What a couple of months it has been! Extreme uncertainty, ever-changing landscapes, and a very different work environment (usually including more children, cats and dogs!). Resultingly we have all had to make some big adjustments, no-where more so than in our working lives. 

Whilst we appreciate that this is a very tough period for many, we wanted to take the opportunity to share some good news success stories with you. During ‘lockdown’ the FIA has been hard at work -much like our members -from our dining room tables, sofas and even gardens on occasion to continue to serve our members and the industry at large. 

We are pleased to be able to say that it looks as though the hard work has paid off with June 2020 being the best June on record for the number of new companies joining us in a calendar month. Needless to say, this is not just about the FIA growing in size.

The more members that join the association, the more credibility is given to all of the members individually. As a collective, it gives the industry an even larger voice in setting standards and lobbying for positive change for the entire industry.

June's intake of new members might indicate one or more things: 

a)  organisations are seeing the value that trade associations can have in giving a voice to its members at the highest levels

b)  organisations view trade associations as a hub of valuable, varied and important resources that help prepare their members for the future

c)  organisations appreciate the crucial, industry-specific information that trade associations provide and disseminate to their members
 

Hear from two of our new members:

The reason behind becoming a member is for the knowledge and expertise the FIA can offer with different aspects that will help my company moving forward. I also hope to employ more engineers so the training and technical help will be priceless.  We had hoped to become members before now however due to one thing or another, it got put back by a few months. 

Josh Gibbons, Managing Director, Nationwide Fire & Security Solutions Ltd

PYROLEC Limited and I, felt being recognised as members of the UK's largest trade association was important to provide both our current and new customers confidence and credibility in our business. Going forward we now have the opportunity to be part of an association that will bring direct constructive influence to the industry we all feel so passionate about. Looking to the future we can offer valuable experience and contribute to being part of the various councils and working groups within the FIA. We also feel it is important to use and promote the various training that the association has to offer.”

Gary Grant, Managing Director, Pyrolec Ltd

One thing that has become apparent whilst talking to our new members has been their struggle to find time to get their third-party certification and membership of the FIA arranged.  Many have told us that they had been wanting to do it for a long time; however, the daily workload simply prevented them from doing so and lockdown gave them an opportunity to stop and re-assess the next steps they needed to take to improve their business. 

A common theme found in many a conversation with our members was that once they got in touch with the FIA membership team, we explained everything and doing so really helped them through the process of gaining certification and becoming a member.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, please do not hesitate to give our dedicated membership team a call or send an email to [email protected] to see how we can help.

If you have found this article helpful or you are proud to be an FIA member then please share this article with your network.