With the acquisition of integrator Red Hawk Industries, Denver, and the opening of a Chubb Security Chicago-area office behind it, UTC Fire and Security (UTCFS), Farmington, Conn., is poised for growth.

UTCFS aims to continue expanding its footprint in North America. Antonio Cintra, president Security Services Americas at UTCFS, joined the company in February 2006, and reorganized the business structure when he came aboard. “We have five entities,” explains Cintra. Onity covers the hospitality industry and offers everything from hotel locks to in-room safes to energy management systems. The residential side of the business, including burglar alarms, is Counterforce.

“In January,” says Cintra, “there will be a new executive in America, focusing on the residential business.” UTCFS’ two central stations fall under this business sector.

Verex Technologies, UTCFS’ third business entity is an independent manufacturer of integrated systems, including access control, video and intrusion products. Chubb Canada, which offers pure integration, including the design, sales, installation and service of security products, has a large hold in the Canadian market, Cintra said.

Chubb operations in the U.S. is the last business entity of UTCFS, according to Cintra. The Red Hawk acquisition falls under this category. Operations are similar to the Chubb Canada operations in that the focus is on the design, sales and installation of electronic and physical security. UTCFS wants to increase its integration market share in the U.S. The company plans to change the name of its U.S. entity sometime in 2007, said Cintra. “It’s fair to say that we will merge the two names of Chubb and Red Hawk somehow in the U.S. with a new name,” Cintra said.

While UTCFS has no timeline for continued acquisitions in the U.S., emphasizes Cintra, “we are not done and we will continue to aggressively grow in some specific states.”

For now, the U.S. operations will focus on growing its stake in the financial segment of the market. “Red Hawk was 80 percent focused on the financial segment. This is a vertical we like and we are extremely strong in, in our operations in Canada. We saw Red Hawk as an opportunity to expand our knowledge base in that vertical in the U.S.,” Cintra explained.

In addition, Cintra said, UTCFS will also focus on expanding its U.S. operations integration business into other strategic markets — one of them being retail.

As far as the company’s residential business goes, Cintra said that UTCFS continues to focus on building its dealer program in the U.S. For more information about UTCFS, visit utcfireandsecurity.com.