Redundancy via three central stations along with broader product offerings and services for dealers and a deeper opportunity for dealers nationwide to share best practices are just a few of the key benefits that Mace Security International, Cleveland, Ohio and Security Partners, Lancaster, Pa., believe will result from a partnership joining the companies’ three central stations in 1) Anaheim, Calif., 2) Lancaster, Pa., and 3) San Antonio. Mace Central Station, a subsidiary of Mace Security International, operates a central station in Anaheim, managed by Michael J. Joseph, who has more than 30 years of progressive business experience in the security industry. He will continue to manage that central station. Security Partners operates two redundant central stations — one in Lancaster and a second in San Antonio.

This is the second central station acquisition for Security Partners. The company had purchased the San Antonio central station in September from Response Center USA.

The relationship brings 100 percent uptime for dealer partners and subscribers of both companies as well as national coverage to the dealers in the dealer programs the companies operate, according to the two companies.

The companies do not anticipate any major changes at this time. Instead, the focus is on capitalizing on the obvious synergies between the companies, expanding on their capabilities, and most importantly putting the redundancy in place between Mace’s California operation and the rest of Security Partners’ network, said Michael Bodnar, president, Security Partners, in an interview with SDM.

The deal came together very quickly — in less than six weeks. “When things work, they work. The big element for Mace was the addition of the true redundancy that offers additional security and services to its dealer network, and for Security Partners this culminates its efforts to provide full redundancy. The result is three central stations in separate time zones on separate power grids all tied together,” shared John McCann, president, Mace Security International.

Joseph calls the acquisition the “culmination” of the vision he and McCann had when Joseph joined Mace eighteen months ago. “We wanted to turn the central station into a true national organization with hot redundancy and multiple locations across the country. The benefits to our dealers have greatly expanded through this partnership,” he described. When speaking with SDM, McCann also stressed both companies’ mutual service orientation as a key factor that aided the quick development of the formal partnership.

“The focus on protecting life, property and creating peace of mind that is present in both organizations was mutually important to both companies. The resulting synergies and common goals are a critical foundation of the relationship,” McCann said.

Mace Central Station, which has been providing wholesale UL central station monitoring nationwide since 1978, currently monitors approximately 70,000 end user accounts on behalf of around 400 dealer clients across the United States.

“With the combined services, products, and customer service of the two companies we will bring our dealers a very competitive offering,” Bodnar said.

—    By Heather Klotz-Young, SDM Senior Editor