A UK-WIDE CCTV firm is celebrating 25 years in business with a host of new clients, soaring turnover, and ambitious plans to grow its presence across the UK.
Mochdre-based Active CCTV was launched in 2000 by Adrian Standerwick, who admits he started out with limited technical know-how, saying at the time he “couldn’t even wire a plug”.
Now, a quarter of a century later, the company is thriving. Active CCTV installs advanced security systems for major national brands including McDonald’s, Montgomery Water, Brother, PetPlace, Henllan Bakery, Bourne Leisure, and Culina Group.
The past year has brought personal challenges for Adrian, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for bowel cancer. His health battle follows the heartbreaking loss of his 25-year-old son Sam in 2016.
Despite these hardships, Adrian remains a pillar of strength in the business, driven by his commitment to customers and supported by a close-knit team of expert engineers.
“It has been a tough time, but I have an amazing family and my son Matt, who leads on the installation side of the business, has been incredible in stepping up to help me,” said Adrian.
“As has Andy, who has been with the company for nearly two years and taken over a lot of the day to day running of the company, which has been a huge help in taking the pressure off and allowing me to focus on fighting this disease and the time to rest and recover.
“I am a positive person and focused on getting better, I can no longer live to work 24/7, but at the same time we are busier than ever which is fantastic.”
The company has seen rapid expansion in recent years, with turnover increasing fourfold since 2020.
“We have grown 400% over the last four years and that trend looks set to continue given some of the major contracts we’ve signed with big players, notably in retail and self-storage, which is our biggest market,” said Adrian.
“This has been recognised by the local Chamber of Commerce, where we were a finalist in the 2024 Business Growth Award, another incredible achievement considering the amount and quality of other businesses in our area.”
Key to this growth has been diversification – something Adrian admits came about somewhat organically.
“Self-storage is now about 60% of our workload, with clients from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England and all over, so we have become a big player in that sector,” he said.
“Complex installations have always been our forte, that has raised our profile and as we have a tight-knit team with talent and experience we can do major projects while keeping costs low and quality high, a major USP for us.”
Looking back on the last 25 years, Adrian recalls how Active CCTV was the first firm in North Wales to introduce PC-based surveillance systems—despite early skepticism.
“Consistency and building strong business relationships has been key, in the way we deal with customers and in always wanting to learn, to implement the newest and most up-to-date technology, and in supporting other firms locally, which is reflected in the amount of five-star reviews we have received,” he said.
“CCTV has moved on – it is literally night and day from when we started as the cameras are full colour and can produce clear, light images around the clock – and we have had to move with the times, but I am proud to say we have done so successfully and will continue to for many years to come.”
For more information, visit www.active-cctv.co.uk or email info@active-cctv.co.uk. Alternatively, call 01492 547997.
