Safetyflex Barriers hailed a success by Mayor of West Midlands
A company whose anti-terrorism products are protecting key buildings and sites across the globe from vehicle attacks has been heralded “an outstanding example of Midlands engineering” by the Mayor of the West Midlands.
Safetyflex Barriers, based in Coventry, invented and manufactures anti-terrorist "Truckstopper” bollards and barriers, which protect vulnerable sites from vehicle attacks, and has developed a strong export book after striking deals in Australia, Sweden, Germany, and Australia in the last 12 months.
That work now accounts for 35 per cent of its trading activities and Safetyflex’s pioneering technology protects sites such as the Augusta National Golf Course in America and the East Police Station in Melbourne, as well as sites closer to home including the Ricoh Arena and Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, visited the company’s headquarters in Coventry to see how the product has developed and to learn about the expansion plans for Safetyflex.
“Sadly vehicle attacks are becoming more common, which has made property owners, planners and Governments put security, safety, and protecting people at the top of their priorities when dealing with buildings and sites,” he said.
“What Safetyflex has done is applied traditional engineering expertise to devise a very modern product which is proving highly successful. The company has now developed a range of new products that allow controlled public and vehicle access to sites while maintaining security, and these are in use both in the West Midlands and across the world.
“It is an outstanding example of Midlands engineering which has, over decades, provided ground-breaking solutions to global problems and continues to do just that through traditional and new technologies."
Safetyflex has been supported by the Department of International Trade at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce in its export drive but is also keen to grow trade very close to home.
Director Rob Gerrard said the region’s track record in staging large events has opened more potential business.
He said: “With UK City of Culture 2021 and the Commonwealth Games 2022 both coming to the region, as well as large annual city events such as the Birmingham German Market and Motofest in Coventry gaining in size, there is a real need for the products we manufacture and we are growing our UK market as well as looking further afield.
“We are really grateful that the Mayor came to learn about what we do and the way we have developed Truckstopper and our other products. He was certainly very engaged with what we do and that was good to see.”
PICTURE CAPTION: Andy Street and Rob Gerrard
