ADS acquires Branham Security

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Continuing a record-setting year for acquisitions, ADS Security recently acquired 1,100 accounts from Branham Security, based in Elgin, S.C., about 20 miles outside of Columbia.

“We've really been focusing on the Carolinas for the past couple of years, and this is just another step on the path to expanding our footprint [in that area],” John Cerasuolo, company president and CEO, told Security Systems News. Branham Security's accounts, which are predominantly residential, will be serviced out of ADS' Columbia branch.

ADS entered South Carolina with the purchase of American Burglary and Fire Alarms in early 2014. The company entered the North Carolina market later in 2014 by acquiring Seaboard Security Systems. Cerasuolo said he hopes to have another acquisition in the Carolinas to announce “before the end of the year.”

Branham Security, founded in January 1996, was originally a division of the family-owned Branham Electric, which entered security in 1993. The business mainly grew through “word of mouth [and] family oriented service and installation,” Eric Branham, owner of Branham Security, told SSN.

Branham has joined ADS along with two other staff members. Branham said he'll be in a “consultation-type role, where I can assure customers that ADS is the best choice for them.”

Branham added that he was “amazed” with the quality of ADS's staffing. “I've never had anybody take so much care and attention to detail like these people do.”

ADS said that it is currently introducing itself to the Branham Security customer base. “That's not an easy thing to do, because it's hard to get customers' attention sometimes,” Cerasuolo said. ADS approaches the task by calling the new customer base, and sending an email or a piece of physical mail.

Cerasuolo said that before entering a new geography, ADS first develops relationships with the companies there. “These deals pay dividends far into the future with the talent that we bring in and the relationship that they have with their customers,” he said.

“It's not just a matter of picking up everything that we can get our hands on, it's finding great groups of contracts like these, and great companies, and great employees,” Cerasuolo said.