Peter’s fortune lies in security business (From The Bolton News)

Peter’s fortune lies in security business

4:54pm Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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SEVEN years ago a fortune teller gazed into his crystal ball and told student and part-time doorman Peter Harrison that he “saw” him standing outside lots of pubs.

He also said the young man would end up travelling to different pubs in the region, run his own company and become very successful.

Amazingly the prediction came true as the Bolton-born entrepreneur does indeed visit lots of pubs — in his capacity as boss of his own security company, which has interests ranging from pub doormen, security guards, alarms and remote CCTV systems.

And in his role as managing director of FGH Security, once a month he still works on the doors.

His business now has a turnover of £3.5 million, employs more than 200 staff, and has already bought out two other companies. Last month, Mr Harrison even successfully pitched for cash on hit TV show Dragon’s Den.

All of the dragons wanted in and he chose Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, who offered £50,000 investment each.

Now aged 27, he recalls the crystal ball prediction. He said: “I was about 19 or 20 at the time and I went to see this old Catholic monk in Kendal.

“He said he saw me standing outside pubs and said I would have a successful company that I would eventually sell.

“At the time I was a student at Lancaster University and I was working as a doorman at pubs and clubs in Manchester and later in Lancaster.”

The prediction has been spot-on so far.

After working as a doorman he started getting his rugby-playing student pals to act as doormen for the company he was working for.

But Mr Harrison, who spent his first 18 years in Bolton, soon realised he was doing all the work for the firm but not getting paid for it, so he set up his own company while still studying for his degree.

He bought out his two partners and continued working on the doors to earn money while pumping his student loans into the company.

Eventually the company started making money and Mr Harrison began to diversify into providing security guards for commercial premises. FGH Security is also responsible for security on domestic premises, and clients include well known footballers.

Mr Harrison’s firm installs alarms, CCTV security systems, which are remotely monitored from a bomb-proof bunker in Accrington, as well as providing mobile security, key holding, event security, retail guards and close protection.

And now FGH Security plans to expand further after winning the financial backing of the multi-millionaires on Dragon’s Den.

Mr Harrison made it through to the last 100 applicants from the 4,000 who applied.

He said: “I did some research on the Dragons and I know that Peter Jones had a security company and Theo Paphitis has retail businesses so I thought it would be good to get them involved for future expansion rather than the others who also offered me cash.”

Once due diligence has been completed the Dragons will inject their cash in to the company for a share of the equity.

He will use the cash to acquire more firms if the price is right and says he would love to get more business in his home town of Bolton.