China Boost For Pickersgill-Kaye’s Custodial Products

A new breakthrough into China has been secured by Leeds lock manufacturer Pickersgill-Kaye Ltd.

The company, which designs and produces locks and safety products for the rail, security and custodial industries, has won a contract to supply cell door locks for the custodial suite of the first railway satellite police station on the route of the new Hong Kong-China Express Rail Link. 

In the contract, Pickersgill-Kaye will provide its renowned eight-lever Kaye Class 1 custodial cell lock to  door manufacturer Jardine Engineering, which is part of an international consortium working on the project.

Chinese authorities specified cell locks similar to those used in UK police custody suites, which helped Pickersgill-Kaye as the company has supplied the Kaye Class 1 to police forces across the country including the Met, Cleveland, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and Two Counties, as well as overseas to the Garda in Ireland and Malaysia.

Pickersgill-Kaye’s business development manager security & engineering products, John Moore, says: “The Chinese are looking to locate custodial facilities at certain points along the route of the Express Rail Link and wanted a UK police style cell lock. When the product is rolled out there will be a lot of their custody suites fitted with Pickersgill-Kaye’s cell door locks. 

“The doors are a similar construction and design to those in UK custodial suites. They will be fabricated and installed in China. This is the first time Pickersgill-Kaye has sold cell locks into China and this contract should help open doors to potential new markets.” 

In 2013, 34 per cent, about £783,000 of Pickersgill-Kaye’s sales, were export business – the biggest proportion of total sales the company has ever achieved – and the company is confident of breaking into more markets with  products it believes will appeal to those involved in the high security sector.

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