It was 15 years ago that Mike Ainscough launched MP Electronic Fire & Security, bringing with him three decades of industry experience, starting out as a trainee installation engineer back in 1986.

Fast forward 34 years, and Mike is now the managing director of AinsCo Fire & Security, overseeing the design, installation and maintenance of over 200-300 major businesses and companies in the last 15 years.

Mike boasts a wealth of knowledge and experience of all roles in the industry, from apprentice to engineer, engineering supervisor to sales manager, then sales director and MD, with ultimate responsibility for safety in the business.

Want to know more about our managing director? We sat down with Mike for a five-minute chat about 34 years in the industry...

How has the industry changed over the last 34 years?

From a compliance and legislation point of view the fire side has changed a lot with the fire discipline being a heavily regulated industry. This is something I am expecting to continue in the coming years, with a reliance on proving competency of the team - something I am proud to say we invest in annually.

From a security point of view the systems have moved on a lot over the years, from analogue CCTV to IP and integrated systems. I always like to test our engineers' knowledge by throwing in a question on connecting a pressure mat to a system... our younger engineers aren’t even aware what pressure mats are these days!

What is your favourite thing about AinsCo Fire and Security?

I am proud of the family ethos and culture we have at AinsCo. It is always great to see honesty, integrity and collaboration within our growing team. Our engineers are committed to delivering for our customers, and hearing positive feedback on their experience with AinsCo gives me complete confidence that the team is living by our values.

You started out as a trainee installer back in 1986 - is promoting career progression within AinsCo important to you?

After leaving school, I attended Birkenhead Technical College to study electronics and communication engineering. I was then given an opportunity with Shield Alarms, a small local alarm company, where I gained experience as an apprentice. The rest, as they say, is history.

There is a clear lack of quality engineers in the industry and we remain committed in giving opportunities to young people to develop into quality engineers. We also always look to promote from within and in this year alone, one of our senior engineers moved into project management, as well as two engineers moving into project engineer positions at AinsCo Fire & Security.

Where do you see the company being in 10 years time? How will things evolve?

I’d like to see us as a household name in 10 years time, continuing to uphold our reputation for delivering high quality systems to our expanding customer base. As a local business we have a social responsibility and this is something I also envision increasing over the years, with us working more closely with local schools, as well as businesses and authorities.

As discussed earlier, our industry is becoming more heavily regulated, and so proving the competency of our team is a theme for the future. I see this as being a positive step for fire safety, and with our continued investment in training will stand us in good stead for these regulatory changes.