Biffa is the No.1 provider of waste management solutions to businesses in the UK. Working in partnership with an extensive range of corporate customers to support them in processing their waste both efficiently and effectively, they only work with the best.
As befits a national institution with over 100 years heritage in waste management spanning the length and breadth of the country, Biffa is constantly looking to maximise the safety and security of their 195 sites.
It was part of this continued drive that first exposed David Bedwell, Site Manager at Biffa, to Century Secure Group UK Ltd nearly a decade ago:
“We first got in touch with Century as we were undertaking a value for money evaluation at one of our sites – a large unmanned quarry in the heart of Charnwood Forest.
“When I say large, I mean it! It has a 5 mile perimeter all the way around, and because it’s situated in a popular forest location with access from all angles, there’s a need to ensure that it is adequately secured to protect the personal safety of members of the public.”
As the facility is unmanned, Biffa were reviewing options for CCTV provision. Century proposed a multi camera CCTV setup complete with proactive monitoring, maintenance and support.
This means that all activity on the site could be monitored and any unauthorised attempt to gain access to the site could be quickly referred to the relevant authorities.
Offering best value
As would be expected of a national business, Biffa as a matter of course always run a competitive pricing exercise to make certain they are getting the right solution at the right price.
Century were put up against nationally recognised names in the security field. Following a rigorous evaluation of the technical merits of their solution, and a value for money evaluation, Century came out clearly on top.
David explains: “Century offered such unique value in the products and services they put forward that there was a very strong commercial case to them on our system as an approved supplier.
“We identified as part of this procurement exercise that they offered significantly better value for money that other regional and national security business we had worked with in the past, with no shortcuts in the quality of their offering.”
Never look back
After being recognised for the quality of work undertaken, and as trust in the partnership built, Century has been appointed to an ever increasing amount of projects.
Similar CCTV systems in addition to Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD) and fire safety systems were installed and are now monitored and maintained at a number of material recycling sites across the Midlands.
These sites include two huge facilities: Derby and Aldridge. Derby handles 25,000 tonnes of recyclable material each year, and Aldridge’s capacity has at times peaked at 150,000 tonnes of material waste to be recycled.
Why Century Secure Group UK Ltd?
For David, the reasons to use Century for safety and security systems is clear.
“Having worked with the Century team for the best part of ten years, they have been tremendously consistent. Since that very first project at the quarry, their pricing has remained the most competitive around and the services they provide to us are second to none in terms of quality.
“One thing that continues to impress me is the staff over at Century. Even though I’ve been dealing with them for years, their key people are still around. We’ve been able to build close relationships in a way which historically was not possible with other of the so called ‘big companies in security’.
“I’m delighted to be able to recommend Century to anyone looking for a team of highly skilled people who get the job done. Whenever there’s a problem, I know I can ring people at the firm and get it fixed quickly. I also get regular access to their senior team too – which is something that you don’t really see in other companies in the industry.”
“In my experience, many of Century’s competitors also make you feel just like a number on their balance sheet. For me, it’s Century all day long. A regionally focused firm with a national reach who care about their customers and what they do.”
