ASG acquisition of Entrust includes builder program

BELTSVILLE, Md.--ASG's latest acquisition, of the Dallas-based residential security company Entrust Connections, brings with it $46,000 in recurring monthly revenue and 1,800 accounts, but ASG's senior officials are most excited about the company's extensive builder program. "Right now, Entrust has an active working relationship with 25 Dallas-Fort Worth homebuilders," said Bob Ryan, vice president of sales and marketing for ASG. Together, these builders are "capable of delivering 2,500 to 4,000 accounts annually in the Dallas-Fort Worth area," Ryan explained. Since many of these builders have operations throughout Texas, Joe Nuccio, ASG president, said there's an opportunity to export Entrust's successful business model to ASG's other branches in the Lone Star State. Right now, ASG has more than 55,000 customers split between the mid-Atlantic region and Texas. Its Texas branches include Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, McAllen, Austin, Corpus Christi and Laredo. The Entrust acquisition was completed Jan. 17. The business is in the process of being folded into ASG's Dallas office, which is located about 15 minutes away. The 10 Entrust employees will stay with the company, including Chad Dawald, who has been named business development manager for ASG's Builder Division. "With his help, we can turn that number from 25 builders into 35 builders," Nuccio said. Scott Mahoney, former owner of Entrust, said that he was approached by a "number of others who were interested in buying" his company. Mahoney liked the fact that ASG would retain all their employees and continue the builder program, he said. Mahoney and his father, Robert Mahoney, started Entrust five years ago, and initially followed a "traditional mass marketing" approach. They started the builder program three years ago. ASG's acquisition-spree, 22 in about 22 months, will not abate any time soon, said Nuccio. "We are actively working on transactions during the first quarter," he said.