More than just Security
IN 1999 I joined A & C as the Office Assistant and
over the past two decades I worked in every
position within the company until I became the 
Managing Director in 2014. I joined this family
owned company, co-founded by my father,
Bernard Atherley and George Clarke, with the vision
of one day being able to take the company to the
next level in security.
Part of my vision is to continue keep this
business in the family by one day handing it over
to future generations. It is also my goal that A &
C remains one of oldest, locally owned businesses
in Barbados.
At A & C, we sincerely appreciate our staff of just
over 180, as we understand that without them
there would be no company. Therefore, when
necessary we extend financial aid to them and
ensure that despite unfavourable financial
statements, we still show our gratitude to them at
the end of the year in the form of vouchers or cash.
At the recently held staff award ceremony, we
showed appreciation to our employees as 40 per
cent of them are not just long standing, but they
are also highly committed. Therefore, 11 employees
were awarded for 20 years of service, including
the two founders, and another 31 employees were
awarded for between 15 to 19 years of service.
Although not awarded, the company boasts another
30 employees with between 10 to 15 years of
service.
Though the company has been successful in
maintaining long-term employee relationships, it has
been faced with other challenges within the security
industry. When the company started in 1988, there
were fewer than five security companies. Thirty
years later, in 2018, there are over 20 registered
security companies. Although the competition is
welcomed, it has posed a challenge where the bar
for security has been lowered by the reduction of
rates. This has resulted in the decrease in the value
of security.
To remain competitive in the industry, the
company is forced to charge lower rates. This
leaves little margin to pay officers what they truly
deserve for risking their lives to protect businesses.
It also reduces the ability to gain the level of security
needed to assist with combating the growing rate of
crime.
Receiving funding from financial institutions
is another challenge faced by this company.
Unfortunately, the company has been unable to
show the profits favoured by banks and although
international companies have sought to acquire the
company, we have opted to remain a locally owned
business. We believe that because of our own selffunding
program, we will gradually reach the level
we have envisioned.