Norris expands to northern Maine

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine-A regional player servicing Northern New England has purchased a sound and intercom vendor to expand its fire and security services into the northern reaches of the state. Norris Inc., based here, in December bought Maine Sound and Intercom, a small local dealer that served northern Maine in communications, sound and intercom equipment. Norris will use the new location to bring its fire, security and communications offering to that part of the state. The new location was expected to be operational by Jan. 1. The purchase of Maine Sound not only provides Norris with an additional presence in Maine but a beefed up product line to augment Norris' current sound and communication inventory, said Harty Norris, president of Norris Inc. Maine Sound's principal product line was from Roland, a manufacturer of sound system equipment. "This allows us to give a complete building systems package, everything low voltage, from fire to burg to access control to sound systems to CCTV," Norris said. Such an offering makes Norris particularly attractive to schools, he said, since a growing number want to integrate intercom systems with the rest of the facility's security and fire system. Norris has outfitted at least eight different school districts in Maine and New Hampshire with microprocessor fire systems, some of which integrated the facility's time, telephone and telecommunications system. The Bangor location will include office space for a new sales person and a full-time technician, as well as a small warehouse for emergency stock, Norris said. The bulk of the company's product inventory is housed near the company's South Portland location. The company also maintains an office in Durham, N.H. that services a large contract with the University of New Hampshire and the northern part of the state.