Graybar pumps up security product offering

January 15 , 2004 ST. LOUIS - Electrical and communication product supply house Graybar has entered the security distribution market, adding surveillance cameras, access control and notification devices to its portfolio of products. Company officials said the addition follows the needs of its customers, the electrical and communication contractors, who are installing security products as part of their projects. It also marks a concerted effort by Graybar to provide security-related products. Previously the company offered bits and pieces of security equipment, such as fire pulls or strobes, but not an addressable fire panel. Now with the addition of surveillance equipment, access control products and a number of other types of products, Graybar can offer a complete security solution to its customers. “What we looked at when making this decision was how many of our existing customers are already doing this work,” said Karl Griffith, director of the reseller market for Graybar. The addition of Graybar into the security distribution market comes during an increasingly competitive climate for distributors. Anixter entered the security field two years ago, while a number of independent distributors have expanded their operations lately. ADI also recently announced a reorganization, adding a new look to its branches and new methods for stocking products in-house. Griffith said officials at Graybar did not take into account the climate of the existing security distribution market, since it did not enter the market solely to garner business from traditional security dealers or systems integrators. “Our goal is our existing customer base,” he said. Nonetheless, Graybar will work with traditional security dealers and systems integrators who want to buy product from the company. So far Graybar has 57 different security-related products available, from manufacturers such as Pelco, Keyscan, RCI, Potter Electric Signal and Altronix. It builds upon its existing relationship with companies like Aiphone, Brady, Edwards Signaling, Viking and Wheelock.