Arias Tech Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, is the exclusive distributor for Smokecloak in the United States. The device heats glycol to fill a room with fog within 10 to 20 seconds, depending on room size and model used. It takes approximately 45 minutes for the fog to clear, which leaves no residue.

The product is sold in 60 countries, asserted Alfredo Arias, national marketing director. Five models of the machine are available.

Smokecloak, which is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, was developed by Paul Dard for his electronics store in England, which was hit repeatedly by smash-and-grab thieves, Arias recounted.

“He got hit eight times in seven months in 1991-92, and he came up with the concept of Smokecloak to fix his problem,” Arias related.

When Dard started selling the machines to neighboring retailers, he realized he could start a business selling the devices.

Arias Tech has been selling Smokecloak in South America since 1998. “We developed the Colombian market, which was a really good school for us,” Arias remarked. “The smash-and-grab is at a whole new level there.”

Arias also has sold the system in Venezuela and portions of Panama. He has been selling it in the United States for one-and-a-half years. “We cover golf stores to military bases – our bread and butter is jewelry stores and electronics stores,” he noted.

To keep the smoke ready to emit immediately, the block keeps the glycol heated to more than 350 degrees F, Arias maintained, but it only draws 50 watts of electricity. “We are seven generations into our product – these machines are very different from the first prototype,” Arias emphasized.

For more information, contact Arias Tech at (888) 282-7740, visit www.burglarysecurity.com, or e-mail alfredo.arias @burglarysecurity.com.