The Hales, Family Ties, Fast Growth & Fire Safety

A £61 Million Contract: Only Two Real Options
Earlier this year, a company owned by the Melvin family and Charles Hales, son of brethren leader Bruce Hales and co-owner of controversial VIP lane PPE contract winner Unispace, was awarded a £61 million, three-year contract.
The company Harmony Fire was awarded the contract by Edinburgh City Council via the Prosper Passive Fire Safety Framework. While the award was publicly announced only recently, Brethren Exposed has learned it was granted back in January 2025. Our investigation into the tender process revealed that once non-specialist firms were discounted, just two companies were eligible, Harmony Fire and its close relative, Ventro Group.
Both companies are run by the Melvin family, members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC). The Prosper framework, used to ensure fire safety compliance, allowed Edinburgh’s housing department to bypass opening a new tender competition in favour of pre-vetted suppliers. But with only two specialist fire compliance firms in the pool, both run by the same extended family, questions arise about the framework's true competitiveness.

The Melvin Dynasty
The Melvin family originates from Croydon and has since spread across the UK, primarily to Plymouth and Yeovil. Four brothers, Graeme, Howard, Jim, and Paul head up or are linked to numerous companies in the fire safety space.
· Howard Melvin is the founder of Ventro Group, with sons Ross and Harvey joining early on. Since its founding in 2013, Ventro has grown from under £1 million in revenue to over £32 million in 2024. The company received private equity backing in 2025 from Klar Partners.
· Graeme Melvin’s sons, Warwick and Jake, founded Harmony Fire in 2016. Graeme joined the firm in 2019 after working at another brethren company, Blake Envelopes. Harmony’s revenue jumped from £18.7 million in 2021 to £44.8 million in 2024. Australian Charles Hales, son of PBCC leader Bruce Hales is a major shareholder.
· Paul Melvin, the youngest brother, runs Karntek, a smaller consultancy in Stafford, originally funded by Howard's Aquilam Group.
· Jim Melvin, based in Croydon, has worked in several brethren linked supply firms, while his son Wade now works for Sante Group, owned by the Hales family.
 
The Brethren Network
What stands out is the density of PBCC connected businesses throughout the supply chain. From door hardware manufacturers (Datim, Dorplan, Rutland Trading Co) to specialist doorset suppliers (Solidcor, Metador, Strongdor), these firms are owned by Brethren families and are integral suppliers to Harmony Fire and Ventro. In many cases, their explosive growth mirrors that of the Melvin firms raising questions about vertical integration, procurement, transparency, and religious affinity influencing contracts.
 
Rapid Growth and Charitable Optics
Harmony Fire’s partnership with the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), the PBCC’s charitable arm, is prominently promoted in their ESG campaigns. The company touts its social value commitments such as donating food boxes and hosting charity events, some of which align closely with council-awarded social value clauses in contracts.
But who funds the food boxes the RRT or Harmony Fire? And does this give the illusion of separate generosity, when in reality the two entities are aligned? It’s hard not to wonder whether this strategy contributes to contract wins under the guise of community benefit.

Experience vs. Opportunity
Some in the sector have voiced concern over the apparent lack of prior experience of Harmony Fire’s founders, which has also been echoed in Glassdoor reviews. Yet the company continues to win public sector work at scale. This prompts another question: is post-Grenfell fire compliance being driven more by optics and frameworks than by proven expertise?

Cladding Concerns and Family Links
A final twist in the tale connects the Melvin family to Valcan Ltd, a firm that supplied potentially unsafe cladding (not used at Grenfell) and was subject to media scrutiny before being liquidated. The link? Carlton Shaw, Valcan, is the brother-in-law of Ventro co-director Harvey Melvin.

Conclusion
Harmony Fire and Ventro are now two of the fastest growing companies in Europe, backed by the brethren leadership, family ties, a shared religious community, and an extensive business ecosystem. They exemplify how strategic positioning, familial connections, and the post-Grenfell regulatory environment can create a perfect storm for growth.
What remains unclear is whether this is simply a story of individual entrepreneurial success or a brethren disaster capitalist plan led by the Hales family, that has financially benefitted from the Covid pandemic, Ukraine, New Zealand floods and Grenfell?
Brethren Exposed does not allege wrongdoing by any individuals or organisations mentioned. Our findings are based on publicly available records, company accounts, and testimonies from those in the industry.

Read the Full Investigation

Brethren on Fire