Company Profile

ESP — PROVIDING SECURITY SOLUTIONS FOR 30 YEARS

ESP is celebrating 30 years in business this year and 2022 looks set to end as another record year for the business, with major new product developments and expansion plans coming to fruition.

The company was founded in 1992 as Electronics Line UK, with a small team distributing wireless intruder alarm systems to wholesalers before expanding into the CCTV market.

Elite supplier

In 1996, the company was officially launched to the electrical wholesale market as ESP (Elite Security Products). Following a number of years of growth, the business was relocated in 2009 to a larger, purpose-designed head office and warehouse space in Redditch, Worcestershire.

In 2011, ESP was acquired by Scolmore Group in what was seen as the coming together of two companies with a focus on innovative product development and excellent customer service. ESP continues to operate as an independent business within Scolmore Group, which also includes Click wiring accessories, Ovia lighting and Unicrimp cable accessories.

Over the ensuing years, ESP continued to expand the business and develop its product portfolio, which included CCTV, fire protection, security floodlighting and access control. In 2014, a brand new product category was added to the ESP line up with the launch of the Duceri emergency lighting range. This brought to the professional electrical contractor a range of emergency exit signs and bulkheads, with a range of self-test fittings subsequently added.

Hotting up

As the parent company, Scolmore Group, continued to flourish and expand, the acquisition of Sangamo, the specialist supplier of time switches and heating controls, was completed, with the new range sitting under the ESP umbrella of products. Established since 1921 and based in Glasgow, Sangamo has built up an excellent reputation and an extensive product range which was an ideal fit within the Scolmore Group portfolio, enabling the company to bring an even more comprehensive range of products and solutions to installers.

As a leading player in the heating controls market with its Sangamo range, ESP is constantly looking at ways to improve both its product offering and its service to customers. Last year the company revamped its Sangamo Choice Plus and Powersaver Plus heating and timer controls range, with the main aim of introducing features that assist with efficiency and performance and that ultimately drive down energy usage and costs.

A commitment to offer an outstanding service is what ESP believes makes it stand out

Smart technology

At the same time as the company developed new and upgraded products for existing ranges, there was also a keen focus on expanding into other categories that complemented the portfolio. This led to the launch of Fort Smart Security in 2021 – a complete range of smart security products, including intruder alarms, video doorbell, video security light, sensors and a selection of HD cameras. They all operate under a single app – the ‘Click Smart+’ app – which is completely subscription-free, with no additional fees incurred. By bringing the operation of the Fort range under the Click Smart+ app, users will have control of a raft of connected home and security products all from one secure, easy to access platform.

A beacon of assistance

In recent years, ESP has been taking on an increasing number of larger, specification type projects and identified an opportunity to expand its product portfolio to offer a comprehensive disabled refuge range that meets the requirements of BS 9999:2017 and Building Regulations Approved Document B.

Marketed under the name Beacon, the new disabled refuge range was launched earlier this year and comprises of a variety of products that are specifically designed to assist emergency evacuation situations in a wide range of buildings and venues – with the aim of helping people with limited mobility to safely exit the building.

The Beacon ‘Master Stations’ are the central point of the disabled refuge system, which combines fire telephone handsets, disabled refuge outstations and emergency alarms to form one fully integrated system.

Installer support

A commitment to offer an outstanding service is what ESP believes makes it stand out. Installers and wholesalers alike can take advantage of a raft of additional services and benefits to help them make the most of the products and solutions that the company offers. There are currently two separate training programmes that are offered free of charge – a one-day ESP Product Overview of the company’s core product categories and the ESP Addressable Fire System Programming, which is aimed at competent contractors that already have a good knowledge of installation and regulatory requirements, when it comes to fire system installation.

Supplying a comprehensive range of products is just part of what ESP can offer. Across the CCTV and fire protection ranges, for example, the company also offers free design services. The aim is to provide installers with expertise in choosing the right products and solutions to create a scheme that meets the requirements of the project in question and is compliant with all the relevant regulations and standards. The addition of a fire commissioning service last year means that ESP now offers a full fire alarm system package, with access to a free design service, a vast choice of products including the latest two-wire systems, the commissioning service, plus technical support from a team of qualified and experienced engineers.

New brand identity

Earlier this year, as part of the ongoing evolution of the company, ESP decided to overhaul its brand identity and a new logo was unveiled. The creative design team was tasked with a brief to create a new brand identity that would help the company maintain its market-leading presence and stand out in what is an increasingly competitive sector. The new visual identity needed to reflect the company’s current standing and its ambitious growth plans, and appeal to a new audience without going too far from the old identity that is recognised and trusted. It also needed to sit well within the overall Scolmore Group branding.

ESP continues to invest in all aspects of the business – infrastructure, people, products and services – so that it remains fully equipped to meet the demands of an evolving electrical industry and maintain its leading position and reputation.