Norse Commercial Services - new name for NCS

07 April 2009

Norfolk County Services(NCS) has changed its name this week to Norse Commercial Services to more clearly identify the company as part of the Norse Group, now one of the largest employers in the Eastern region. It has also acquired a stake in stewarding and security company, EventGuard.

Norse Commercial Services provides a range of FM services to both the public and private sectors, including grounds and building maintenance, education and commercial catering, street and facility cleaning, carpark and park and ride management, environmental, security and community healthcare services and waste management. It is part of the Norse Group, which also includes property services group NPS and waste management operator Norfolk Environmental Waste Services.

Managing Director, Peter Hawes, explained: “The company has enjoyed significant growth over the last few years, and we felt that the time was right to create this unified brand. This new positioning will help us to communicate more effectively, bring greater benefits of scale, and enhance our service portfolio via links with other Norse companies, allowing joint marketing and increased cross-selling to existing Group customers” he added.

The company, which employs around 4,900 people and has a turnover of over £80m, also has as number of innovative partnership arrangements in place with local authorities.

Existing subsidiary companies – EventGuard, GYB Services, SCS and NCS Transport, Waveney Norse, Interprint, NorseCare and NorseClean will retain their individual identities and continue to trade under their existing names.

Norse Commercial Services has also announced the acquisition of a 75.1% stake holding in EventGuard Ltd, the stewarding and security company previously wholly owned by Norwich City Football Club.

Peter Hawes, Norse Commercial Services Managing Director, said EventGuard is an ideal fit both with the facilities management provider’s established security services and its growth programme.
“EventGuard is a recognised and well respected brand and this deal presented a good opportunity to merge our two security businesses and trade under the one EventGuard banner” he commented.

Norse Sales and Marketing Director Mike Sparrow added, “EventGuard’s national experience in providing guarding and stewarding services will complement the security business that Norse Commercial Services has built up. Our extensive marketing resources and commercial reach will open up new opportunities for the broader EventGuard offering.”

EventGuard was formed in 2001 and has grown quickly to become one of the country’s leading event stewarding and security providers. With around 500 staff the company also supplies door staff, mobile patrols, cash collection and keyholder services. EventGuard is fully licensed by the Security Industry Authority and is the only security company in Norfolk and Suffolk to be Police Accredited.

Norse Commercial Services has achieved ISO 9001 Quality Management accreditation in two key operational areas of its business, and its central management system. The ‘Community Equipment Service’ operation procures, installs, maintains, tests and collects around 70,000 items of equipment used by people with long-term disabilities within Norfolk. GYB Services, a partnership company jointly owned by Norse and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, has been awarded the Certificate for its Street Cleansing Service. Norse’s central Quality Management System has also been successfully certified to the new ISO 9001:2008 Standard.