law
Paris Smith supports bold expansion by Churches Fire
In this latest Paris Smith client profile, The Business Magazine talks to Chandler’s Ford-based Churches Fire about the law firm’s support of its highly-acquisitive growth strategy
Churches is a large player in the UK fire safety market that maintains the feel of a smaller business in its attitude to staff and customers. Its range of fire protection includes fire extinguisher and sprinkler servicing, maintenance and installation. The company also designs, supplies, installs and commissions a range of security services, including CCTV, intruder alarms and access control.
A national fleet of full-stocked vehicles driven by experienced technicians provide on-the-spot support to customers, so many issues are fixed quickly at the first visit and parts are readily available locally. Customer service includes a 24/7 emergency support line and Churches is a member of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association and the Fire Industry Association.
One-stop provider
The company was founded in 1992 in Winchester by Paul Topley. He grew the business out of his father’s electrical and mechanical services company, regarding fire safety as a relatively recession-proof option to start a new business. Over the past few years he has handed the reins over to a new senior management team to take the business forward. Horizon Capital, which specialises in investing in B2B services and technology companies, came on board as a major investor in 2017.
Acquisitions by Churches in the 2000s saw the addition of fire alarm expertise and in 2011 the company brought on [MOU1] a sprinkler installation and maintenance division. This meant the company could offer customers a single source for all their requirements. Chief operating officer Lorna Hayes said competitors typically rely on third party suppliers or else customers have to approach multiple providers for what they need.
“We are a true fire protection one-stop business with one phone number for everything,” said Hayes, who joined Churches Fire in 2010 as part of a team brought in by Topley. “Our growth up to then had been steady, with small acquisitions where we used different firms of solicitors,” said Hayes.
Ambitious growth
She was attracted to the company by its ambitious growth plans. When she joined, Churches had just made a significant investment in new enterprise resource planning software. “Such a large investment in technology in this industry was unusual, so I knew this was an innovative company with bold future plans,” Hayes noted. “For the past five years we have been completely paperless. In our industry I think we are cutting edge in the way we use technology to run the business.”
Another factor in Churches’ acquisitive strategy is how it invests in its employees and their integration into the company. “We’ve always been particularly sensitive about bringing in new colleagues and making sure they immediately feel part of our team,” said Hayes.
While negotiations with Horizon were underway, Churches was being advised by Amanda Brockwell, who was then head of the corporate team at law firm Coffin Mew. Churches was keen to follow her to Paris Smith when she joined the firm as a partner continuing her specialism in corporate mergers and acquisitions and investments.
“We had worked with Amanda on one of our previous deals and rated it one of the best that we’d done in terms of ease and support from our lawyers,” said Hayes. “For us, it’s not about the law firm, but the lawyer. It always has been.”
“I remember when I first met Amanda,” she recalled. “I was struck by how thorough and collaborative she was. I come from an HR background so to go into a room full of lawyers for a pre-deal meeting was an eye-opener for me. She really helped me to navigate through the process. It’s really wonderful to receive that level of support in all our interactions. Churches has a very open and honest relationship with Paris Smith.”
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businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – MAY/JUNE 2020
Lorna Hayes
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