Potter Electric acquires SureCall's ERCES business
March 26, St. Louis, MO -- Potter Electric Signal Company, LLC (“Potter”) announced today the acquisition of SureCall’s emergency responder communication enhancement systems (“ERCES”) business which provides in-building public safety radio communications for first responders. SureCall is the performance leading supplier of cell phone signal boosters. Potter is expanding its portfolio of life safety and fire protection systems by adding to its 2020 acquisition of TowerIQ, the premier manufacturer of wireless life-safety communication and smart building technologies. The combination of SureCall’s Guardian product range with TowerIQ’s technology provides the broadest ERCES offering in the market. To support this platform, Potter provides business partners, emergency services personnel and building owners with full-service applications design services, including cloud-based monitoring and engineering tools.
Potter’s CEO, Gerry Connolly, commented, “We have partnered with SureCall over the last few years and have been impressed with their Guardian product line. Potter is investing in this advanced technology to ensure that first responders can effectively communicate uninterrupted during an emergency. We see the opportunity to improve in-building emergency communications and now have the most complete platform for meeting the requirements of ERCES across North America. Similarly, Potter’s partners and end users continue to ask for enhanced integration of life safety and fire protection systems. SureCall’s products are very complementary to Potter’s own range of IP-based systems and platforms, enabling edge-to-cloud connectivity for emergency responders, building owners and facility managers.” Potter’s range of ERCES are designed for both Class A narrowband and Class B wideband applications and the combined portfolio meets IFC, NFPA, FCC, and UL 2524 requirements, including FirstNet capabilities.
“SureCall introduced this product because of a market opportunity where our technology was a good fit,” said Hongtao Zhan, CEO of SureCall. “We now recognize that Potter is better positioned to serve this market because of their suite of products that support the entire public safety community. Selling this business unit provides strategic capital that better positions SureCall to focus on the growth of our commercial and consumer products. It also provides significant resources for investing in further innovation.”
Potter’s motto is “We Save Lives” which represents its mission to provide products and solutions for the protection of people and property. This acquisition brings state-of-the-art technology to advance Potter’s commitment to enhancing life safety. Potter is quickly establishing itself as a leader in the evolving and fast-growing field of ERCES, which includes Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA), Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and Auxiliary Radio Communication Systems (ARCS). ERCES technology is growing in importance throughout North America and internationally, as local jurisdictions and municipalities adopt codes that specify the need for reliable radio signal coverage used by emergency personnel and first responders. These requirements ensure that front line first responders will have total communication coverage when responding to an emergency.
Jeff Klein, President of Potter’s Fire Division added, “The acquisition of the Guardian product line will not only strengthen Potter’s position as a leader in important commercial life safety products, but also provides our customers with a broad range of solutions that meet the emergency communication needs of different metropolitan areas nationwide. A key part of the acquisition is the addition of a dynamic engineering and customer support team. We are always adding innovative ways to improve safety in emergency situations, and communications is a key part of that. With the ability to provide fire alarm systems, voice evacuation options, and a range of interconnected communications signals, our goal is to provide customers and the industry with the most versatile emergency solutions.” ERCES deployed by fire services throughout the country use a variety of frequency bands. The Guardian booster products support the most prevalent 700/800 MHz frequency band and provide reliable coverage in those installations.
