ADS buys, opens new branch in Mississippi

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—ADS Security on May 1 announced its purchase of The Alarm Company, based in Jackson, Miss., a location that ADS will keep as its second branch in Mississippi and its 23^rd branch overall.

“Mississippi for awhile has been a target for expansion; it's just been a matter of waiting for the right opportunity,” John Cerasuolo, president and CEO of ADS Security, told Security Systems News. “We hope to use this as an opportunity to accelerate our growth throughout Mississippi.”

The deal adds 2,600 accounts into ADS, 80 percent of which are residential while 20 percent are commercial. Following the deal, ADS' total account base is nearing the 100,000-account mark, a milestone that Cerasuolo said the company could pass this year.

In addition to the facility, ADS is bringing on all 12 of The Alarm Company's employees, including its owner Tony Collums.

“They have a great team, a really exceptional group of folks that Tony has built there over the years. That is always a primary consideration for us. We're not just out to accumulate accounts, but to build the best team in the industry,” Cerasuolo said.

ADS' other Mississippi branch is in Columbus, about 150 miles northeast of Jackson. This gives each location a serviceable range of about 75 miles, he noted. “We find, with our business model, we are much more successful when we can build a network of locations in a geography,” Cerasuolo said. “This is a pretty good distance [between Columbus and Jackson] to kind of build that network.”

ADS chose to increase its rate of acquisitions in 2014 and since has now purchased 24 companies; Cerasuolo credited the company's internal infrastructure for the ability to process the high volume of acquisitions. “It's not just about having the money, and even having the targets, you've got to have a team that can handle the integration.”

Cerasuolo added that ADS avoids setting targets for acquisitions in order to focus more on the fit for companies it purchases.

“I am thrilled to bring my customers and employees with me to ADS,” Collums said in the announcement. “Their history of providing legendary service to each customer makes me feel confident that everyone will be in fantastic hands moving forward. There is a bright future for ADS in Central Mississippi.”