by Laurence Barrow
When I launched Barrow Electrical nearly 20 years ago, it was built on one simple principle: reliable electrical work with integrity and a personal touch.
Over the years, we’ve grown — not just into a trusted name for installations and facilities maintenance, but into a business with a growing vision for what modern building services can and should be. That’s why I’m excited to announce that moving forward, our monthly feature will spotlight an important new chapter in our journey. This month’s focus is our new partnership with Tyrrell Systems — a leading smart-building and controls specialist based in Leigh, Greater Manchester. Their founder, Ged Tyrrell, is someone I’ve become really good friends with over the past year, having worked together on many projects. Ged has more than two decades in business and nearly four decades of experience in the BMS and building-controls arena, and his leadership and expertise are genuinely exceptional. With deep knowledge spanning Building Management Systems (BMS), IoT, analytics and master-systems integration, Tyrrell Systems brings a level of technical understanding that elevates everything we do.
By teaming up, Barrow Electrical and Tyrrell Systems unite hands-on electrical expertise with cutting-edge BMS and IoT infrastructure. In practical terms: for our facilities-management and retail-site clients, that means fully integrated monitoring and control systems — from HVAC and lighting to security, energy management, and real-time analytics — all accessible through a streamlined platform. It’s about bringing buildings into the 21st century: smarter, more efficient, easier to manage.
But beyond the technology, I want this partnership to reflect something deeper: our commitment to building long-term value and resilient relationships. Even as we expand services and embrace modern systems, we remain personally invested in delivering reliability, transparency and trust — the same values that founded Barrow Electrical.
That brings me to the other major focus of this month: community, empathy and giving back. In June this year, my wife was diagnosed with a stage-2 glioma — a form of brain cancer. She underwent major surgery in August and has faced some very challenging times since then. It’s been a difficult few months for our family. But through it all, her courage — and the support of our medical team at the Walton Centre in the Northwest — has inspired me deeply.
As we head into the new year, I’m determined to channel that inspiration into action. That’s why I’m organising an exclusive, invite-only corporate golf day in aid of Northwest Cancer Research. The event will take place at the stunning Mere Golf Course & Country Club — now undergoing a major £400 million renovation — and promises to be an unforgettable day on the greens, raising vital funds for cancer research and supporting families like ours who’ve faced similar journeys.
We already have nine large, well-known North West businesses confirmed for the day, so there are not many places left. If you’re a North West business and would like a meaningful way to contribute — and potentially join us at this invite-only event — please email me at laurence@barrowelectrical.co.uk.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to sharing more updates next month — about our projects, our people, and how we’re building not just smarter buildings, but stronger communities.
