Banham Security seals acquisition deal for Willenhall-based lock manufacturer Guardian

Founded back in 1982, the Guardian Lock and Engineering Company is the largest independently-owned lock manufacturer in the UK. In fact, it owns three lock brands: Imperial, Benton and Worrall. Since 1984, the business has occupied its 20,000 sq ft premises in Willenhall in the West Midlands.

Following the acquisition deal, Guardian will continue to be run as an independent company as part of the Banham Group, with director David Bate at the helm. Bate has been with Guardian since its inception and will continue to lead the exceptional standard of manufacturing and work ethic the company has achieved for over four decades and its dedicated team of over 50 employees.

Year-on-year growth

Banham Security, which was founded in 1926, remains the largest provider of home security systems in London and the South East of England. The British family-run business, which is currently in its fourth generation of Banham family stewardship, has witnessed significant year-on-year growth over its 95 years in operation.

Banham Security has worked in partnership with Guardian for over 20 years now, collaborating on the production of several of the latter’s now iconic locks, such as the L2000. This long-standing relationship has been built on sharing several key company values, championing British lock manufacturing and achieving excellence through the finest product craftsmanship.

The acquisition deal formally consolidates this already successful working partnership and marks the start of an exciting new phase of development for both companies.

Collaborative relationship

Speaking about the news, Charles Hallatt (executive chairman at Banham) said: “Banham is delighted to officially welcome Guardian to the Banham Group family. We’ve worked with David and his team for many years and have a wonderful collaborative relationship that has been integral to Banham’s success. Our shared values have been instrumental in producing iconic locks. This is an exciting development for Banham and we look forward to working even closer with Guardian.”

David Bate responded: “This is a very proud moment in Guardian’s history as we become part of one of the most iconic security providers in the UK. We’ve worked very closely with Banham for many years, almost since our own beginning, and we’ve always had a long and trusted relationship. Having built up Guardian over the last 40 years in Willenhall, we’re very proud of everything that we have achieved and the benchmark we’ve set for British lock manufacturing. This partnership marks the start of a new phase in our company’s history and we look forward to the wealth of opportunities ahead.”

*Further information is available online at www.banham.co.uk