Integrators '20 under 40' 2017—Chris Tango

Chris Tango, 39

EVP, Vortex Security

Jupiter, Fla.

Chris Tango began his career at Brinks Security in 2005, spending six years there before moving to Devcon Security for three years until it was acquired by ADT. Shortly thereafter, in 2014, Tango with partner Kevin Johnson started Vortex with a focus on providing stellar customer service.

Tango said that putting the customer first is the biggest thing he has learned. “If you keep them happy and they enjoy your service and feel like they are getting treated correctly, they are going to stick with you and that is the key to success in this industry,” he said.

He said it is fascinating how the industry has completely changed since he started, when everything was hardwired with long installs. “We joke about it now, but the biggest thing back then was trying to sell the customer on whose keypad was the nicest. Now, you have so many different options that people enjoy, such as the automation features.”

In addition to automation, Tango is excited about drones. “I think they could be the next big thing, where you can send them around the house to see what is going on, as well as what we can do now with video verification with the monitoring stations. It is not just a security system anymore but becoming part of your lifestyle being able to have all of these options, so it is definitely an exciting future.”

Tango said this leap toward technology is going to help get more young people interested in the industry, as well as “getting out and promoting what is available today in the industry.”