Although Security 101 has functioned effectively as a highly capable partner to security manufacturers and distributors, the Florida-based security systems integrator is actively looking to become more visible.
CEO Greg Daly – who is nearing his first year leading the company after a 25-year career at ADT -- emphasized Security 101 has “great relationships” with major accounts in the industry, but the company has bigger aspirations.
“We aspire to have the same brand recognition as some of the most well-known names in this space,” Daly told SecurityInfoWatch in an interview at ISC West 2024. “Anything we can do to invest in the brand and brand awareness will help us with recognition and ultimately growth and sales and everything that goes into having a sales and service organization.”
Security 101 provides access control, intrusion detection, video surveillance, visitor management and integrated solutions in several markets, including manufacturing, government, property management, education, health care and others.
While he doesn’t see the company’s relationship with manufacturer partners going anywhere, the company plans to “take it to the end user” and participate in events, market Security 101 in trade publications and periodicals, even if they aren’t directly related to security.
“I would say we want to feel comfortable to step into the light when the opportunity arises. There's got to be a time where, perhaps, if an end user is looking at two logos, our organization is more recognized,” he said.
Ultimately, he says, this means specializing in being a sales and service organization, partnering with the solutions and products “that have the highest quality and more importantly, the best customer satisfaction.
“We want to be able to partner with the end user so that we understand the needs of their business. We can work with them on what the best solution is. We obviously have great partnerships, but we’re going to transition or transform from what I consider to be an installer integrator to a sales and service organization,” Daly says.
Personal Approach
Retooling the company will require maintaining a customer-first approach. Daly noted many of the tenured customers they have been associated with are a byproduct of the relationship Security 101 has with key decision makers.
“So I do believe that customer focus and that relationship building is already a part of the culture. But again, it's a matter of being able to step to the side and not necessarily rely on a manufacturer or referral to create that relationship. We want to be able to go out and create those relationships organically.”
To continue growing but remain customer-centric, Daly says the company is also investing in recruiting more employees who can build and maintain crucial relationships.
Security 101 is, according to Daly, growing by double digits annually at 20-30% year over year, while the rest of the industry is in the high single digits in some geographies.
Recently, Ken Poole was tapped to be the company's new Chief Revenue Officer. Poole has more than two decades of sales and leadership experience, including stints at notable companies including Orion Energy Systems, Johnson Controls North America, Tyco Integrated Security and ADT Security Services.
In 2022 Security 101 added industry veteran Tim Whall as a strategic board advisor.
Last year, Security 101 announced it acquired Security Solutions Northwest (SSNW), based in Bellingham, Wash., which was a regional provider of commercial security systems design and installation services.
This allowed Security 101 to expand into Washington state, and the company says the purchase complements its existing client base in the education, government, and property management vertical markets.
Daly said the acquisition broadens the scope of the company’s service offerings to include life safety systems — advancing its capabilities in fire testing and inspection services.
In January, Security 101 acquired Integrated Security Professionals and RVA Security Integrators, two of the largest franchisees under the Security 101 brand umbrella.
Integrated Security Professionals had established a strong presence in the commercial security sector, offering integrated electronic security solutions for a variety of businesses, including national and regional multi-site customers. Founded in 2013, RVA had been a key player in the Richmond area, known for their expertise in providing comprehensive security solutions to a diverse range of clients.
Currently, Security 101 has 55 locations across the U.S., and Daly said the company is seeing some interest from both external companies that aren't currently part of the portfolio and even franchisees.
“We're meeting with people that we had not otherwise considered probably 18 months ago because Security 101 is starting to garner a reputation where we can play in the national space, and we have the footprint to support some iconic brands,” Daly says.
“We've always been a bit of a boutique agency, so to speak, that catered to very special needs and handling very complex projects, and that's kind of part of the culture and the history of what we've been able to build, and we definitely want to build upon that and grow beyond it.”
“We aspire to be the kind of company that is compared to some of the most well-known brands in our space,” Daly says, and we're willing to do it.”
