Specialist fire protection systems developer Advanced appoints new sales director

In his most recent role as global sales director at Johnson Controls, Craig was responsible for driving growth and customer engagement across multiple channels and brands. In terms of his new role at Advanced, he will be responsible for accelerating growth in both the UK and international markets, while also maintaining the business’ core values and building upon its envied reputation in the sphere of fire alarm control and indicating equipment manufacturing.

Craig was recently interviewed by Western Business Media’s CEO Mark Sennett for Episode 4 of the fortnightly Fire Safety Matters Podcast.

Speaking about the news, Craig told Fire Safety Matters: “Advanced’s track record within the industry for manufacturing and supplying high-performing, reliable and easy-to-use fire alarm control panels is second to none. I’m thrilled to be able to join at a time when the business is enjoying such strong growth across both its UK and export markets. I look forward to building upon these foundations alongside the sales team members, all of whom have a great breadth of knowledge and experience and are well respected by our customers, specifiers and end users alike.”

Craig continued: “A key focus for me will also be the development of new markets and channels, while also constantly striving to enhance our customers’ experience at every touchpoint. Accelerated new product development and a focus on digital connectivity and cloud-based platforms will undoubtedly put Advanced in a strong position to leverage new technologies and remain at the forefront of our industry.”

Value and momentum

Also commenting on the new appointment, Advanced’s managing director Pete Browitt stated: “Gary is an excellent addition to our leadership team and his appointment will, without doubt, bring value and momentum to the strategic direction of the business. His strong background in sales, coupled with his international focus and expertise, will help take us to the next level in areas such as customer relations and forge our growth strategy.”

Owned by FTSE 100 company Halma plc, Advanced protects a wide range of prestigious and high-profile sites across the globe, from London’s famous Shard through to Abu Dhabi International Airport and Miami’s Sands Pointe development.

Last year, Advanced’s turnover increased by 20% to reach a hugely impressive total of £25 million on the back of particularly strong growth in the UK, Europe, the Asia Pacific region and Australia.

Advanced is a specialist in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The business’ reputation for performance, quality and ease of use frequently results in its myriad products being specified in locations around the world, from single-panel installations right through to large multi-site networks.

Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multiprotocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging and false alarm management systems.