Winter Newsletter
Welcome to the latest newsletter from Nobel Fire Systems and can we take this opportunity of wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
2013 has been an excellent year for Nobel with product advancement, new people coming on board in key positions and a move to larger, purpose built premises – all of which has led to an all-round, even better service experience for our customers. As such, we thought you would be interested to see this brief interview with Ian Bartle, Managing Director of Nobel who gives his candid views on progress to date and how he sees the future developing.
An interview with Ian Bartle, Managing Director, Nobel Fire Systems
1) Q Looking back over the past 12 months, what would you say has been the company’s most important achievements?
A We have been concentrating on growth this year, adding significantly to the Nobel team, moving to new offices, appointing numerous international distributers and securing LPS1223 approval. We are moving forward with other relevant International approvals as well as putting all the right things in place for future testing and approvals for additional worldwide recognised standards. Through our product and service solutions we’ve also gained enormous recognition of the Nobel brand and its values across many user sectors. Product wise, the K-Series kitchen system is now regarded as the premier system in the UK and we plan to continually add value through our complete product portfolio.
2) Q What would you say have been your most successful projects/achievements?
A During the last 12 months we have installed 100’s of different systems across a variety of user sectors. We get involved in unusual fire protection systems where elements and environmental conditions present unique challenges that prompt greater fire engineering and understanding.
In particular, we have completed work on the Oblix restaurant which is the main restaurant at the Shard and is situated on the 32nd floor of the building. We’ve also completed a job in Clyde Port, where the coal off-loaders presented us with; size, weight, large volume and other complex issues. The ventilation and natural leakage demanded consideration of ALL TYPES of fire suppression systems, but ultimately it resulted in a considerable risk appraisal being undertaken, finally pointing towards one of our core products, Stat-X.
3) Q What are you doing currently to keep up the momentum?
A We are continuing to move forward with our kitchen fire suppression system development to offer the industry a more bespoke, consultative product that blends and enhances the kitchen, for a more aesthetic and flexible appeal.
Another initiative that we’re taking is the enhancement of our fire engineering expertise in the Watemist sector, and we are currently working on a new watermist system offering.
4) Q What does Nobel have to look forward to over the next 12 months?
A We aim to increase our international presence and coverage by appointing more individuals and specialist companies that we believe to be aligned with the Nobel philosophy of high quality linked to technical advancement. In the last few months we have appointed new distributors/agents in several countries and are moving forward with other strategic international partners.
We’ll also be at the 2014 Data Centre World Exhibition in February, Stand number A25, presenting some alternatives to the market that can be considered alongside existing legacy systems. They can give a server room/data centre designer potential for a more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly option to standard fire suppression systems.
5) Q Since Nobel’s last newsletter, you’ve been travelling a lot, can you give a summary of how this will benefit the business?
A Nobel offer a great range of products that are designed to ensure we stay at the cutting edge of our industry and this process includes working closely with our international partners. We pride ourselves on presenting a range of products and services for fire protection problems and in doing so we have a greater understanding of the global demand and solutions being provided to national organisations. Our partners are literally based across the globe and to that extent I try to get around as many as I can on a regular basis so that we have full understanding of global needs on a ‘local’ basis.
6) Nobel is due to launch a ‘kitchen-plus’ offer: Q What is the offer in simple terms?
A The consultants that we work with demand a high level of integrity from the fire systems they use, but alongside that, our systems not only need to be functional in their operation, they need to provide a high degree of flexibility and have great aesthetic appeal. This is especially true for establishments wishing to provide their chefs with a safer and more pleasing working environment, or to align with the kitchen designers’ artistic impression of their interior, especially when on show to their clientele.
– Q What are the benefits of this system, compared to Nobel’s standard range?
A Quite simply, increased flexibility, functionality and aesthetic appeal.
– Q How will it help in Nobel winning work and why do you need a more refined system anyway?
A Nobel endeavour to always put the ‘customer’ first. We see it as a partnership and have developed options to the K-Series that enable it to more seamlessly integrate, helping kitchen designers (our customers) meet increasingly minimalist design briefs and stopping the end user having to compromise on the kitchen design they want.
7) Q Any more innovations on the cards for next year?
A We continue to look at various fire systems to position ourselves as innovation product-leaders for years to come. In other words, technical advancement remains a continuous process! For example, we are developing our range of control panels more in line with current end user expectations, reducing the size and improving the design. We will have a firm watermist offering, at the cutting edge of design, enabling us to be very well placed in 2014 in what we believe will be a real game changing year for water mist as it gathers significant momentum in an industry striving for environmentally friendly systems.
Nobel’s focus on advanced technology will continue to improve safety and productivity within a large number of industrial sectors and, what is vital today, also impact positively on the environment.
8) Q How do you see the business progressing for the immediate future?
A We are already off to flying start for our new financial year with a great deal of interest in existing products from consultants, insurers and end users alike. Businesses cannot afford to have any downtime in their production or service offering, so Nobel’s ethos of early detection and suppression is paying dividends.
Nobel Fire systems protect localised fire risks by efficient analysis and applying one or more solutions that aid the security of our clients’ businesses.