Springall named CEO of Security Central

STATESVILLE, N.C.—National third-party monitoring station Security Central today announced the promotion of Brett Springall, formerly Security Central's director of IT, to the position of CEO.

Moving from IT director to CEO isn't necessarily a common career path in the security industry, but Springall said his strength in IT is something Security Central management and its owner value.

“We have always been on the cutting edge. We want to continue to be on the forefront of technology, offering services that can drive RMR for our dealers,” Springall said.

Springall joined Security Central in 2003 as a systems administrator in the IT department. In 2006 he was promoted to director of IT and in March of this year he was named managing director.

Security Central completed its transition to an IP infrastructure several years ago. Today, it's “moving forward with all the latest solutions, connected home and the mobile apps that go along with the connected home. We're also getting into mobile PERS,” he said.

Security Central has two UL-listed central stations in this state, more than 300,000 accounts and 1,500 dealers. Its account base is roughly 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial.

The company has doubled its account base in the past 10 years, Springall said, and it plans to keep growing. It added a second central station in August of 2013.

“Everything is in place to handle growth for a very good while. Our model is that as growth occurs we add infrastructure and central stations as need dictates,” Springall explained.

To grow the business, Security Central needs to provide newer services that dealers want, but it also has to customize solutions to its dealers' needs. “We don't want to force dealers down a certain road,” Springall said. Instead, the goal is “partnering with them … if a dealer comes to you and say 'can you monitor this? … we find the solution and make it work,” he said.

It may be as simple as adding a new receiver or it could mean integrating a new video platform or software. Keeping up with technology transitions is a challenge, but Springall said Security Central “is prepared to do that.”

What does it take to be prepared?

Springall said it takes [technical] “understanding and good solid investment, and the stability of a company that's been around for 50 years and plans to be around for 50 more.”

It's essential he said to have “[technical] experience in-house and the IT team to put those systems together to offer the services that dealers need.” Equally important is “to have the backing of the family which has the ability to invest in the technology and people as needed.”

Springall is the first non-family member to be named CEO. However, he noted that the Brown family is still involved in all facets of the business. “Brown family members serve on the executive advisory board to the CEO, Courtney Brown is COO and Caroline Brown is business development manager,” he said.