Sonitrol Great Lakes looks to double business

GRAND BLANC, Mich.—The newly named Sonitrol Great Lakes, a $10 million business with $500,000 in RMR, wants to double its RMR in the next five years.

The independent Sonitrol dealer announced today that it is combining its two businesses, Sonitrol Tri-County, based here, and Chicagoland North, based in Northbrook, Ill., under the new name Sonitrol Great Lakes. The company also announced it is expanding its operations to Grand Rapids, Mich., and Toledo, Ohio.

The company will continue to be headquartered here, and it will retain both offices.

“It made sense to combine the two entities under Sonitrol Great Lakes for a lot of reasons,” Mike Wanstreet, company president, told Security Systems News. The move will help the company “share resources between offices, and to coordinate introduction of new, enhanced security technologies.”

The 80-employee business, started in 1987 by Wanstreet's father, has grown over the years. It recently acquired the right, from Stanley Security, to expand into Western Michigan and Northwest Ohio.

With its new territories, Wanstreet called the growth potential for his business “huge.”

“Grand Rapids is a vibrant, growing city. It's a good market to expand into; the same thing with Toledo,” he said. He will also be doing business in parts of Indiana and Wisconsin, he said.

Sonitrol Great Lakes' business is focused on industrial, large commercial and schools. “We're looking to expand our school vertical with a specific sales person focused on schools,” Wanstreet added.

Wanstreet plans to add an office in Grand Rapids eventually. For now, he is adding sales personnel who will work remotely.

This expansion does not involve the acquisition of new properties or accounts. Stanley purchased Sonitrol Corp. in 2008, however, there are several dozen independent Sonitrol dealers, including Wanstreet's business, that were not acquired in that deal. Stanley does control the Sonitrol territory map.

Sonitrol offers a verified audio detection technology that provides verified audio and video intrusion, video surveillance, access control and fire detection and professional monitoring.

Sonitrol Great Lakes' monitoring center is located here in Grand Blanc.