A SHIPLEY firm has secured a boost in sales despite an unsuccessful bid for funds on Dragons’ Den.
Craig Knott, 46, invented Patlock, a device which aims to cut household burglaries across the UK, after an attempted break-in at his Bradford home in 2009.
It is an easy-to-use French door security lock that fits over the handles of conservatory and French doors, and works by holding the door handles in place.
This makes sure the door mechanism cannot be opened, even if the locks are snapped or removed.
Mr Knott’s firm was showcased on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den as he looked for extra investment from the panel of entrepreneurs.
Although unsuccessful in his pursuit of the cash, the national exposure led to an increase in sales and visits to the website.
Mr Knott’s friend, Jim Law, 40, who works alongside him as the company’s sales manager, said the attention generated by the TV appearance saw orders treble year-on-year for February, when it was broadcast.
Mr Law said: “Dragons’ Den has been a bit of a platform for us. The product went down reasonably well with the dragons. The whole experience of being on Dragons’ Den has been great.
“It’s been a good exposure for us. The traffic for our website increased. We get around 200 hits to our website a day, but we got 20,000 hits on the day it was broadcast. It is something we are proud of.”
Patlock, which was launched in 2014, retails for £48 online for high street chains including Screwfix, B&Q, Homebase and Argos and online retailer Amazon. It is also stocked in Australian DIY chain Bunnings’ only UK store in St Albans.
It now sells across the UK and Ireland and has received orders from across Europe, New Zealand, the United States and Japan. The firm is developing a single door version of the Patlock which will be available later this year.
Meanwhile, they will look to start their bid to crack the USA by having a stand at security equipment exhibition, ISC West, in Las Vegas next month.
Mr Law added: “We are established in the UK but we are going to make the USA our first port of call for exports.
“We have come from a humble product for the locksmith industry, which is now being used in police initiatives.”
Patlock is also backed by the police after gaining Secured by Design status. This is the UK Police flagship initiative supporting the principles of ‘designing out crime’ through the use of effective crime prevention and security standards for a range of applications.
The device is also used by West Yorkshire Police at public meetings to demonstrate home security equipment and is recommended by the force to victims of break-ins.
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