Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/31791
34 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS www.securitysystemsnews.com JUNE 2011 SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS Priority One grows, plans By Martha Entwistle Company fueled by new $10m revolver with CapitalSource and Charlotte, N.C. GREENVILLE, S.C.—Fueled by a new $10 million line of credit from CapitalSource, Priority One Security, a full-service security company based here, completed one acquisition and has plans for more growth. “Our intention is to saturate the South Carolina coast,” Bill Francis, Priority One presi- dent and founder, told Security Systems News. Priority One on April 18 announced the acquisition of Orangeburg Security. In busi- ness for 15 years, Priority One specializes in home security, home automation and “the usual commercial CCTV, card access and integrated technol- ogy,” Francis said. It has an 80-20 mostly residential mix. On the commercial side, it does “everything from small businesses to anything major,” he said. With the addition of Orangeburg Security, a primarily residen- tial company based in Orangeburg, S.C., Priority One has 12,000 accounts, will have 45 employees and do about $9 million in annual revenue. In addition to its office here, Priority One has a satellite office in Charlotte, N.C. It will keep the Orangeburg office. The company’s footprint is concen- trated around Greenville, S.C. It is using some of its new $10m revolver to “hire 10 to 15 new employees ... to help us expand our territory throughout the state of South Carolina,” Francis said. John Robuck John Robuck, CapitalSource direc- tor of security finance, said, “The nice thing about the way this loan is structured is that there’s no scheduled amortization.” He said that Priority One “can repay and borrow again as they see fit, which helps companies weath- er fluctuations in working capital.” SSN Pro 1 launches Tech Tracker By Tess Nacelewicz ROMEOVILLE, Ill.—Protection 1 announced May 3 it is “revolu- tionizing customer service” with two new initiatives. One is Tech Tracker, a new ser- vice free to Protection 1’s residential, com- mercial and national accounts customers that electronically notifies them when a technician is en route, and provides such has eliminated its automated attendant so that callers get a real person on the phone nine times out of 10. Jamie Haenggi, chief Jamie Haenggi information as the technician’s photo, certifications and quali- fications. Also, the company said, it marketing and customer experience officer, said consumers in today’s impersonal, technol- ogy-driven world want better customer service, so Protection 1 is pro- viding it. “We’re going back to how people want to be treated,” she told Security Systems News. “That’s what’s revolutionary about it.” She said the enhanced services are “absolutely a selling point and an attrition reducer.” Tim Whall, president and CEO of Protection 1, which is based here, said in a state- ment: “Two of the greatest frustra- tions of customers—whether they’re homeowners or busi- ness owners—are calling in for customer service, and waiting around for service technicians to arrive. Tech Tracker is just one more way we’re using tech- nology and good old-fashioned common sense to enhance our customer service.” The company isn’t rejecting PRO 1 see page 35 Affordable camera roll-out Pinnacle Security first to offer Alarm.com’s Image Sensor product By Tess Nacelewicz OREM, Utah—Pinnacle Security in April announced it is the first to market the Image Sensor, a motion detector with a built- in camera that transmits still images through a smartphone mobile app. The Image Sensor, offered in partnership with Alarm.com, is an answer to repeated requests by Pinnacle residential customers for an affordable security camera for the home, Kelly Walker, CEO of the summer-sales model security company, which is based here, told Security Systems News. “We believe it’s going to be a very successful product and it’s one we’re very excited about,” Walker said. “We think there will be a substantial attach rate.” In the roll-out in the United States, which begins this month, new Pinnacle customers can get the Image Sensor for a price on par with what they’d pay for a motion detec- tor alone, and then just $2 more per month in monitoring fees added to whatever security package they have, according to company officials. The company plans an upgrade offer to existing customers later this summer, said Stuart Dean, VP of corporate communications. He said Pinnacle is offering the Image Sensor at an affordable price because “we truly believe this is going to help our close rates and provide added value to our existing customers.” Pinnacle said in a Kelly Walker press release that by “leveraging Alarm. com’s newest platform technology, the cam- era detects motion in the home and takes ... photographs of what it ‘sees’ when triggered.” Walker said Pinnacle’s custom- ers increasingly have been ask- ing for home security cameras. Pinnacle has offered some in PINNACLE see page 36 Gaylord expands offices By Tess Nacelewicz KENT, Wash.