Items Tagged with 'Dealer of the Year'

SDM attended the last the last “Barnes” Buchanan conference, as Mike Barnes is stepping back from his traditional role in the event starting next year. The conference covered various trendy security topics, including the impact of AI (particularly on small businesses), an overview of the alarm industry, an M&A outlook and threats/opportunities for security in 2026.

In an era of big acquisitions, changing customer expectations and a feeling by some that the traditional alarm industry is on a downward slope, this company chose to sell off its large commercial business and ‘lean in’ to residential and SMB opportunities.

According to the announcement, the acquisition of ProAlert will expand Guardian Alarm’s customer base and enhance its capabilities in Cincinnati.

Faced with debt, higher than desired attrition, challenges in retaining employees, inflation and supply chain issues caused by a global pandemic, this company managed to get completely debt-free, lower attrition, raise both wages and prices, and still make a profit — all of which resulted in a “war chest” that helped them invest in key cyber and marketing efforts.

SDM and the 2021 Dealer of the Year share an anniversary.

I’m no geology expert, so I looked it up. According to the National Geographic, “Igneous rocks form when magma (molten rock) cools and crystallizes, either at volcanoes on the surface of the earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust.” Why am I talking about rocks?

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.

Ken Gill, CEO and founder of CPI Security of Charlotte, N.C., is facing backlash after allegedly racist remarks included in an email to a community organizer.

Lexington, Ky., is known for a few things: horses, bluegrass, bourbon, a historic downtown area, and — when it comes to security systems — Bates Security/Sonitrol of Lexington.