It has been nearly six years since Matt Moulder decided to take the experience he had gained working in the fire and security industry for over 24 years and go it alone.

Having worked for city business heavyweights Gardner Security back in his apprentice years and then Allcooper to earn his stripes, he has had the perfect grounding and is taking full advantage. 

APM Fire and Security are now a thriving Gloucester business who are growing so much that they have outgrown their home for the second time since 2014.

They have relocated to a bigger, more-modern unit at Triangle Business Park that gives the growing company room for future expansion.

Now employing 15 sales, engineering and support staff, APM Fire and Security turned over close to 

£1million last year and their continued ambition is keep growing year-on-year.

A family company from the start, Mr Moulder's father Anthony came out of retirement to provide valuable expertise and investment to get off the ground six years ago.

Four years ago, Mr Moulder's brother brought his skills from working in business to run the firm's office-based support and systems operations as well as manage the finances

"Our aim has always been to use the combined experience of the staff we have across our business to grow," Mr Moulder said.

"Our plan is to grow locally, rather than expand into too wide an area.

"My experience has told me that what I call the doorstep market in Gloucestershire is big enough to provide us with ongoing opportunities for growth.

"Fire and security systems are a must have for any business to ensure they are compliant with both insurance and health and safety.

"While the systems deliver the same results, the technology that delivers these systems are constantly developing. At APM were pride ourselves in being able to offer these to our customers.

"But we also want our customers to know that those systems will be delivered from a trusted local company that is on their doorstep and can react rapidly to offer support when they need it."

Technological advances in recent years have meant that security equipment has evolved from being simple CCTV to innovative and interactive surveillance equipment.

APM have a monitoring centre at their base where they can monitor live feeds and respond without having to be on site.

"People are becoming more aware of the technology that is out there to protect properties," Mr Moulder said.

"The technology we can install makes people stop and think twice about breaking in. It has become a deterrent more than a warning.

"CCTV systems are a major part of our offering and we now have live video streaming from cameras with audio playback.

"That means someone in our offsite monitoring centre can tell someone to 'go away' from miles away.

"It's incredibly versatile and I don't think people realise the value that you can have from it.

"One of our local customers uses CCTV for health and safety compliance purposes to check on their warehouses, racking and the forklift truck drivers. It has so many uses."

Just as with the business' name, the fire and security systems play equal roles in the company and its sales and engineering staff are trained in both sectors.

The company offer a complete fire safety service from advising on building requirements and fire detection equipment to offering door access control and supplying fire extinguishers.

"The industry rules and regulations are constantly changing, and we see this as our job to keep our customers informed of any impact these changes may have on their business," Mr Moulder said.

"We want to ensure all of our customers get complete satisfaction from what we offer them. We want it to be easy for them to do business with us.

"We identify with our customers because we provide them with a personalised service.

"Our team will get to know them and that gives them the confidence that they have a partner who will deliver what they need and expect.

"We always make sure we are competitive with sensible prices and we don't tie people in to long-term contracts or Direct Debits. I know our customers appreciate that.

"We've been on an amazing journey over the past six years and I can't thank our wonderful team, our customers and our suppliers enough. "We are eagerly looking forward to the future."

For more information about APM Fire and Security, visit www.apmfireandsecurity.com or call 01452 234111.