Companies You Should Know: Dahua Technology USA
The Dahua headquarters building in Irvine, Calif., was established in 2014.
As visitors step through the doors of Dahua Technology USA headquarters in Irvine, Calif., they are greeted with a poster of a local landmark — the Ferris wheel at the nearby Spectrum Center — proclaiming, “Hello Irvine!” Dahua (pronounced Dah-Hwah) has indeed embraced the Southern California way of business since establishing its North American headquarters in November 2014. In fact, the surroundings reveal little evidence that Dahua, a leading solution provider of video surveillance solutions with the second-largest market share worldwide, was founded in Hangzhou, China, where it maintains world headquarters.
Dahua’s first order of business after coming to California was to streamline its thousands of products — network cameras, NVRs, HD analog — to a manageable size for introduction to the U.S. market, while maintaining a focus on quality and competitive pricing.
Behind the doors of conference rooms named for local beaches, such as Laguna and Newport, teams huddle to map out the product, sales and marketing initiatives that drive Dahua’s expansion. One of the most recent is a partnership with ADI Global Distribution that will make it easier for integrators to access Dahua products at more than 100 locations throughout the U.S. The relationship with ADI is allowing Dahua to increase its dedication to providing superior technical and customer support.
Dahua’s other key objectives include establishing a sales channel and dealer program, and preparing for the ASIS trade show in Orlando this month.
Dahua Technology set out to gain a strong foothold in North America based on several advantages, including a $160 million annual spend on research and development based upon global revenue generated last year, as well as cameras with superior image quality and strong performance across all product categories.
A total solution provider, Dahua said it is frequently first-to-market with cutting edge products, such as HDCVI technology, a solution that brings HD quality to outdated analog systems over existing coax cable. With easy plug-and-play installation, HDCVI has been a game changer, bringing wide-reaching value to the entire video surveillance market, the company described.
Dahua said that its Starlight represents one of the lowest light PTZs in the industry at 0.005 lux. Dahua prides itself in providing systems integrators with ease of installation, image quality and reliability across a number of industries, including banking, manufacturing, transportation, hotel/leisure, retail, government and venues/stadiums.
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Back in Irvine, where the staff has grown 1,200 percent since June 2015, executives and management have given up private offices in favor of modern collaborative workstations that are more reminiscent of a Silicon Valley startup than a Chinese transplant. The result is open lines of communication and improved workflow.
Employees are treated to a fully-stocked snack bar and numerous staff appreciation events, ranging from Fun Fridays, trips to Angels baseball games, themed potluck lunches, Crazy Hat Day and afternoon ice cream carts.
This culture stems from the company’s president, Liquan Fu, who founded Dahua 20 years ago and has dedicated his entire career to its leadership. He attributes listening to both customer and employee feedback as keys to Dahua’s advancement. “We’ve realized success by building a customer-centric organization with a deep appreciation for the contributions of our employees,” Fu said.
Dahua noted that it demonstrates care for others, too — not just its own employees. The company has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility program and supports South County Outreach, a local charitable organization that helps families in need. Dahua has participated on several levels, including food drives, team volunteering, and financial contributions. The company recently provided volunteers and donated 100 backpacks for a back-to-school event sponsored by South County Outreach to deliver school supplies and other necessities to children in need. Dahua has also partnered with Mission 500, a global nonprofit that is dedicated to helping communities in crisis.
Dahua USA said it is the second-largest video surveillance company in the world that you might not be familiar with. However, as an industry leader for 20 years, Dahua offers solutions based on a deep understanding of the product and service needs of its customers. This global brand with a local touch is prepared to serve the North American market. Hello Irvine!
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