Amthal Fire & Security have done the double after CEO Jamie Allam was named locally as Business Leader of the Year, whilst Alex Dearden was awarded silver winner for the Apprentice of the Year.

Allam, who is a second time winner of Business Leader of the Year at the St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards, was recognised for his ability to lead Amthal on a continued and ambitious growth plan, whilst maintaining its roots as an independent and family business.

Amthal has grown exponentially against a difficult business environment, most recently acquiring majority shares in midlands based Integrated Protection Maintenance Services Ltd (IPL) to ensure it can offer full security and fire safety services across a greater scope of the UK.

On receiving the award, Allam said: “When I joined the company in 2008, there were 30 team members.

“In 2022, we have a dedicated senior management team and have grown to a team of over 71 members throughout the Group business.

“Even with the inclusion of IPL, we have never lost our commitment to our roots, and the importance of community, which has been an integral part of our growth, especially through the last few years.

“I am truly grateful for winning this award and grateful to the judges for this prestigious recognition.”

The award for Allam, comes just a week after Alex Dearden, Internal Sales Executive scooped silver winner for the apprentice of the year at the Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce Awards, demonstrating the company’s commitment to apprenticeships.

Dearden said: “Every apprentice learns from a true master and I’ve had the pleasure of working with the best in the business.

“To have completed my apprenticeship during the pandemic was tough, but the support of Amthal right from the senior management team was incredible and I am so grateful.

“Winning this award means everything and inspires me even more to continue to learn, in an industry and for a business that has so much to offer and room to grow for my own personal development.”

Allam added: “We are absolutely thrilled for Alex. His award is testament to our commitment to apprentices, something we have dedicated and invested in right from when Amthal was established in 2000 to encourage job-specific skills. And it’s something we will continue to support even as we grow as a business.

“The two awards together really highlight Amthal’s strength in its team, something I am particularly proud.

“We work together as opposed to as a group of departments, all for the benefit of delivering on customer excellence, right from initial design and specification of security and fire safety solutions, through to installation, maintenance and monitoring.

“It has, and always will be at the core of our mission, vision and values as a business, always looking to ‘protect what’s precious.”