Boyd acquires Draganchuk, expands alarm and patrol services

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—With its acquisition of Draganchuk Alarm Services, Boyd & Associates has further expanded its presence in the field of alarm verification and patrol services.

The deal, finalized in September, brings Boyd & Associates, based here, nearly 5,000 accounts, half high-end residential and half commercial, a mix of retail, light commercial and fire, said company president Dan Boyd.

Draganchuk's sales, service and back office employees have joined Boyd & Associates, which took on Draganchuk's lease, equipment and its fleet of 20 vehicles, Boyd said.

The purchase comes months after Boyd & Associates began a big shift in its business model. Boyd & Associates had been a large guard and patrol company with a medium-sized alarm service and a central station in North Hollywood, Boyd said. But wanting to focus on alarms, patrols and alarm response, the company sold its guard division.

“That's one of the things that made it possible for us to focus on growing the alarm side,” said Boyd.

Boyd & Associates had been operating in California's Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties, and, to a lesser degree in Ventura County, where Boyd said his company had been in friendly competition with Draganchuk.  “They've really dominated this area, Ventura County,” he said.

He described Draganchuk as a family-operated company similar to Boyd & Associates. When Mark Draganchuk approached Boyd through an intermediary about the possibility of buying, a purchase “seemed natural,” said Boyd.

Draganchuk's vehicle fleet will help Boyd & Associates expand its alarm response unit. The company keeps vehicles on the road so they can verify alarms. The patrols also check pool gates at condos, provide parking enforcement and inspect retail, commercial, HOA and multifamily buildings after hours, Boyd said.

Boyd called alarm response services a unique selling point for the company. “Almost every municipality imposes pretty stiff fines for excessive false alarms, and they should. But, a lot of them are eliminating their response to alarms, so some kind of verified response is going to be necessary in the future,” Boyd said.

Boyd & Associates has made a string of smaller acquisitions in the last decade, ramping up the speed of purchases in the past two to three years, with Draganchuk being the largest, Boyd said.

“Within these four counties, I think there is ample room for us to grow,” Boyd said. He said he did not see Boyd & Associates expanding outside of its current region in the near future, unless a great deal presents itself.