ADS makes first buy of year

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—ADS Security, a regional security and automation company headquartered here, made its first buy of 2019 following a record-setting eight acquisitions in 2018.

ADS acquired the customer accounts of security dealer Security Specialists in Lexington, S.C., and will service the new customer accounts out of its Columbia, S.C. branch. Security Specialists' owner, John Kerce, and his team will be joining ADS Security.

 “Security Specialists is a great company and we are very fortunate to have John and his team joining ADS Security. Together, we will be able to provide better security to more homes and businesses in the Columbia area,” John Cerasuolo, ADS president and CEO, said in the announcement.

Paul Dyson, ADS Security's VP of Acquisitions told Security Systems News that the deal brings more talent and capability to the Columbia branch, which has grown rapidly in the past few years.

“What this does is more than doubles the size of the branch since we moved into Columbia in 2014 with our first acquisition and this being our third acquisition in that market,” said Dyson. “So it gives us a much stronger presence in that marketplace.”

Security Specialists had been doing business in the Carolinas for 28 years, with accounts that were approximately 85 percent residential, Dyson noted. “They were an Alarm.com dealer and one of their big strengths is they have several homeowner associations that were customers, so they were providing service to the entire HOA.”

Security Specialists' customers will now have access to the ADS advanced suite of residential and commercial services, including a mobile app, smart home technologies, video surveillance, and access control solutions. Established in 1990, ADS currently serves more than one hundred thousand businesses, industrial facilities, and residences throughout the southeastern United States. Additionally, ADS owns and operates a monitoring center located in Nashville.

Asked if 2019 will rival the record-breaking 2018 in terms of acquisitions, Dyson said, “The acquisition pipeline is full and we are confident we will have another very successful year in 2019.”