UTG shows a full hand

CHESTER SPRINGS, Pa. - Unlimited Technology Group has always been a diverse company, offering integrated security systems for commercial customers and its own access control product to residential installation and locksmith services. But up until recently, the company lacked one piece of the puzzle - the ability to provide background checks. That changed in late January, when the company merged with The Detectives, a Doylestown, Pa., firm that provides investigative services, executive protection and GPS tracking. Financial terms of the transaction were not released. “The Detectives bring a service aspect to our business and is very complementary to what we do,” said Chris Bradlee, director of sales and marketing for Unlimited Technology Group. “They do background checks on employees, they do criminal investigations, they do contraband checks and they do forensics on computers.” For UTG, adding The Detectives to its portfolio is part of a strategy of owning several complementary businesses. The company’s other businesses included Unlimited Technology Integration, a $10 million-per-year systems integration firm that specializes in serving the chemical industry, Unlimited Lock, a locksmith shop and residential installation business, and Maze Technology, an access control manufacturer. The Detectives and UTG met three years ago through a mutual customer, Air Products, a chemical company that employed UTG’s integration business and The Detectives. “We met them and we had so much commonality,” said Bradlee. “We knew we could help each other.” Talks began six months ago to bring the two together. While The Detectives offers UTG the background screening and investigative services it lacked, UTG provides The Detectives with back office support. “They offered the administrative side, which I didn’t have,” said Tony Maniscola, president of The Detectives, a four employee company. “And, they also offered the marketing and resources to grow.” Bradlee said UTG will provide The Detectives with space at its corporate headquarters, but the firm will also maintain its current office located an hour away. Going forward, the companies will jointly market their services to their respective clients. “We’re taking their strengths and their customer list and making sure all of their customers know about Unlimited Technology Integration,” said Bradlee.