Trail Group wins two-year passive fire safety deal

by Featured NewsPassiveProjects

Passive fire safety contract awarded for Home Group homes

Trail Group has been awarded a contract worth around £3m over the next two years to provide passive fire safety services for Home Group across the Southeast and Southwest of England.

Trail Group announced that the contract was awarded through the Pretium Building and Fire Safety Framework for works covering fire door installations and replacements, fire compartmentation and fire stopping.

The company was first appointed as a supply chain partner to Home Group in 2021.

It has since worked on more than 100 properties including residential apartment buildings, street properties and community wellbeing homes in Norfolk, London and the Home Counties, along with locations across the South Coast from Hampshire to Devon and Cornwall.

The first projects under the new contract are due to take place at two residential buildings in Portsmouth.

Those works will cover roof compartmentation and fire door replacements.

Passive fire safety works already completed

Trail Group said recent projects for Home Group included work at Olympic Way in High Wycombe, where fire doors, fire stopping and fire compartmentation were carried out across three apartment buildings.

In the largest building at Olympic Way, all automated smoke vents were also replaced.

At Deck Place in Colchester, all fire doors for two apartment blocks were renewed.

At Court Place in Folkestone, communal doors and entrance doors to more than 50 flats for over-55s were replaced.

Full fire compartmentation was also installed throughout the Folkestone building, including in the loft area.

Jon Crosby, Managing Director of Trail Group, said: “This new contract award builds on our long track record of working as a trusted delivery partner to housing associations and local authorities for fire protection, compliance and maintenance services.

“Our engineers are highly trained in building safety and compliance to deliver each project to consistently high standards, with residents and life safety firmly at the centre of everything we do.”

David Richardson, Maintenance and Contract Manager at Home Group, said: “Trail Group continues to work well for Home Group and complex projects are completed to a high standard.

“How their teams put our customers first is well recognised.

“Their capabilities are strong and staff always professional.

“Any challenges that may arise are dealt with promptly, effectively and with a genuinely positive attitude.

“We definitely want longevity with our supply chain partners and so are pleased to award this latest contract to the business.”

Trail Group also provides active fire protection, building upgrades, security solutions, electrical testing and installations, and planned maintenance for property, estates and facilities managers.

Preventr fire protection group secures £10m expansion funding

by Associations and OrganisationsFeatured NewsMergers & Acquisitions

Preventr secures funding and expands passive fire protection capabilities

Preventr has secured a £10m funding facility from Growth Lending to support expansion and acquisitions, including the purchase of Passive Fire Safety Solutions Limited (PFSS).

Preventr confirmed that an initial £6.2m has been provided to fund the PFSS acquisition and support its growth plans.

The wider facility provides additional capacity to pursue further acquisitions and invest in operational capacity, workforce and technology across the UK.

The PFSS acquisition expands installation and compliance capabilities and complements existing fire door manufacturing operations.

This positions the business to deliver full passive fire protection services nationwide across regulated environments including social housing, NHS facilities, commercial real estate, airports and residential portfolios.

Preventr employs 75 people nationwide and operates as a London-based national fire protection specialist and a portfolio company of Tandy Ventures.

Preventr outlines strategy supported by funding and acquisition

Preventr stated that the funding supports its buy-and-build strategy and internal transformation initiatives, including the roll-out of AI-powered technology to analyse building safety data and prioritise fire safety actions.

This technology is intended to help engineers manage compliance workloads more efficiently and improve building safety data analysis.

Jamil Anakkar, Founder and Chief Executive of Preventr, said: “The financial support provided by Growth Lending has enabled us to accelerate our pace of growth through acquisitions as well as internal transformation projects, helping us to position as a leader in the UK fire safety marketplace.

“The acquisition of PFSS is an important milestone for the group as it complements our existing fire door manufacturing capability.

“We now have the ability to offer full-scope passive protection services on a national basis, strengthening our proposition to clients who require trusted partners capable of delivering at scale.”

Adam Brinn, Managing Director at Growth Lending, said: “Preventr operates in a market supported by clear structural drivers and has built a strong reputation for providing high-quality, compliant fire safety solutions.

“This transaction supports a compelling buy-and-build strategy led by an experienced management team and enables the business to scale its capabilities while delivering positive social impact through improved fire safety standards.”

The transaction was introduced by Langdon Capital, with due diligence support from FRP, tax due diligence provided by Wilson Partners, lender counsel from Browne Jacobson and borrower legal advice from JMW Solicitors.

Passive fire safety growth plan as Trail Group appoints David Humphrey

by ActiveConstructionFeatured NewsPassivePeople

Trail Group appointment strengthens passive fire safety leadership

Trail Group has appointed David Humphrey as Operations Director, with operational responsibility for the group’s Passive Fire Safety division.

Humphrey has more than 25 years of experience in high-end housebuilding and construction, working for tier one contractors.

His experience includes cost planning, contract administration, strategic procurement, subcontractor management and operational oversight for major construction projects.

Jon Crosby, Managing Director of Trail Group, said: “David brings considerable commercial expertise, leadership experience and operational strength to Trail Group at a pivotal time in our growth.

“We are delighted to welcome him to the business and to the Board.”

Role scope and professional background

In the role, Humphrey is responsible for leading and strengthening the operational teams and managing the financial performance of the business.

This includes embedding commercial processes and delivering quality, compliance and customer satisfaction across workstreams and projects.

He will support the group’s wider commercial strategy, including new sectors and partnerships for business development, and will work with the board on growth plans.

He will also oversee passive fire safety operations from contract award to completion, with responsibility for delivery to specification, schedule and budget.

Humphrey said: “Trail Group is a business with real momentum.

“I was impressed by the entrepreneurial and customer-focused culture at every level; the high calibre of people in each division, and the genuine commitment to looking after its clients.

“Its teams have a really positive and proactive attitude, rarely shying away from a challenge, and consistently going the extra mile to deliver outstanding results.

“The opportunity to help shape and grow the business really appealed at this stage of my career – to build on these strong teams, strengthen commercial rigour, and open up new avenues of work with developers, public sector organisations, social landlords and commercial clients.”

Humphrey has a degree in quantity surveying and has held senior commercial and project director roles, working across pre-construction and construction delivery.

Trail Group said its services include passive and active fire protection, construction and refurbishment, security solutions, electrical testing and installations and planned maintenance.

The company said it works nationally with housing associations, local authorities, NHS trusts, emergency services, museums, large private landlords and commercial organisations.