Member Article

Security specialist lands Birmingham Christmas market contract

A leading manufacturer of anti-terrorist bollards and barriers based in Coventry has secured another Christmas market in the UK, helping to protect more than five million visitors.

Safetyflex Barriers has installed two of its products at the popular Frankfurt Christmas Market Birmingham as part of a new contract with Birmingham City Council.

The city centre market is known as the largest authentic German market in Europe outside of Germany and Austria, attracting millions of visitors from around the world.

Safetyflex’s Crash Block has been installed at access points around the market, while its Swing Gate has also been fitted in other key areas across the city centre.

The Crash Block has been custom-designed to include a planter and has also been dressed in a Christmas theme to ensure it blends into the existing street scene.

Marcus Gerrard, Director of Safetyflex Barriers, based in Foleshill, said: “Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market has grown to become one of the most popular in Europe, so we are delighted to be playing our part in helping to spread the festive cheer.

“Ironically, the first Christmas market we ever secured was in the city of Rostock in Germany, so it’s great to come full circle and protect a German market so close to home.

“Both the Crash Block and Swing Gate are really ideal for city centres, sports stadiums, and other public realm projects as they are completely surface mounted and require no ground fixings, so they can be permanent or temporary solutions.

“That means they can be installed swiftly within hours and offer instant protection against vehicle attacks to ensure members of the public are able to shop with peace of mind during the festive period.”

The Crash Block has been crash-tested to industry standards BSI PAS68 and IWA14, while the Swing Gate has also been crash-tested to IWA14 standards at the HORIBA MIRA centre of excellence in Nuneaton.

Safetyflex was established in 2010 and has quickly become a market leader in anti-terrorist hostile vehicle mitigation, securing 36 patents worldwide and has won more than 15 awards for its innovation.

It recently announced plans to expand with a second premises in Coventry, and has committed £1 million to research and innovation in 2023.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .