The 100-year startup: KiddeFenwal’s CEO Rekha Agrawal on growth and future direction
Iain Hoey
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Rekha Agrawal, CEO of KiddeFenwal, reflects on the company’s first year as an independent business, addressing safety in three high-risk global applications
KiddeFenwal has completed its first year as an independent specialist in control panels and gaseous fire-suppression systems.
Backed by private-equity owner Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, the company is pursuing rapid global growth in three high-risk application areas – hyperscale data centres, battery-energy-storage facilities and commercial kitchens – while phasing out legacy chemical agents in favour of longer-life inert gases.
IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey sat down with Chief Executive Officer Rekha Agrawal for her reflections on the company’s progress so far, the risks it is addressing and the road ahead.
For readers meeting KiddeFenwal for the first time, what products do you make and where are they most often installed?
I think of us as a 100 year startup organisation, because we are a company and a brand that has been around a long time and we are celebrating our first year anniversary as a standalone company.
Our products fall into three buckets.
One is engineered gas suppression, where each system is specifically designed for a customer’s fire hazard, used in data centres, battery energy storage or museums.
We also do pre-engineered chemical suppression, typically used in commercial cooking establishments, kitchens and restaurants, hotels and hospitals.
Finally, we have a controls business – gas ignition and mechanical controls – that typically fit into an OEM product.
There can be overlap with commercial kitchens, but also diverse applications such as pool heating or overhead outdoor heating.
You stepped into the CEO role nine months ago; what attracted you to the post and what priorities did you set on day one?
I had spent a number of years of my career in the fire space and in fire and security generally.
I led the fire suppression products business at Johnson Controls.
It is an industry I am passionate about because what we do matters and really impacts lives.
I stepped away for a number of years to be at Morgan Stanley on the private equity side.
I continued to watch what was happening in the fire space.
When Pacific Avenue bought KiddeFenwal, I took note because I recognised what a rare opportunity it was.
It is a great business with great fundamentals, but one that had been through a lot.
It had been through a bankruptcy and had a new owner.
I saw an opportunity to lead the business past those distractions toward growth and great collaboration with customers.
And I think we’ve done that.
In the first half of 2025, we’ve experienced double-digit growth and grown headcount more than 20% globally.
Over the past year, which milestones best illustrate how the organisation is progressing under its new structure?
We are incredibly focused on customers and being extremely responsive to their needs.
We are setting ourselves up to respond much faster than in the past, whether on product fulfilment, technical service or customer service questions.
We are also investing in our future and the industry’s future through our R and D efforts.
Finally, we have put a lot of energy into creating standalone capability after being part of a bigger organisation – our IT infrastructure, our finance infrastructure, marketing and communications – to create a foundation for the future.
How do you tailor one product range for such different fire hazards as data centres, battery storage and commercial kitchens?
We believe our portfolio brings the right solutions to each application.
In data centres, we have our Advanced Delivery System, ADS, which enables an end user to have a smaller footprint for their fire suppression system while protecting very large data halls.
In battery energy storage, we have a combination of solutions, whether prevention or suppression, to work that hazard.
In commercial kitchens, we partner with customers all over the world to ensure they have the right protection on their hazards.
Customers and regulators are focusing on environmental footprint; what steps are you taking to move toward lower-impact suppression agents?
This is an area we are really passionate about.
We have a product called our natural Natura in our gas product.
This system is derived from naturally occurring gases and therefore has very low environmental impact.
It has zero ozone depletion potential and zero global warming potential, which we think is important and can be used in a variety of applications.
Right now, we are seeing applications in places like Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Our system interconnects well, allowing easy installation and easy testing for our customers.
KiddeFenwal emphasises agility; what specific changes have you introduced to speed up decision-making or product delivery?
Agility is one of our core values.
We are working every day to reduce bureaucracy and drive efficiency for our customers and we recognise we need to develop new habits across supply chain and operations.
We can respond to customers much faster than before and we are challenging ourselves to get to faster decisions without compromising quality or discipline.
How do you collect and act on feedback from installers, engineers and end users once systems are in the field?
We have very formal processes where we collect voice of customer and prioritise and input that into our organisation.
I also think it is important to do that myself, so I spend a lot of time with customers around the world to hear from them, because every market has different dynamics.
We are set up to act on those inputs and we are not afraid to pivot based on that input.
Fire codes differ widely by region; what is your process for adapting a core technology to meet local requirements without fragmenting the product line?
We work with regulators around the world to ensure our products meet the needs of customers globally.
We also think it is important to be on the front end.
We spend time being part of how regulations are created and being leaders in organisations evaluating upcoming regulations, such as the Fire Suppression Systems Association, FSSA, among others.
Looking ahead, which areas of research or product development will receive the most attention over the next 12 months?
We are spending a lot of time across our diverse areas in R and D and investing significantly.
We are excited about the demand coming for our product through our markets and we think it is a great time to push on the R and D opportunities there.
One year from now, what results – technical, commercial or cultural – will tell you that KiddeFenwal is on the right trajectory?
I think about this in two ways.
First, does the KiddeFenwal team feel excited about the momentum we are building, with our purpose in the centre, because what we do really matters?
Second, are our customers putting their confidence in us to help them grow? If we can get those two things right, then we are on the right track.
One of the things we have spent a lot of time on in the year we have been standalone is our purpose and values.
Our purpose: we exist to protect lives, livelihoods and icons with innovative solutions, deep relationships and outstanding customer experience.
If you think about that purpose relative to everything we just talked about, it fits well with the things we are focused on and spending time on and for us it is meaningful to know that is what we are doing every day.
