New UK business for Global Fire Equipment

European-based manufacturer of high quality and competitively priced fire safety systems, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has welcomed the formation of a new company – GFE (UK) Fire Ltd which will trade as Global Fire Equipment (UK). GFE UK has now taken over the role as the sole importer for all GFE products throughout the UK.

GFE UK, whose main office is located in Havant, is owned and headed up by Matt Ketley GIFireE MIFSM TMIFPO. Matt has extensive sales experience in the UK fire industry, having worked for respected UK-based companies for nearly 20 years.

Matt comments: “As Managing Director of GFE UK I am delighted to take on this new role and have an exciting vision for the company. We are the sole importer of GFE’s equipment into the UK and are working to bring on board key distributors and system partners to ensure that GFE products, along with industry-leading technical support, are readily available for all our UK customers.”

GFE UK has already secured partnerships with STS Distribution Ltd, Illumino Ingis Ltd and Firesense Ltd as specialist distributors, along with F & E Projects Ltd and Safetech Systems Ltd as systems partners. With a view to supporting growth plans and product availability for the UK, GFE UK is also working with a number of other interested parties that will be named in due course.  

Commenting further, Matt adds: “We mean business. We are looking for significant and sustained growth within the UK market, based on providing successful mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. We plan to radically increase awareness of the GFE brand and products by ensuring we deliver the fundamental requirements for all long-term successful relationships in the fire safety sector – the provision of excellent service, quality products and market-leading customer experience, all delivered through effective teamwork.

“It is a great time to launch this business with GFE. The forthcoming new product range will further strengthen GFE’s reputation for innovative, high quality and competitively priced fire safety equipment.  A number of the new products, such as the new G-One single loop panel, have been designed specifically for the UK market. We are confident that the new product range will be well received by existing and prospective customers. Finally, I would like to add that on a personal note that I am very much looking forward to working in partnership with Paul Pope and João Paulo Ajami in this new venture.”

João Paulo Ajami, Managing Director of the manufacturing company Global Fire Equipment, comments: “The UK has always been an important market for GFE and offers a lot of growth potential, so we are delighted that GFE UK has taken on the role as our sole importer for this dynamic market. We are committed to the UK market for the long-term and we have set our sights on significant market growth. We believe Matt and his team are ideally positioned to help us achieve these goals and quickly increase our presence.” 

Group Business Development Director at Global Fire Equipment, Paul Pope, adds: “It is a really exciting time in GFE’s growth plans for Matt to have established GFE UK.  I have had the pleasure of working with Matt for more than 10 years, so I am particularly delighted that he has taken on this opportunity. He is a great character and is both highly experienced and respected in the UK’s fire sector, so I am sure that he will do a fantastic job in further strengthening the presence of GFE and our products in the UK.”