New HQ celebrates company's 40th

The new HQ for Provincial Security Services officially opened last week is located on the top two floors of Market Square.

It incorporates the 40-year-old company's offices and training centre. Provincial Security was previously based in Newbridge. The enterprise was founded by a former Army officer, Captain Karl Dunleavy.

The opening was performed by the Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea TD.

Acknowledging Provincial Security’s role as one of the leaders in training people for the industry, the Minister said they would be able to further this position in their new, state of the art premises in Kilcullen.

Provincial was the first Manned Guarding company in the country to get ISO certification and this year is one of only three companies to get the Qualsec Gold certification, the top standard for the Irish security industry.

Provincial’s first major contract was with the ESB, to provide security for the Turlough Hill power generation project, built in the Wicklow Mountains during the 1960s and early '70s. When foreign multinational companies began coming into the country a quarter of a century ago, Karl Dunleavy’s operation was uniquely set to offer the kind of security they demanded. When Intel arrived, Provincial was awarded the contract.

Similar contracts followed with companies such as Hewlett Packard, Polaroid, and Wyeth. In addition to these, Provincial Security provides services to many smaller sites around the country, and at any given time has some 270 staff.

Among those present at the opening of the new offices were Brigadier General Sean McCann, Minister for State Sean Power TD, and Kevin McMahon from SIPTU, as well as representatives from a number of the security company’s key clients.

Brian Byrne.

(Full coverage of the opening, and the company's history, is in this week's Kildare Nationalist.)