Alliant launches dealer program; makes acquisition

GLENDALE, Calif. - With the acquisition of an alarm company here, Alliant Protection Services not only gained one of the largest independents in the area with 15,000 accounts, but a person to lead its new authorized dealer program. Digitec Security Services marks Alliant’s third acquisition since it embarked late last year on building a regional security company. Today Alliant serves 18,000 customers from three California locations. With Alliant’s latest deal comes Digitec’s former owners, Joe Alpino, who is now director of dealer development for Alliant, and Adam Dauphin, who serves as branch manager of Alliant’s Southern California operations, based out of Digitec’s office here. “We always in our business plan intended to do a dealer program,” said Tom Rankin, Alliant’s president and chief executive officer. “Now with the market conditions the way they are, it’s a good time to develop and launch a dealer program that makes sense for investors, operators and dealers.” Unlike other dealer programs, All-iant’s incentives will be based on quality customers with good credit instead of volume. For example, there will be incentives for signing up a customer who uses an automatic paying service. Dauphin will lead recruiting dealers to the program. So far Alliant has signed up 30 dealers. Initially the focus will be to bring onboard dealers in California, but eventually other markets will be added, such as Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. “We wanted to design something that’s going to appeal to a lot of companies, may be existing dealers who are going to drop from one company for one reason or another or new operating companies that have never been part of a dealer program before,” said Dauphin. Dauphin expects the program to pay multiples in the 26 to 32 range. Dealers will also be able to take advantage of equipment packages. As of press time Alliant was working with national distributor ADI to establish an equipment package program for its dealers. With quality customers the focus, not volume, Dauphin said it was difficult to predict how many accounts Alliant will add. Some dealers, he said, will average 20 to 30 accounts a month, while others may install up to 150 systems a month. It’s restrained growth, said Rankin, that will set this program apart. “I think done right a dealer program can be very productive,” he said.