Integrators '20 under 40' 2016—Jeremy Brooks

Jeremy Brooks, 35

President and CEO, CSG Security

Charlotte, N.C.

Jeremy Brooks, president and CEO of CSG Security, an aspiring super-regional security company based in Charlotte, N.C., said that he has always had an interest in security as his father started in the industry in the 1960s.

“Being able to build something and to integrate different projects, especially on the life safety side, has always excited me,” he said. “There is nothing more rewarding than creating something that is going to help and benefit other folks, especially when we are talking life safety systems.”

Brooks pointed out, though, that the security industry is much different today than it was even just a decade ago, “when you were selling three doors, motion and a keypad,” he explained. “I think the biggest thing today is how technology continuously evolves, month over month over month, which is really exciting. We have seen the growth of the interactive services on the residential side and more of the technology with HD video and how you can integrate your fire system, your security system, your camera system, for example.”

He said that this evolution in technology is attracting younger talent to the industry.

“These smart young professionals can really take the alarm industry and transform it into a great technology-driven industry,” he said. “When it comes to recruiting young talent, 10 years ago it was much more challenging to attract them to come to the alarm business. Now, with the way technology is, all I have to do is hand them an iPad and give them a five-minute tutorial and it almost sells itself.”

On the technology side, Brooks said that he is excited by the evolution of wireless technology. “The reliability of wireless technology has grown with leaps and bounds each year,” he said. “It is exciting today that we can take a municipality and put reliable wireless mesh network in there and not have to worry about your wiring infrastructure, for example.”