—Gaylord Security Systems, one of the nation’s top 10 ADT Home Security dealers, has weathered the economic downturn so well it has expanded its corporate offices and plans to double its sales and support staff, marketing manager Patrick Smith told Security Systems News. Smith said the use of online testimonials from satisfied cus- tomers is a factor helping to increase business for Gaylord, based here but doing business in nine states. Smith said over the past year he’s worked on the company’s online presence. “We encourage our customers to leave comments about their experience online, good or otherwise.” Smith said that because the company has many happy cus- tomers, Gaylord typically earns 4.5 stars to 5 stars on independent online sites. Gaylord, a 100-employee com- For a more robust version of stories in this section, see: WWW.SECURITYSYSTEMSNEWS.COM n pany, announced this spring the expansion of its corporate headquarters by about one-third to include a new 2,500-square- foot suite. Smith told SSN the expan- sion now gives “elbow room” to double the number of sales rep- resentatives and the service staff that support them from 30 to 60 within a year. The company said it has already begun hiring new sales and service agents. Smith said Gaylord needs to grow its staff because its client base is growing so rapidly. Smith declined to give specifics but said they’ve had “double digit” growth over the last year. Bob Tucker, ADT director of public relations, told SSN Gaylord has been among the top 10 deal- ers “for years now” and that as of April 22 “they are ranked No. 6.” Gaylord’s business is 95 percent residential, and about 90 percent security-related. Oregon, It does business in Washington, Idaho, California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Louisiana. SSN BRIEFS Honeywell launches new self-contained security system LAS VEGAS—Honeywell’s newest addi- tion to its line of LYNX self-contained alarm systems integrates with Z-Wave thermostats and lighting. The new LYNX Touch, exhibited here at the ISC West show in April, features a full-color, seven-inch touchscreen, and supports Z-Wave thermostats and light- ing controls to give homeowners greater control over security and other home management systems. It also includes elements from top products in the consumer electron- ics, smartphone and mobile comput- ing industries to help security dealers increase close rates, reduce installation costs and attrition, and increase RMR, the company said. Jonathan Klinger, VP of marketing for Honeywell Security & Communications, said in a statement: “The new LYNX product line provides dealers with a rich and comprehensive offering to meet the needs of the broadest range of prospects in the security industry today.” Ackerman acquires ADS’ Atlanta accounts ATLANTA—Ackerman Security Systems announced in May that it has purchased the Atlanta operations of ADS Security. “We have a long history and mutual respect for each other’s organizations and have spent time together sharing best practices at many industry meetings over the years,” Jim Callahan, Ackerman COO, said in a statement. Nashville, Tenn.-based ADS recently decided to transition out of the Atlanta and spend additional resources in its more established offices, according to a press release. The deal, which closed April 7, pro- vides Ackerman with approximately 3,800 accounts, about 90 percent resi- dential and 10 percent commercial, the release said. Missouri AG sues Pinnacle for fraud JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Attorney General Chris Koster on May 3 sued Utah-based Pinnacle Security for alleg- edly defrauding Missouri consumers. Among charges Koster makes are that Pinnacle representatives falsely led consumers to believe that Pinnacle had acquired the company who provided their existing security system or that their existing security company had gone bankrupt. Stuart Dean, Pinnacle VP of corporate communications, told Security Systems News the company could not comment in detail on a legal matter. However, he said, “with such matters, we are confi- dent we will be able to work closely with the AG’s office in addressing the issues outlined in the complaint.”