This company was among the first to feel the effects of COVID-19. Like the rock they are named for, they not only weathered the crisis, but discovered hidden gems of opportunity and came out stronger than before.
What do termites, diamonds and security have in common? All three are components of the history of this year’s SDM Dealer of the Year. Sonitrol began when Al Cronk, a police officer, was interested in verifying alarms using audio; Bob Baxter invented microphones to detect termites in trees. The two met, and it was a perfect match. As Sonitrol began developing franchises, one of the earliest, Sonitrol of Fresno, was founded in 1978. Aligning with other Sonitrol franchises in California, the company formed a corporation in 1990 and used a name one of their founders had reserved from the start: Kimberlite Corporation. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged igneous rock, which when cut and polished, often contains diamonds.