George Ansell and his relentless journey of growing security trade products
Security professionals operate in a high-stakes industry where reliability is non-negotiable. Hence, they need a trusted partner, whether for technical assistance during a critical install, sourcing high-performance access control equipment, or identifying innovative solutions for complex environments. Acknowledging this, George Ansell established Security Trade Products Ltd. (STP), a brand committed to delivering expertise-driven support and dependable, high-quality security products for the modern installer.
Security Trade Products has become a go-to supplier in the United Kingdom's access control space, offering a comprehensive range of door entry and electronic locking solutions. From electromagnetic locks, shearlocks, and solenoid bolts to power supplies, proximity readers, and exit devices, STP boasts a catalogue as varied as the security needs it serves.
Besides supplying products, STP is known as a brand built on expertise and trust. As an independent player in the UK security distribution market, it takes pride in offering personalised, accessible support, where customers can speak directly with someone who understands the products and the problems they're designed to solve.
Honesty, reliability, and deep technical knowledge also form the backbone of STP's brand philosophy. Clients trust the company to deliver, guide, troubleshoot, and recommend based on real-world experience. 'This is where we stand out. STP has a personable, hands-on identity, supported by staff who actually know our catalogue inside and out. This allows us to remain nimble and trustworthy in a marketplace dominated by giants who may be impersonal in their approach,' says Ansell.
Still, it's worth noting that STP's story didn't begin with glossy branding or well-stocked warehouses. When Ansell started the business, he was operating on borrowed stock. He had to rely on consignment stock from suppliers who are now competitors, only invoicing once a sale was made. 'It was a calculated risk, and it's one that paid off slowly with persistence,' the founder shares.
It took persistence indeed, as the early years were defined by logistical challenges, tight margins, and a constant hustle to prove the value of his products and service model. However, Ansell had a plan, and it was to build a brand by importing quality access control products, distributing them through trusted channels, and letting performance do the talking.
The business grew, and so did Ansell's vision. In 2023, recognising a growing demand for premium, aesthetically refined security solutions, he launched Stealth Locking. This sub-brand took the principles of STP and elevated them into a design-led, fire-rated product range. With its distinctive black finish, Stealth Locking was engineered to meet functional and aesthetic standards for premium projects, from luxury offices to high-end retail and airport installations. The brand even introduced Stealth Custom, a bespoke service allowing clients to match access control hardware to any RAL colour.
Ansell, ever innovative, didn't stop there. In 2024, he expanded the business ecosystem with SWL Security Wholesale (Epping) Limited. It's a multi-brand trader counter designed to complement STP's single-brand approach. 'If STP was the specialist, SWL was the generalist,' Ansell states. Offering CCTV, fire alarms, access control, intruder, and more, SWL provides walk-in solutions for trade professionals who need convenience without sacrificing quality.
STP, Stealth Locking, and SWL form a cohesive network. Each entity serves a distinct purpose while reinforcing the larger brand mission of delivering trusted, innovative, and accessible security solutions. This growth was intentional. Each business filled a gap identified by Ansell through his extensive industry experience.
STP answers the call for dependable access control hardware with a strong technical backbone. Stealth Locking captures the attention of design-conscious, high-end clients demanding both form and function. Meanwhile, SWL addresses the need for multi-brand convenience and rapid availability, especially for local installers and contractors. 'In every case, the common denominator was our customer-centric thinking. We develop solutions for real people solving real problems,' Ansell remarks.
Today, the brand aims to continue its upward trajectory. The next chapter includes targeted expansion into the Middle East, where the Stealth Locking range is already gaining traction. With its visually sophisticated and fire-rated offerings, the company is well-suited to the architectural trends of the region, where black hardware complements high-end finishes and style is as essential as performance.
The company is also investing in custom manufacturing capabilities, allowing greater flexibility for bespoke solutions like transom housings and other specialised door security components. Meanwhile, back in the UK, new SWL locations are planned, ensuring even more proximity to customers and allowing for better delivery times.
