8 resistant units complying with current testing and certification. Our new logo reflects what we see as an historical strong base for safe manufacture and a commitment to Standards, Professionalism, Integrity and Security. These are not just words but should be the ethos, by which we all as members, conduct our business. We are in the process of revamping the website and have chosen a partner who is now in the process of mapping out what is required. More news on that as we progress but at this stage, I am happy to say we have already secured the domain names bsvta. co.uk and bsvta.org. As our Association continues to develop, one of our main aims is to increase our presence and voice in the wider security and insurance industries and with the various European testing and certification bodies. To further this aim, at the AGM in March, the Management Committee proposed a new paid position of Permanent Secretary. This proposal was put to the vote and passed unanimously. I am delighted to say that Tom Rochford, already a member of the Committee, indicated his willingness to stand for the position. Tom’s election was put to the vote and again, passed ‘Together we can make a difference in the UK market’ unanimously. Tom brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge from within our industry. His highly successful career included 36 years at leading global safe manufacturer Gunnebo. It is great to have Tom as our first Permanent Secretary and he is already doing an excellent job for our Association. Together we can make a difference in the UK market and I look forward to working with you all to make our Association the ‘go to source’ for good advice, and equipment matching the highest standards in our industry. I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting, details of which will be announced soon. Alan Bullock, Chair, BSVTA SEP/OCT 2019 locksmithjournal.co.uk Issue Takeover Magazine Sponsor