Central gets big

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Things keep getting better at Total Monitoring Services. TMS expanded its facility with a 5,100-square-foot event center in June, another sign the two-year old company is off to a great start. Last fall, the third-party central station surpassed a $1 million revenue goal for the calendar year by early October. The company intends to use the additional space to host dealer training sessions, vendor presentations, trade shows and industry-related association meetings. "The timing was good for the local area; there were no real meeting areas," explained Tim Sproul, president and chief executive officer at the company. "We're happy to host those events." TMS works with 125 dealers and its account portfolio has grown to 22,000 since it opened its doors in September 2003. The company, now in the middle of a seven-year lease, built out from its existing 8,300 square feet of space. Sproul has right of first refusal to buy the 32,000-square-foot building. He said he may consider this option before the lease expires. Business is strong, said Sproul, and the company's shareholders have received dividends for the last three quarters. "I would definitely consider it a few years down the road," he said. "I have investors who are really into buying the building, today." The company offers diverse services to its dealers in 17 states with a regional focus on the California market. These include audio, video, Internet and, most recently, AlarmNet applications. But it is the attention to dealers' needs that has really distinguished TMS from its competition, said Sproul. The company recently added dealer newsletters to its marketing services that also include end-user brochures, video advertisements and hosted web sites. It seems unlikely the new event center will go unnoticed. In December, the Sacramento Area Alarm Association will hold its annual holiday party at the space.