George Ansell has always built with the end user in mind. Even now, as his brands mature and multiply, that focus hasn't shifted. STP and its affiliated companies continue to stand out for accessibility, honesty, and in-depth expertise. He states: 'We solve problems, build trust, and make sure our customers know we've got their back. This commitment is what will keep us moving forward.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
UK expands visas for AI talent
The UK government is aiming to more than double the number of science fellowships it awards as part of a drive to boost the UK's AI infrastructure, its technology secretary announced on Tuesday. Peter Kyle said the government would not shy away from 'risk' when it came to developing AI infrastructure in the UK, but that it needed overseas talent to do so, as well as training new generations at home. 'Our tech success wouldn't have been possible without brilliant people choosing time and time again to call Britain home. In an ever in an ever more competitive world, we simply can't afford to lose that status,' Mr Kyle said. 'So we will introduce a new scheme to attract the brightest and the best brains to Britain,' he said, speaking at London Tech Week conference. Mr Kyle said the UK government would 'double' the number of places available in its Encode: AI science fellowship, which embeds AI researchers into UK labs. The next cohort is expected to start in Autumn. He also announced the launch of the Turing AI 'Global' Fellowship, to attract five AI experts to the UK. This is in addition to existing Turing AI Fellowships which have been available since 2019. Global fellows will receive packages to relocate to the UK and build a team of experts to conduct 'frontier' AI research that contributes to the UK's infrastructure. It comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a 'national skills drive' worth £187 million ($239 million) to give 'over a million students' the chance to start careers in AI on Monday. Mr Starmer also pledged a £1 billion investment in AI compute – the microchips, processing units and cabling that make AI systems function – and announced a new government AI assistant called 'Extract' to help process planning applications. Mr Kyle said the UK had been overburdened by a ' regulatory regime that was stuck in the past', and that the new government was prepared to take 'risks' to use AI and technology to stimulate jobs and cut costs. He spoke of British businesses who were seeking better opportunities overseas. 'When countries become preoccupied with avoiding risk, they risk resisting innovation,' he said. 'Too often Britain has felt like a country where people resist innovation.' Mr Kyle also said that a centre focused on accelerating the adoption of AI will be established at London's Imperial College, in partnership with the UK government and the World Economic Forum. The UK government will also work on creating OpenBind, 'world's largest database' analysing how drugs interact with proteins. Mr Kyle said the project 'could cut the cost of developing new treatments by up to £100 billion'.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Antonio Guterres: We need a rescue plan for sustainable development
This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development. The stakes could not be higher. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two thirds of the targets are lagging. And the world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030. Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising and aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars and international co-operation is under unprecedented strain. The global development crisis is not abstract. It is measured in families going to bed hungry, children going unvaccinated, girls being forced to drop out of school and entire communities deprived of basic services. We must correct course. That begins at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where an ambitious, globally supported plan to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals must be adopted. That plan should include three essential elements. First, Sevilla must help accelerate the flow of resources to the countries who need it most. Fast. Countries must be in the driver's seat, mobilising domestic resources by strengthening revenue collection and addressing tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows through international co-operation. This would provide much-needed resources to prioritise spending on areas with the greatest impact such as education, health care, jobs, social protection, food security and renewable energy. At the same time, national development banks, regional and Multilateral Development Banks need to come together to finance major investments. To support this, the lending capacity of these banks needs to triple so developing countries can better access capital on affordable terms with longer timelines. This increased access should include re-channeling of unconditional reserve assets – or Special Drawing Rights – to developing countries, preferably through Multilateral Development Banks to multiply their impact. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two-thirds of the targets are lagging Private investment is also essential. Resources can be unlocked by making it easier for private finance to support bankable development projects and by promoting solutions that mitigate currency risks and combine public and private finance more effectively. Throughout, donors must keep their development promises. Second, we must fix the global debt system. It is unfair and broken. The current borrowing system is unsustainable, and developing countries have little confidence in it. It's easy to see why. Debt service is a steamroller crushing development gains, to the tune of more than $1.4 trillion a year. Many governments are forced to spend more on debt payments than on essentials like health and education combined. Sevilla must result in concrete steps to reduce borrowing costs, facilitate timely debt restructuring for countries burdened by unsustainable debt, and prevent debt crises from unfolding in the first place. In advance of the conference, a number of countries put forward proposals to ease the debt burden on developing countries. This includes making it easier to pause debt service in times of emergency; establishing a single