One of Keighley’s best-known family companies is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year – and it says putting people first has been the key to its success.
Keybury Fire and Security started as a husband-and-wife team back in 1982 when Frank and Patricia Gee began installing security systems for homes and businesses around the town.
Since then, the firm has seen constant growth, now employing 50 staff at its Keighley headquarters and across three regional offices, installing and servicing systems across the north of England.
And the firm is set to continue that growth, with expansion plans on the cards for the coming years for the Worth Enterprise Park based firm, which is still headed up by Frank and Patricia.
Explaining the family ethos at the heart of Keybury, Mr Gee said: “We started the business with the aim of providing high quality security with high quality service. This remains central to the business; all our team strive to provide excellent service for our customers as we continue to install innovative systems in a fast-moving industry.
“We put the people – both staff and customers – at the heart of everything we do. This is the key to our success.”
It started as and remains a family run business, he stressed, continuing: “Whether it’s pulling together to deliver excellent service to our staff, pitching in to help with the problems caused by covid or encouraging each other up a mountain on one of our regular charity events, everyone feels like family whether you are related or not.
“Many colleagues have been part of our team for ten years or more, and even our newer team members say: ‘it just feels like one big family’. This feeling extends to many of our customers who have used our services for many years and who look forward to seeing the familiar faces of our engineers staff, or hearing the familiar voices of our admin staff. Customers say: ‘We really feel like part of the Keybury Family’.
The company’s first base was at Low Mill Lane near Keighley Station before moving to its Skipton Road offices.
Franks says the building, which was apparently once Captain Sir Tom Moore’s doctor’s surgery, put the firm in the heart of the town for 20 years.
“We filled every nook and cranny of the building but as our business expanded we had to find a new base,” he said.
But one thing was vitally important to the Gees – remaining in Keighley. “It was important to us to remain within our home town – keeping our office staff within easy commuting distance.
“And the town is well placed for our ‘on the road’ team to easily travel to our customers based across Yorkshire, Lancashire and the North of England.
Keybury says it emerged from the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic as a stronger operation, having worked hard to ensure it met the difficulties that crisis brought.
Mr Gee said: “The pandemic brought us challenges beyond anything we’d experienced before. Of course, keeping everyone safe has been our priority throughout.
“This has included keeping our team safe and adapting working environment as so many businesses have. It also meant keeping our customers’ systems working to protect them.
“We were designated Key Workers as business fire safety was still a priority through lockdown, to help relieve pressure on emergency services. We worked hard to keep our promise to provide all customers with 24-hour breakdown support – including telephone support from our team and call outs where a system was going off.
“Our long list of extra measures included regular staff testing, providing of antiviral cleaning items, and calling all our customers ahead to ensure the site was safe to visit.
“It’s meant a lot more work and a lot of covering each other but our team have pulled together for each other and for our customers. “
He said the future looks very positive for the firm, with constant innovations in security meaning smart homes are becoming more popular and less costly.
“Technology moves fast and we have smart home solutions to security. Uncertain economic times could mean a requirement for both home and business owners to improve their levels of security,” he said.
“For businesses, the fire safety industry is evolving with fire alarms becoming more legislated. Our priority here is keeping our team up to the minute with skills and training to provide the best service for our business customers.
Keybury continues to gradually expand, providing more jobs and training for local people and installing and maintaining more fire and protection systems for business and home owners.
Mr Gee said: “You will find our systems across the North from Scotch Corner to Nottingham, from Robin Hood’s Bay to Fleetwood.
But he stressed that the firm was working hard to balance growth with a family-run, people focused approach.
“Sometimes, in bigger companies, the personal touch can be lost and the customer just becomes a number,” he said.
“Our customers are often recognised or remembered by engineers and admin staff alike. Anyone phoning to make their regular routine service will often have a chat with our admin team, as we’re not just a call centre, but a local team who really care about the people we are providing a service for.
“Our directors lead this approach and deal directly with our customers on plenty of occasions – something which you just don’t often get with some bigger organisations.”
Looking at the economic future of the district, Mr Gee said he was optimistic going forward – as long as businesses continue to be supported.
He cited Keighley’s work on becoming a social enterprise town and Bradford being shortlisted for City of Culture 2025 as huge positives for the area.
“It’s crucial that existing businesses in Keighley and Bradford are supported and celebrated in order to ensure recovery continues,” he said.
“Local independent businesses are vital to the area. Many people are unaware of the huge range of industry in both Keighley and the wider Bradford area, but we’re lucky enough, through our work, to have an insight into the work happening around us.
“Our customer base includes many companies based in the area including manufacturing, finance, textiles, communication, health care, transport & logistics, food and drink as well as entertainment and construction.
“Keybury have always chosen local suppliers where possible and supported other local businesses, charities, and community organisations. Where we continue to support one another, we will all continue to succeed.”
As well as the Keighley headquarters, Keybury now has regional offices in Ilkley, Harrogate and Skipton.
The business has won a string of national and regional awards over the years and has long held National Security Inspectorate gold approval.
In 2019, the company received a Plastic Free Business Champion accolade from Surfers Against Sewage – a Cornwall-based grassroots movement tackling plastic pollution globally – and it continues to build on its ‘green’ credentials by working to further reduce both waste and carbon emissions.
