Celebrating 60 Years of First in Service.

First in Service has been around for 60 years now, opening in 1966. A forever evolving company with a rich history to explore. So, let’s take a look at the last 60 years and where they might lead us in the future to come.

A look back over the last 60 years.

1966

Founded

We were founded by Don Fisher as Fisher Shopfitters in Birmingham, supporting local businesses with shopfitting solutions.

1976

Engineering Services

Fisher Group Services Ltd formed to support existing retail customers with mechanical service and maintenance, including computer room air conditioning installations. Building a growing client base including major industrial, retail, and commercial organisations across the UK.

1984

First in Service formed.

We rebranded as First in Service Ltd, becoming an independent operation and relocating to Windsor Industrial Estate, Birmingham.

Uniting our values, services, and people under name.

1994

Offering new services

We expanded into air conditioning commissioning, catering equipment installation, and servicing, particularly supporting the growing McDonald’s estate through national rollout programmes.

1998

Major National Contracts

Our commitment to quality and reliability secured us a major contract with Whitbread PLC, supporting brands including Café Rouge, Bella Italia, TGI Fridays, and Marriott Hotels. Expanded services to Costa Coffee and other national hospitality and retail clients, including JD Wetherspoon, Dixons, and Thomson Holidays.

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2000

National Expansion

We grew our team, allowing us to become established with nationwide coverage, supporting multi-site clients across hospitality, healthcare, education, and public sector estates, while retaining specialist data centre cooling expertise.

Delivering services across the UK with consistent excellence.

2010

Facilities Management

We introduced structured Facilities Management delivery, providing single-supplier solutions across compliance, maintenance, and refurbishments. Appointed principal FM contractor for Sungard data centres and disaster recovery facilities across the UK.

2020

One Simple Solution

Branding updated to reflect a fully integrated service model across engineering, facilities management, and commercial cleaning. Continued nationwide growth with increased investment in people, technology, sustainability, and compliance.

The Importance of our People

The people here at First in Service truly are the heart of our business, from engineers to office staff, from experienced team members to apprentices and new staff; everyone here helps build the business and make First in Service what it is!

Here are some memorable moments from our longer-serving staff.

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First is Barry Hutchinson, who has been with us for 45 years and is Chairman of the business:

“Having been around for 45 years, there have been that come to mind, but here’s one that sticks out:

We were approached by McDonald's to work for them and asked if we would undertake catering equipment installation, service, and commissioning.

This was the start of a whole new chapter in the services FIS offered.

I was asked to begin this process and installed and commissioned hundreds of McDonalds across the UK. Their projected aim was to have at least 1000 sites in a brief period of time.

During this time, a certain Mr Kevin Fletcher was employed as one of the up-and-coming catering engineers, and it's all history now.

This led to moving into other catering services with some still with us today, one being Whitbread.”

A second story from Kevin Fletch, the current owner of the business and Managing Director who has worked at First in Service for 24 years:

“One memory that has always stayed with me goes back to when I first started with First in Service 24 years ago as a service engineer. We had a customer with acritical issue, and I was determined to get the job completed that day. The only thing standing in the way was a part that I desperately needed.

I called the office to explain the situation, and they simply said, “Stay where you are, we’ll get it to you.” To my surprise, it wasn’t just anyone who turned up – it was Barry, our Managing Director at the time. He personally drove the part out to me and stayed with me until the job was finished. As someone who had only recently joined the business, that left a lasting impression. It showed me that no matter what your role was in the company, everyone pulled together to do the right thing for the customer.

That memory came flooding back recently. We had an engineer on site with a critical piece of equipment that needed specialist software to be reprogrammed. I was in the office listening to the situation unfold, so one of our supervisors quickly prepared a USB with the software, and I drove it out to site. The engineer looked at me and said, “I really don’t think this is going to work – we’ve tried everything.” I replied, “Let’s just stick with it and see where it takes us.”

A short while later, the unit was back up and running, and one of the engineers commented, “It was really good to see everyone rally together to get this working for the customer.”

For me, that was a full-circle moment. Sixty years on, we’ve embraced modern technology, grown significantly, and continue to evolve, but the heart of First in Service hasn’t changed. We still believe that when our customers need us, everyone is willing to step up, support each other, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. That same mindset I witnessed all those years ago still naturally lives on today, now with me at the helm. That’s something I’m incredibly proud to now carry forward as the owner of the business.”

Staying True to Our Values

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First in Service’s Next Chapter

It is such an exciting thing to be celebrating 60 years of First in Service being in business! We are so excited for the future of the business expanding to new clients and potentially new sectors.

It would be amazing for you to be part of the journey with us, either as a customer or just following along! So get in touch via the below contact form or using the information in our footer to find our details and socials for you to follow along!

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