Gerda Celebrates 25 Years as a Secured by Design Member

The company is also a specialist in Emergency Access Systems, supporting the Fire and Rescue Service in emergency situations.

For more than a quarter of a century, Gerda has been at the forefront of designing and producing high specification doorsets for the built environment, with particular expertise in the social housing sector. Their products are rigorously tested at UKAS accredited test houses, are third party certified and fully compliant with building regulations. With both timber and insulated steel ranges available, Gerda’s multi-performance doorsets are designed for longevity, offering proven fire resistance and smoke control, enhanced security, excellent acoustic performance and future-proofing thermal insulation.

As an ISO 9001:2015 organisation with ISO 14001 environmental management commitments, Gerda places quality assurance and sustainability at the heart of its operations. Their doorsets are manufactured in their own specialist facilities, allowing full control of every stage of the process, and are supported by a comprehensive service offering including installation, maintenance and resident liaison. Gerda’s long-standing commitment to innovation and performance means many of their doorsets have been in situ for over 25 years, continuing to perform due to their in-built design resilience.

The same attention to design and delivery is true of the secure Premises Information Box System (PIB)®, pioneered by Gerda Security Products, now in its 20th year.  This is now a legal requirement for all high-rise residential buildings over 18m and new builds over 11m.  The suite of Secured by Design approved Emergency Access Systems additionally include H System locks for utilities and service rooms, barrier gate locks for vehicular management, EACIE (emergency evacuation) enclosures and access control boxes.

Gerda’s 25-year partnership with Secured by Design demonstrates their dedication to delivering products that not only meet but exceed security expectations. Membership of SBD is more than an accreditation - it signifies independently verified, police-backed standards that have been shown to make a measurable difference in reducing crime.

Over three decades of research has shown that developments incorporating SBD principles consistently achieve lower crime rates. A comprehensive review of nine separate studies in 2024 revealed that homes built to SBD standards experienced on average 65% fewer burglaries than those that were not. In some cases, the impact was even greater, with reductions in overall crime reaching 87% and burglaries falling by as much as 91%. These results highlight the importance of products such as Gerda’s dual certified fire and security doorsets in creating safer living environments across the UK.

Lesley Palmer, Managing Director, Gerda said: “Our partnership with Secured by Design goes back a long way.  Over the years we have worked hard to design products that provide solutions to solving crime-related issues and Secured by Design has been instrumental in this development.

“Secured by Design have always endeavoured to raise the bar in industry, not only for security but for other safety performance criteria and we commend them for this approach.  As more exciting innovation is incorporated into product design, along with a range of safety performance criteria, we look forward to working alongside Secured by Design in the years ahead.”

Michelle Kradolfer, Secured by Design, added: “We are delighted to recognise Gerda for reaching 25 years of valued membership with Secured by Design. Their doorsets provide a vital balance of fire safety, security and sustainability, all underpinned by extensive testing and third party certification. Gerda’s commitment to innovation and quality has made them a trusted name within the housing sector and beyond. I congratulate them on this significant milestone and look forward to continuing our partnership for many more years to come.”

The award was presented to Alastair Thompson, Chief Executive Officer for GSP Group, Lesley Palmer, Managing Director at Gerda and Fiona Critchley, Head of Communications, at Gerda’s Mildenhall headquarters by Police CPI Chief Operating Officer Jon Cole and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Michael Brooke.

You can find out more about Gerda and their Secured by Design accredited products on their dedicated member page and at gerdasecurity.co.uk

Secured by Design

Secured by Design (SBD) is owned by the UK Police Service with the specific aim of reducing crime and increasing safety for businesses and individuals.

SBD seeks to improve the physical security of buildings and the surrounding area using products such as doors, windows, locks and walling systems along with fencing systems that meet the SBD Police Preferred Specification security requirements.

SBD have many partner organisations, ranging from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government through to local authorities, housing associations, developers and manufacturers and work closely with standards and certification bodies.

SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK, through the Police Preferred Specification - a product-based accreditation scheme developed 25 years ago, which provides a recognised standard for all security products that effectively deter and reduce crime. SBD work with manufacturers and standards authorities to ensure that security standards are current and updated to keep pace with emerging crime trends.

Learn more about Secured by Design and our member companies at securedbydesign.com