Our History
What happens when two lifelong friends realise their professional interests can combine to create a distinctive business offering?
The answer is found in iFacility. Established by Nathan Dervin and Paul Curran in the early 2000s, it is the outworking of an abiding friendship and complementary areas of expertise.
Friends for life
“We’ve known one another since the age of 10,” says Paul. “We walked to school together and lived in the same street. We’re like brothers, and even now we spend our free time together, Overlanding or tinkering with cars.”
The genesis of iFacility lies in the skills its founders developed upon leaving school. Nathan pursued a career in electrical engineering and security, while Paul moved into IT and intelligent monitoring systems such as “Black Boxes” for ships and planes.
Bringing these skills together felt natural to the two friends. They started selling and installing security systems nearly 20 years ago. iFacility has been growing ever since.
A fresh approach
“I remember in the early days we were asked to install new analogue security equipment for a client in the public sector,” Nathan says. “We did the job and couldn’t believe how antiquated the hardware was.
“IP CCTV cameras were just coming onto the market, and we realised there was a way of providing clients with an all-inclusive service that involved specifying security solutions, installing the necessary equipment, and monitoring it on their behalf.”
So it was that iFacility came into being as a high-tech end-to-end partner for clients across a variety of industries.
Intelligent security partners
“From the get-go, it’s been about a lot more than installing kit,” says Paul. “We understand that while some of our clients are experts on security systems, many just want to know that their business, property and people are safe. They want us to specify a solution that meets their needs and has their best interests at heart. That’s pretty much the core of iFacility’s offer.”
“You could put it another way,” adds Nathan. “Rather than talking to clients about the dizzying array of equipment available to them, we talk about the challenges they face. Then we specify a solution to meet them, ensuring every aspect of design, delivery, installation, maintenance and ongoing monitoring is taken care of.”
Start small, think big
This all seems a long way from a pair of school friends mucking around on the walk home. But by harnessing the spirit of mutuality and cooperation that has always been at the heart of their friendship, and making it the mainstay of their business, Nathan and Paul have created something that delivers tangible benefits to clients across the country.
Now, they plan to continue expanding their distinctive end-to-end offer. “We provide one point of contact for our clients, meaning we can respond to their needs at pace,” says Nathan. “We are proudly independent, so give impartial advice that serves our clients’ best interests. We combine the agility of a smaller operator with the expertise and capacity of a larger business.
“Even as we’ve expanded, we’ve retained the ethos that Paul and I began with, putting trust and integrity at the heart of everything.”