American Digital Security, a security dealer based in Liberty, Mo., specializes in alarm systems but sometimes is called upon to install locks for a customer. Because the company doesn’t install locks as frequently as it does alarm equipment, it relies heavily on its equipment distributor for advice on which products to use. The distributor also helps make sure American Digital gets all the parts it needs for a complete installation, explains Buddy Mason, president of American Digital Security.
“The only way to make money is if you have a complete bill of materials,” comments Keith Lathrop, business development manager for Kansas City, Mo.-based Midwest Wholesale Hardware, a door lock distributor that is frequently called upon by American Digital and other dealers to help determine the equipment needed for a job. Mason sees the help he gets from Midwest Wholesale and other distributors as a competitive advantage — particularly when it comes to bidding on jobs. “Nobody gets paid to put an RFP together,” Mason observes.