InfoGraphic latest to join GE Interlogix team

PLAINVILLE, Conn. -GE Industrial Systems continued its expansion into the security market in mid-November with its acquisition of privately held access control manufacturer Info-Graphic Systems. The deal is the third for the conglomerate since it entered the market in early 2002 with its purchase of Interlogix. In August, it bought Spanish fire product manufacturer Kilsen, followed by its acquisition of advanced trace detection system manufacturer Ion Track in the fall. Terry Dunn, spokesperson for GE, said the industry could “count on” GE expanding into the security market more in the future. “We’re continuing to grow in this business and we have an aggressive growth plan, not just through acquisitions, but through new product offerings,” he said. Terms of the transaction were not released, but Joseph Maskrey, president and a one-time partial owner of what is now known as GE InfoGraphic Systems, remains with the company as its president. Maskrey expects few changes for the company in terms of management and how it does business. “The management team is staying intact and one of the things I want to get across to my dealers is all of my dealers are staying intact,” he said. “If they were a dealer before the deal, they’re a dealer after the deal and it’s going to continue that way.” For InfoGraphic, now part of GE Interlogix, the acquisition provides additional backing, both financially and with technology, to continue on its course of growth. “We believe there are many resources that are coming through the Industrial Systems Division that we will be in that give us a great opportunity,” said Maskrey. “There’s a great deal of technology sharing with the company, from what I understand.” Over the past four years, Maskrey said InfoGraphic has experienced significant growth on its own, but he declined to offer specific numbers. Since 1998 the company increased its number of distributors by five to six times, said Maskrey. And, it expanded its product line from focusing mostly on high end by adding its smaller market product, Topaz. In recent years InfoGraphic led an aggressive marketing campaign to build brand awareness. “They were starting to get pretty big by access control standards,” said John Mack, senior managing director and founder of USBX Advisory Services, who brokered the deal for InfoGraphic. “That reputation started to translate into significant sales momentum.” It’s unclear how much of an overlap there will be between InfoGraphic’s products with GE’s Casi division, its other access control company. Mack speculated there may be some overlap, but that might not be cause for concern for GE. “I think they’re attitude is they want a bigger piece of the growing market,” Mack said.