LDC Top 50 2025
Mark Bridges
CEO and Chair
Ranger Fire & Security
“It’s rare in life to be given a blank piece of paper and asked, ‘What do you want to build?’ It’s incredibly exciting,” says Mark Bridges. After leading Domestic & General international business and Pimlico Plumbers, he launched Ranger Fire & Security in February 2024 with a mission to create a one-stop shop for fire and security services and raise standards in a fragmented sector.
The business has since made 10 acquisitions and now employs 215 people, with revenues of £35 million. It offers services from fire doors and intruder alarms to sprinkler systems. “I’m not a steady-state person,” says Bridges. “I much prefer fast growth and spinning lots of plates.”
We’re aiming to become the brand of choice for fire and security services across the UK and Ireland.”
Q&A
How do you approach acquisitions?
There are 4,000 businesses in our market across the UK and Ireland. It’s a highly regulated, recurring-revenue sector, which is great – but picking the right companies is crucial. We’ve met over 400 founders and completed 10 acquisitions so far. Every business goes through a rigorous due diligence process, taking anywhere from six weeks to six months. We test service levels, take client references and, most importantly, get to know the MD and the culture. The opportunity lies in finding the right businesses, in the right geographies and service lines, led by the right people.
What’s the ambition for Ranger Fire & Security?
At HomeServe, I worked under Richard Harpin, who built the company from a startup to a FTSE 100 business and sold it for £4.1 billion. He used to say, “Don’t think about going from three to five. Think about going from three to 50.” That mindset stuck with me. At Ranger, we’ve embraced that level of ambition. We’re aiming to hit £250 million in revenue within five years and become the brand of choice for fire and security services across the UK and Ireland.
What do you do outside of work to relax?
I never get the Sunday blues, I genuinely look forward to the week ahead. That said, I value switching off. I’m a trustee at our local sports club, coach youth cricket and rugby, and I’m a keen runner. I ran the London Marathon for 26 years in a row!
