Gun show nets leads
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor MESA, Ariz.—After he got 100 leads for residential security systems at a recent gun show, Technical Systems co-owner Bill Riley is more convinced than ever that becoming a Smith & Wesson Security Services dealer was a wise decision.
end of the year.
The May NRA show in Phoenix where Riley got 100 leads also produced about 75 more leads for dealers outside
Wahrsager said he plans to have a presence at local gun shows around the country. “We’ll do whatever it takes to get as many leads as possible,”
Wahrsager said.
“Quite a few people who signed up for estimates already had security systems. They had ADT, Brink’s, Monitronics, and they said, ‘I want to switch to Smith & Wesson. I want that sign on my lawn,’” Riley said.
Mike Golden, CEO Smith &
Riley has worked in the security industry for 20 years, and has owned Technical Systems with his partner Ryan McClintic for five years. Technical Systems previously did only commercial work and specialized in access control, CCTV and fire.
Wesson (L), Ryan McClintic,
Bill Riley
Gun-maker Smith & Wesson announced it was getting into the residential security business about one year ago. Today it has 28 dealers in 12 states. Wayne Wahrsager, Smith & Wesson Security Systems CEO, said most metropolitan areas in the country will be covered by the
Riley had wanted to get into the residential business for about three years, but didn’t pull the trigger until he saw that Smith & Wesson was getting into the business. In addition to the brand, Riley said he likes the fact that as a dealer, he can keep his own accounts.
“A lot of dealer programs want
S&W see page 29
of Arizona. Wahrsager was in the Smith & Wesson booth at the Phoenix show.
“The strange thing is that we weren’t giving anything away for free. People just came into the booth and bombarded us … signing up for free estimates.”
Apx invests in software
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor PROVO, Utah—ApxAlarm has invested a sizeable sum—in the neighborhood of $750,000— in an enterprise technology solution designed to makes its installation and service calls more efficient and improve customer satisfaction at the same time.
The software is configured to
automatically assign techni-
cians to certain locations. For
example,
if a techni-
cian has an
install that
runs over-
time and
so cannot
make a later
scheduled
appoint-
ment, the system will search
that it signed the deal with
previously performed by people.
ClickSoftware Technologies. The program will be up and running by October, Hwang said.
The summer model giant expects to reap benefits quickly. “We are forecasting a ROI of one year,” said JT Hwang, CTO for
The system will be used to manage, schedule and route the workload of 300 full-time Apx field service technicians who handle thousands of installation, service and repair calls annually.
J. T. Hwang
Apx Alarm.
Apx announced May 29
Technicians will use Blackberries to keep in touch with Apx headquarters and customers. However, the software takes over much of the work
APX see page 29
Guard co spawns CVS
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor
PALM DESERT, Calif.—Coachella Valley Security president David Chandler, who owns a guard company and security training academy based here, announced May 26 that he’s getting into the alarm business.
Chandler has partnered with Jim Diaz to launch CVS Alarm, which will provide alarm installation, service and monitoring in the Coachella Valley.
CVS Alarm will initially target a number of gated communities where Coachella Valley Security already has a presence. “David’s clients in these communities where he provides [guard] security have said they would like to
have him provide alarm service as well,” said Diaz
Diaz, who is the former chief
the Command Center for its third-party monitoring station. “Once we get a critical mass on our account base then we’ll hire our own service and installation personnel, but we’ll continue to use a third party for monitoring.” Diaz said the company expects to put on 1,000 residential accounts in the first year.
Once the company has a certain number of accounts within a gated community (likely about 200 accounts), CVS Alarm will offer private guard response for an additional monthly fee. “It will be a dedicated armed response [from a private guard within the community] to the activation of an alarm,” he said. SSN
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor
RINGGOLD, Ga.—In the first four months of 2009, Dependable Security Systems has sold 50 percent more alarm systems month-over-month compared to the previous four months, Dependable Security Systems operations manager Corey Cochran told Security Systems News on May 26.
What’s the secret? Cochran, said it has more to do with an increase in crime than any new initiative he’s started.
“All of a sudden [in January] things started to increase above and beyond what we’ve had in the previous six months. We didn’t change anything; we don’t go door-to-door. We just rely on people calling us,” he said.
Certain areas within Dependable’s footprint have been “really hard hit with burglaries and those [homeowners] who can, want to protect their homes,” he said.
In the several months before January, the company was averaging about 50 alarm systems per month. In the past four months, that number has jumped to about 75 systems per month. It’s an unusual increase in business, Cochran said. “I haven’t seen anything like it in the 11 years that I’ve been here.”
In business here for the past 30 years, Dependable has 13 employees, about 7,000 accounts, and its own central station. Its business is mainly residential with some small commercial accounts, and its footprint extends in a 60-mile radius and includes the metropolitan area of Chattanooga, Tenn.
For the first 24 years, the company didn’t do any advertising at all: “It was all word of mouth.” About six years ago, the company started doing some advertising on local radio, printed publications and on billboards. The advertising is geared to “changeover customers” he said. Dependable, which is a GE dealer, can offer lower prices for systems and monitoring for people who are paying “ outrageous amounts for monitoring services.” Of the 10-12 alarm companies in the area, most don’t advertise, Cochran said, but most “are not as large as us.” It’s mainly the major “national companies that have the door-to-door sales people; it’s not a model we’ve had to resort to.” SSN
ESX features experienced business leaders
BALTIMORE—Organizers of the 2009 ESX show “worked very hard this year to increase the number of peer-to-peer presentations,” said John Lombardi, president of CIA Security and chair of the ESX Program Advisory Committee, in a prepared statement.
In a two-part session, Anatomy of a Transaction, CSAA president Bud Wulforst, former owner of A- 1 Security, and John Lombardi, share the perspectives of an experienced seller and buyer.
ASG Security vice president of human resources Aggie Hassan and ADS Security president John Cerasuolo share the policies and programs required to recruit, hire, train, motivate and develop a high-performance team in Building Your Human Capital.
In Establishing & Monitoring Key Performance Indicators, Jeff Hoffman, CFO of Vector Security, and Ralph Masino, CFO of ASG Security, cover key business metrics.
In Evolving Your Company: Stages of Growth, George De Marco, former owner of Greater Alarm of Los Angeles, Alan Kruglak, owner of Genesis Security and former owner of Glenn Industrial Communications, and Ed Bonifas, vice president of Alarm Detection Systems of Aurora, cover the keys to successfully evolving a company from start-up to well-managed mid-size and beyond.
Atlanta gives kudos to Brink’s Home Security
ATLANTA—Atlanta citizens chose Brink’s Home Security for the 2009 Consumers’ Choice Award gala for business excellence. This is the second consecutive year Atlanta consumers selected the company for this esteemed recognition.
The award, established in 1986 to identify and promote business excellence, utilizes a unique survey that asks consumers to choose the best of their city.
The award is based on a survey of random residents and businesses in Greater Atlanta responding to a questionnaire on consumer satisfaction.
of the California State Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, will take care of business operations while Chandler handles sales. “David has a positive presence in the Coachella Valley. CVS Alarm will be a Bosch and Pelco dealer and will use
Merlin asks: ‘Got security?’
AURORA, Colo.—On May 28, NBFAA executive director Merlin Guilbeau and Kathleen Baty, “the Safety Chick,” an author and crime victim who was held at knifepoint in her home by an intruder, did a live satellite broadcast from ADT’s central station here where they discussed safety tips and answered questions from the media.
“As there continues to be a growing need for security systems,” said Guilbeau, “we want all consumers to answer one question, ‘Got Security?’”
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