Safehinge has acquired Primera Life, a specialist manufacturer of anti-barricade locksets and other specialist door hardware widely used in mental healthcare environments.
Safehinge said: “The acquisition brings together two market-leaders with awardwinning design and engineering teams – creating a company greater than the sum of its parts, and raising the standards of safety in mental healthcare. Day to day, Safehinge and Primera will continue to operate in the same way, with no change to sales and purchasing channels or contact details.”
Martin Izod and Philip Ross, co-founders and directors of Safehinge, are now directors of Primera, and will work across both companies, supported by longstanding Safehinge chair, John McDougall, who will become Primera’s chair. Primera directors, Jerry Smith and Clive Stone have stepped down from day-to-day operations, but are ‘working behind the scenes to facilitate a smooth transition’.
Philip Ross, commercial director, said: “We’ve been preparing for this acquisition for 18 months. The management structure we have put in place provides clarity of leadership, direction, and accountability, plus stability. Since late 2015 we’ve gradually expanded the Safehinge team, and invested in systems. There are now more engineering, customer service, and salespeople on hand to help our customers and partners.”
Safehinge now has a sales and specification team spread across the UK, while the two companies have worked together since 2012, and their products are well integrated – with Primera’s locksets ‘working seamlessly’ with Safehinge’s Symphony doorsets. Philip Ross added: “Because the respective products complement each other well, it makes specification easier for end-customers, architects, and sales and specification partners. This acquisition provides opportunities for both companies to make improvements.”
Safehinge