debt registry to strengthen transparency; and improving how the IMF, World Bank and credit-ratings agencies assess risks in developing countries. Finally, Sevilla must raise the voice and influence of developing countries in the international financial system so it better serves their needs. International financial institutions must reform their governance structures to enable greater voice and participation of developing countries in the management of the institutions they depend on. The world also needs a fairer global tax system, one shaped by all governments – not just the wealthiest and most powerful. The creation of a 'borrowers club' for countries to coordinate their approaches and learn from one another is another promising step toward addressing power imbalances. The meeting in Sevilla is not about charity. It's about justice, and building a future in which countries can thrive, build, trade and prosper together. In our increasingly interconnected world, a future of haves and have-nots is a recipe for even greater global insecurity that will keep weighing down progress for all. With renewed global commitment and action, Sevilla can spark new momentum to restore a measure of faith in international co-operation and deliver on sustainable development for people and planet.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
World Bank slashes global growth forecast as trade tensions bite
The World Bank on Tuesday slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 by 0.4 percentage point to 2.3%, saying that higher tariffs and heightened uncertainty posed a "significant headwind" for nearly all economies. In its twice-yearly Global Economic Prospects report, the bank lowered its forecasts for nearly 70% of all economies - including the United States, China and Europe, as well as six emerging market regions - from the levels it projected just six months ago before U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Trump has upended global trade with a series of on-again, off-again tariff hikes that have increased the effective U.S. tariff rate from below 3% to the mid-teens - its highest level in almost a century - and triggered retaliation by China and other countries. The World Bank is the latest body to cut its growth forecast as a result of Trump's erratic trade policies, although U.S. officials insist the negative consequences will be offset by a surge in investment and still-to-be approved tax cuts. The bank stopped short of forecasting a recession, but said global economic growth this year would be its weakest outside of a recession since 2008. By 2027, global gross domestic product growth was expected to average just 2.5%, the slowest pace of any decade since the 1960s. The report forecast that global trade would grow by 1.8% in 2025, down from 3.4% in 2024 and roughly a third of its 5.9% level in the 2000s. The forecast is based on tariffs in effect as of late May, including a 10% U.S. tariff on imports from most countries. It excludes increases announced by Trump in April and then postponed until July 9 to allow for negotiations. The bank said global inflation was expected to reach 2.9% in 2025, remaining above pre-COVID levels, given tariff increases and tight labor markets. "Risks to the global outlook remain tilted decidedly to the downside," the bank wrote. It said its models showed that a further 10-percentage point increase in average U.S. tariffs, on top of the 10% rate already implemented, and proportional retaliation by other countries, could shave another 0.5 percentage point off the outlook for 2025. Such an escalation in trade barriers would result "in global trade seizing up in the second half of this year ... accompanied by a widespread collapse in confidence, surging uncertainty and turmoil in financial markets," the report said. Nonetheless, it said the risk of a global recession was less than 10%. 'FOG ON A RUNWAY' Top officials from the United States and China are meeting in London this week to try to defuse a trade dispute that has widened from tariffs to restrictions over rare earth minerals, threatening a global supply chain shock and slower growth. "Uncertainty remains a powerful drag, like fog on a runway. It slows investment and clouds the outlook," World Bank Deputy Chief Economist Ayhan Kose told Reuters in an interview. But he said there were signs of increased dialogue on trade that could help dispel uncertainty, and supply chains were adapting to a new global trade map, not collapsing. Global trade growth could see a modest rebound in 2026 to 2.4%, and developments in artificial intelligence could also boost growth, he said. "We think that eventually the uncertainty will decline," he said. "Once the type of fog we have lifts, the trade engine may start running again, but at a slower pace." Kose said while things could get worse, trade was continuing and China, India and others were still delivering robust growth. Many countries were also discussing new trade partnerships that could pay dividends later, he said. US GROWTH FORECAST CUT SHARPLY The World Bank said the global outlook had "deteriorated substantially" since January, mainly due to advanced economies, now seen growing by just 1.2%, down half a point, after expanding 1.7% in 2024. The U.S. forecast was slashed by 0.9 percentage point from its January forecast to 1.4%, and the 2026 outlook was lowered by 0.4 percentage point to 1.6%. Rising trade barriers, "record-high uncertainty" and a spike in financial market volatility were expected to weigh on private consumption, trade and investment, it said. Growth estimates in the euro area were cut by 0.3 percentage point to 0.7% and in Japan by 0.5 percentage point to 0.7%. It said emerging markets and developing economies were expected to grow by 3.8% in 2025 versus 4.1% in January's forecast. Poor countries would suffer the most, the report said. By 2027 developing economies' per capita GDP would be 6% below pre-pandemic levels, and it could take these countries - minus China - two decades to recoup the economic losses of the 2020s. Mexico, heavily dependent on trade with the U.S., saw its growth forecast cut by 1.3 percentage points to 0.2% in 2025. The World Bank left its forecast for China unchanged at 4.5% from January, saying Beijing still had monetary and fiscal space to support its economy and stimulate growth. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
