Facilicom UK chalked up a good year. Substantial growth was recorded in both cleaning and security services. Profit was also significantly improved. All in all, the division was able to obtain its best results since its establishment in 2003.
Facilicom Cleaning Services increased considerably in size due to the complete integration of Indigo Services, a company that was taken over in mid-2011 and that now will be included for the entire year. The merged company was furthermore able to achieve 6 percent growth. The mostly larger contracts of the acquired company enjoyed a somewhat smaller margin, but the use of synergy benefits significantly improved results. It is also noteworthy that not a single client left as a result of the integration; indeed, many contracts were renewed for longer terms and often expanded as well.
Security company Trigion enjoyed a 5 percent increase in turnover. The growth primarily occurred in the electronic security and alarm centre services. Clients are increasingly more frequently requiring a clever combination of human surveillance, electronics and surveillance from a remote location. The company, which was previously losing money, moved into the black in 2012. Trigion is now active in a new segment with a great deal of potential: shopping mall security. The contracts come, for that matter, mostly through clients that are already working with Facilicom in the cleaning services sector.
British clients are extremely interested in multi-services and integrated facility management. Facilicom can still not offer such packages in the United Kingdom, which is losing us clients in some cases. This circumstance is offset by the fact that full FM providers hire Facilicom to provide cleaning and security services. In 2012, a few of these suppliers chose Facilicom as their preferred supplier, which resulted in substantial turnover in the year under review.The British have not experienced the contraction occurring in the Netherlands and other countries in recent years. At worst, the market in Britain has been stagnating. There even seems to be slight growth at this time. Facilicom UK has a good outlook for 2013. The business will strengthen its position by training managers and employees in hostmanship. It is also noteworthy that Facilicom is one of the first companies in the United Kingdom to be accredited for the London Living Wage, a higher minimum wage than generally usual. The company is now required to negotiate with each client in order to jointly make this higher minimum wage possible. A liveable wage is better for employees, such is the reasoning, and ultimately also better for the clients themselves.