The Fire Beam Company
Creators of the World’s Leading Optical Beam Smoke Detector
Creating The Fire Beam
Having seen what can only be described as a unhappy market place, the founding Directors took a clean sheet of paper and went about solving all the problems typically associated with this form of smoke detection.
The Fire Beam tackles the common issues of unreliability caused by building movement, difficulty in commissioning, and ground level accessibility. Furthermore, designing the product from scratch gave them the opportunity to build in additional value-added features and many other new benefits.
18 months later the very first Fire Beam rolled off the production line, followed by a high profile launch at the 2005 International Fire Expo (Firex), where The Fire Beam Company won both the ‘Best Product’ and ‘Best Company’ awards. From its base in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, The Fire Beam went from strength to strength and was welcomed by the industry with open arms.
Looking to the Future
Continuous company growth means we have not been standing still. Our products have continually evolved and our latest range boasts industry-leading performance and innovation.
The BLUE and the Xtra both cover distances of up to 160 metres and the BLUE’s App-based wireless Bluetooth® control is a fire industry first.
The Fire Beam is now the beam of choice for many of the leading names in the UK fire industry and proving a reliable answer to more expensive alternatives in protecting large areas such as air sampling and point detection.
Meet The Team
The brains behind the Fire Beam are a highly experienced team of individuals who collectively share a vast amount of knowledge in their specialist field. From electronics and engineering through to product design, marketing and finance. Let us briefly introduce some of them to you…
Cliff Key
Managing & Commercial Director
Cliff joined the Fire Beam Company after spending 15 years within the logistics industry, in customer facing roles with major national accounts throughout the UK. Upon leaving this sector Cliff set up and run a successful company within the building industry and also established a sales and distribution enterprise within the drinks market throughout the south of Spain.
Cliff has been peripherally involved with the Fire Beam since its conception and is now responsible for the planning, strategy and long-term growth of the company.
Karl Caddick
Marketing Director
Co-founder of The Fire Beam Company, Karl has worked within the design and marketing world for over 30 years, heading up a number of successful companies. Dealing mainly with large multi-national brands on a global basis, his understanding of brand management and product placement has given The Fire Beam a solid and professional footing.
This is the first time Karl has worked within the fire industry, which has allowed him the luxury of viewing the business with a fresh pair of eyes.
Nikki
General Manager
Nikki joined The Fire Beam Company in 2017, swiftly gaining promotion to Customer Support Manager and then General Manager in quick succession. Nikki joined us with a background of having her own manufacturing business and supplying high-end bespoke furniture.
Katie
Internal Sales Manager
Having originally joined the team in 2022, Katie was soon promoted to our Internal Sales Manager. If you would like to talk about our products and accessories, or need to place an order or follow up on existing order then please speak to Katie, who will be happy to help.
Gemma
Production Co-ordinator
Gemma joined us in 2022 and controls the UK arm of production. She ensures that every accessory is built to our exacting standards and is then carefully packed and despatched, alongside our Fire Beams, to one of our distribution partners around the world.
Company History
Just 18 months prior to the launch of The Fire Beam at Firex 2005, the company was the brainchild of company founders Andrew Gilmour and Karl Caddick. As with all the best plans, the two best of friends came up with the idea over a pint and the ultimate beam detector was born.
Both looking after their own areas of expertise, the idea soon became a reality. Many obstacles had to be overcome, including finding a manufacturing partner. After a lot of research in Malaysia, we teamed up with manufacturing company Lemtronics, happily marrying British design with the highest quality manufacturing.
Award Winning Launch
Development then progressed from the first prototype through to the finished Fire Beam. Following a high profile launch at the 2005 International Fire Expo (Firex), where The Fire Beam Company won both the ‘Best Product’ and ‘Best Company’ awards, The Fire Beam has gone from strength to strength.
In a very short time The Fire Beam became the beam of choice throughout the industry. Continued company growth now finds The Fire Beam selling in over 60 countries around the world, protecting lives and property in thousands of locations around the globe.
