Greater London Enterprise Awards 2020

20 | Greater London Awards 2020 Oct20051 Best Fire Protection Contractor - City of London Established in 2011, LFS provide passive fire protection products and services to the construction industry in both the private and public sectors. Recently, we profiled the firm and caught up with Jim Hannon to find out more about LFS and how they have established a reputation for being one of the best fire protection contractors in the city of London today. In an industry which has undergone (and continues to undergo) massive changes in legislation and is almost always under the spotlight, LFS is a business that continues to evolve in line with industry and government expectations. To start, Jim provides a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into some of the values it holds. “From our accredited facility in South-East London, we use specialist machinery to manufacture bespoke fire and enhanced security doors and screens plus other fire protection products to the latest approved repair techniques. Additionally, we provide a one-stop, long term solution of ongoing service maintenance and support; all of which is backed up by all of the leading fire industry accreditation bodies. “The motivation and ethos at the heart of the company is to protect lives and as such a continual training programme is in place for our growing team. Under my leadership, the mission is to treat every job as if a loved one is living there.” The fire disaster at Lakenhal House on 3rd July 2009 instigated the launch of LFS, as Jim explains in further detail. “Many of the initiatives raised by the Hackett Report were adopted by LFS at the formation of the business. Initiatives included the use of quality products and accredited installations as well as a mission to simplify the industry and provide an open book policy towards fire safety. As a manufacturer and installer, LFS clients have their liabilities covered and despite primary evidence being commercially sensitive, clients are encouraged to inspect and question all fire testing accreditations. This is unusual within the industry, but we pride ourselves on being a one- stop-shop for continual fire safety. “After founding the business on more certification than most other operators in our field, we became one of the first companies in the UK to become accredited to the BM Trada Q-Mark Maintenance Scheme and in 2017 achieved the Certified Quality System ISO9001 which proves we deliver a consistently high level of service. The firm’s commitment to continual testing can be seen in our impressive array of certifications which have enabled us to acquire names including Guinness Housing, Peabody Housing, Clarion Housing Group and The Bank of England.” As a client-focused business, many of the firm’s employees are recruited on the basis of their communication skills as Jim goes on to explain. “All employees, at all levels, must demonstrate their ability to effectively interact with clients. As a rapidly expanding business, the staff are crucial to our growth so it’s important we attract the correct people.” If we take a closer look at the fire protection industry, there is a greater attention and growing demand for test evidence and accreditation, something which the firm has firmly covered as Jim points out. “LFS always provide comprehensive and transparent evidence including sequenced photo evidence and certification numbers and a full open book policy towards our test evidence.” Bringing the interview to a close, Jim signs off by commenting on the benefits of the firm’s location before outlining some of LFS’ exciting plans the team have lined up in the pipeline for the years to come. “LFS is London based so our location doesn’t prevent us from operating throughout the country. Additionally, our central location means we have experience of inner-city environments and have easy access to many of the necessary resources. “Looking ahead, LFS have a number of plans to expand in a considered and robust manner which includes increasing production facilities by moving into a larger space, building up the specialist passive repairs and maintenance aspect of the business and improving the publics’ perception of the industry. Post Covid-19, we will continue to improve the LFS teams’ general wellbeing and job satisfaction.” Company: LFS Contact: [email protected] Web Address: www.lfsfire.co.uk “From our accredited facility in South- East London, we use specialist machinery to manufacture bespoke fire and enhanced security doors and screens plus other fire protection products to the latest approved repair techniques.”