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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Kentec
Sales team training at Kentec’s offices in Dartford, Kent
The announcement of the King’s Award in the factory at Kentec on 6 May 2026
remain rooted in Dartford, Kent, where the company now employs around 290 people. Sales and marketing director Derrick Hall believes the secret to success has been the company’s ability to adapt to a changing landscape. The first British Standard for fire alarms in buildings, BS 5839-1, was introduced three years after the inception of Kentec, he explained. Since then, harmonisation with European standards and the introduction of third-party certification have continually reshaped the market. Throughout, Kentec has consistently embraced new technologies, from so-called ‘addressable’ systems in the 1990s to the more recent advances in wireless solutions, all while maintaining a strong focus on safety and reliability. This ethos will become ever more important in the years ahead, as emerging sectors present new challenges. Battery energy storage systems, for example, pose an inherent fire risk, as lithium-ion batteries are highly susceptible to ‘thermal runaway’, which can lead to difficult-to-control fires. Kentec is already at the forefront of developing specialist solutions, focusing on early gas detection and automated response systems. At the same time, the growing integration of AI into life safety systems is expected to test both manufacturers and regulators. Derrick argues that future standards must evolve faster than the technology itself if the industry is to stay ahead of emerging risks. It is a challenge that mirrors the company’s broader philosophy: that innovation must always be balanced with responsibility. “Kentec is determined not simply to keep pace with the future of the industry, but to help define it”
Four decades after a small team assembled its first fire alarm control panel in a converted shed in Kent, Kentec has earned one of British business’s highest honours: the 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. It is a fitting tribute to a company that has grown up alongside the modern fire safety industry itself, helping shape the standards, technologies and practices that keep people and buildings around the world safe today. From small beginnings Back in 1985, the fire safety landscape was almost unrecognisable by modern standards. Regulations were limited and wireless systems were still in the realm of science fiction. The fire alarm control panels (‘panels’) that act as the brains of a fire protection system were so large engineers could “walk inside them,” says managing director Kevin Swann, adding that the dominance of a handful of major manufacturers had left independent installers and integrators searching for alternatives. Kentec stepped in to meet that demand and, from modest beginnings, has grown into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of life safety solutions, especially fire panels. Adapting for success The King’s Award for Enterprise recognises Kentec’s exceptional international growth, which has seen overseas sales increase by almost 70% in the last three years. Exports now account for more than two-thirds of the company’s turnover, with products shipping to customers in more than 90 countries worldwide. In an era when many manufacturers have shifted production overseas, Kentec has remained committed to manufacturing in the UK. All design, development, and manufacturing operations
Team Kentec at the International Trade Show, Intersec, in Dubai
Production at the Kentec factory in Dartford, Kent
A great honour Receiving the King’s Award during its 40th anniversary acknowledges the company’s recent commercial success. But it is also testament to four decades of resilience, innovation, and commitment to protecting lives, said Kevin. “It is a great honour to win the King’s Award for Enterprise, the most prestigious business award in the UK,” Kevin added. “It’s wonderful for everyone at Kentec to have their efforts recognised.”The company is determined, he went on, not simply to keep pace with the future of the industry, but to help define it. KENTEC 25-26 Fawkes Avenue, Questor, Dartford, DA1 1JQ Tel: +44 (0)1322 222121 • sales@kentec.co.uk kentec.co.uk
King’s Awards Magazine 2026
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