Archive: July 2007
The end of an era: Tom Few Sr., founder of Criticom, dies at age 60
July 26, 2007SSN Staff
OAKLAND, N.J.--Thomas Few Sr., a security industry leader and founder of Criticom International, died at home on July 19 at the age of 60 after a year-long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, and five children: Tom Jr., Robert, Suzanne, Jeffrey and Kathleen and two granddaughters, Morgan and Madison.
Known as "Sr." by his friends and colleagues, Few worked in the security industry for 40 years and held senior positions with Holmes Protection, ADEMCO, Guardian and ADT before founding...
NextAlarm heads south of the border with a new partnership
July 26, 2007SSN Staff
OJAI, Calif.--NextAlarm announced yesterday that it is making its first foray into Latin America by partnering with Megacable Communications and IP Monitor, an alarm systems company, both of which provide services in and around Guadalajara, Mexico. Together, the three companies will be offering the first bundled broadband services package in that area, which will include alarm monitoring as well as cable TV, Internet and phone service. Alarm monitoring became available to subscribers on July 1.
"Megacable...
Employees become owners of Southern Fire Protection
July 26, 2007Martha Entwistle
ORLANDO--The owners of Southern Fire Protection, a $10 million fire sprinkler company located here, will grow in numbers as the result of a recent sale of a portion of the company to its employees.
The company announced July 18 that it had created an Employee Stock Ownership Plan or "ESOP." An ESOP enables the company to "gain some liquidity... it allows management to get ownership over time and it [gives the company] a great tax- advantaged way to operate going forward," said Will Stewart, an investment...
Americas' Fire and Security show caters to Latin market
July 26, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
MIAMI--Amid stifling humidity broken by occasional rain, the Americas' Fire and Security Expo 2007 kicked off Tuesday with a heavy focus on fire solutions and solid support from the NFPA. Twelve aisles wide and roughly 13 booths deep here at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the show attracted a largely Latin audience, with a number of Spanish speakers in attendance and all signage and communication delivered in both English and Spanish.
Pelco, Honeywell, Samsung 360, Lenel, Infinova, Door King...
Interface acquires IP integration firm LPM
July 26, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
ST. LOUIS--Interface Security Systems, one of the largest security system installers in the United States, announced July 19 the acquisition of Loss Prevention Management, Inc., a network services and IP integration firm with roots in the security industry. Terms of the deal were not released, but the Albuquerque, N.M.-based LPM will bring 15 employees, many of them Cisco- and Microsoft-certified engineers, while the company's Salt Lake City-based networking operations center will be folded into...
Supreme acquires CAT
July 26, 2007Martha Entwistle
UNION, N.J.--Supreme Security Systems hopes to expand its relationships with high-end homebuilders as the result of a July 24 merger agreement with CAT Alarm Systems.
Supreme, which has more than 10,000 residential and commercial accounts, is based here; until the merger, CAT Alarm Systems was based in Matawan, N.J.
Irwin Dunsky, owner of CAT, has joined Supreme Security's sales department. "We've known each other for 25 years and been friendly competitors," said Bob Bitton, chief executive officer...
Former Rentokil Initial higher-ups launch brokerage group
July 19, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
SAN ANTONIO--Former president and chief executive officer of Rentokil Initial's North American operations Michael Schroeder has with his former colleagues launched the Titan Brokerage Group, a professional transaction firm that will specialize in the sale, acquisition, transfer or merger of businesses in the mid-market range. Schroeder will serve as president and chief executive of the new firm, and is joined by former Rentokil executive board member Clive Ward, who will serve as Titan managing director...
Court now sides with ADT in Synnex case
July 19, 2007Martha Entwistle
TRENTON, N.J.--In a decision being hailed as a major victory for the alarm industry, the Superior Court of New Jersey, appellate division, on July 13 reversed a lower court decision in the ADT v. Synnex case.
The court reversed a $4.1 million decision against ADT and dismissed the case.
The case gained widespread attention (search "NJ court case may affect liability limitation" at www.securitysystemsnews.com), fomenting organized support from industry associations such as the National Burglar & Fire...
MDI takes over ownership of Learn Safe
July 19, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
SAN ANTONIO--Effective July 11, command-and-control software maker MDI now owns the "Safe Initiatives" brand portfolio, formerly owned by Stratis Authority, which is the single largest investor in MDI. MDI will now discontinue the use of the Stratis name, and move all "Safe Initiatives" operations, formerly housed in Miami, to its own headquarters here. Terms of the transaction have not yet been released.
Most notably, MDI now has full control of the Learn Safe (Work Safe, Play Safe, and Live Safe...
InGrid scores $13.5 million to further develop home security system
July 19, 2007Martha Entwistle
BERWYN, Pa.--InGrid Inc., a start-up company that's developing a new self-installed wireless digital home security system, has raised $13.5 million in private equity for further development, the company announced July 13.
The system is designed to be sold through broadband telco companies, said Louis Stilp, chief executive officer of InGrid. Stilp is developing back-end systems that will allow InGrid to be tied into a cable company's billing system so the product can be sold, activated and billed...