The security industry loses a good friend and icon in Joe Freeman
It had been at least a couple of years since I had heard from one of my friends and mentors in the security industry. The disruption in our communication was not intentional, it was just “one of those things” that happens when life and business get in the way. So, when the phone rang in my suburban Atlanta office early in 2019 and I found my old colleague Joe Freeman on the other end, I was both delighted and surprised.
As memory served me, Joe began with, "Hey, Steve, I really want to get back in the saddle here. And I want to start collaborating with you on some new projects."
Hearing this stunned me, and I responded with a timid, "Joe, I thought you were retired," remembering the last time we spoke he had talked about slowing down.
Joe quickly countered, "Retired? Retirement is for dead people. There are a couple of industry segments I’d like to tackle with you and your group.”
I continued that I was game if he was but remained skeptical. I truly didn’t know exactly how old Joe was at the time, but I was figuring he was at least in his late seventies. As it turns out, he was actually 86 years old when we reconnected on this call and Joe was seriously discussing with me how he could collaborate with me to reinvigorate, well, his business. Although we discussed the security industry and its expanding universe of opportunities several more times via email and phone calls in the subsequent months, a new collaborative project failed to emerge.
When Joe’s daughter, Megan, recently called me I naturally thought she was following up for dad, as she often did as his business partner and facilitator. Sadly, it was not about business. She was relaying the news of Dr. Joseph Peter Freeman’s passing (October 8, 2021) after battling a short illness at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The Newtown, Conn., resident and New Jersey native was 88 years old.
For Megan Freeman Lewis, one of Joe’s four children and three cherished daughters, slowing down was just not in her father’s DNA.
“He was my boss and my father at the same time, not one more than the other. He used to praise me on my work constantly like a dad. But at the same time as a boss and he had more ambition than any guy I ever knew,” says Megan, stressing that Joe never let his age slow him down, adding that over that last several months he was attempting to restart the company. “And you know why? He was bored. He would find every little thing outside the house to fix that he could or paint. That's what he did. He was just a hardworking, very robust man. That’s why his death was a shock to everybody, really.”
The Father of Security Industry Research
For me, Joe was among the first reliable security industry researchers, and most certainly the industry’s most ardent advocate. When he launched J.P. Freeman & Associates in 1982, security statistics and trustworthy research was a crapshoot at best and misleading at its worst. It was the mission of J.P. Freeman & Associates to provide trends and numbers that reflected the reality of a vibrant and growing business sector. The accuracy of his research and his unique vision of the future across myriad micro-sectors in the security industry laid the foundation for many companies looking to expand into it. The company published comprehensive market reports, provided a wide range of consulting services, custom research searches, and testing and design services. It was widely consulted by organizations wishing to develop plans and methods to accelerate their future growth.
Fredrik Nilsson, Vice President of the Americas at Axis Communications was one of those who counted Joe Freeman as a trusted advisor for his company as it looked for a niche in the burgeoning universe of IP video surveillance. Joe was among his first calls.
“When I first moved to the U.S. back in 2001 my job was to do business development for Axis’ newly launched second generation of IP cameras and build a market in the security industry. When reading trade magazines and visiting conferences I often heard people referring to market share numbers and market projections by ‘J.P. Freeman,’ so I looked up the company and gave Joe a call to discuss his views of the market. Not only was he deeply knowledgeable, but also immensely helpful guiding new technology companies into the mix,” remembers Nilsson. “That started a good friendship and many discussions and over the next 10 years we often found ourselves speaking on panels together, as Joe many times invited me to his ISC West presentations, and I invited him to the Axis partner conferences to present his views on the market. Once we also met at a conference in southern France (2006), where we were both speaking, which was a great trip and memory.”A Foundation Built on Patience and Competitiveness
Joe’s analytical approach to business forecasting and trends was earned during his early professional career stops at Remington, General Foods, General Electric and Wells Fargo Security in various management positions. His drive and competitive spirit were forged at Seton Hall University as a scrappy pitcher for the Pirates’ baseball team and where he also received a bachelor’s degree and MBA. Joe later received a Doctor of Science degree in management systems from the University of New Haven in Connecticut.
Admitting her bias, daughter Megan confides that Joe was the “most patient and smartest man” she ever met. “Whether it was an executive that he was working with or whomever. It made no difference who you were, he would try to explain things in a manner that you could understand. He had a real gift for that. Most clients couldn't get enough of what he had to say.”
One of those executives was Les Gold, who serves as chair of the Corporate & Business Transactions Practice at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp (MSK), where he represents foreign and domestic companies in a broad range of corporate, financial and securities transactions. Gold has been among the security industry’s movers and shakers in the active mergers and acquisitions arena as well and sits on the Board of Directors of the Security Industry Association (SIA).
“Joe was a wonderful human being and a go-to guy whenever I needed industry information or advice. Joe was always there with the right answers. He was a treasure trove of information. I will miss him as will the industry,” Gold says.
The Future is Home Automation
Joe’s firm was instrumental in plotting the roadmap for an incubating home automation industry and the future of smart home technology. He has often been tagged as the “father” of home automation. In 1997 he received the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Smart Home Division Leadership Award for his leadership in the development of the smart home. Joe’s influence across the industry served every sector from security dealers and integrators to enterprise-level security directors, in addition to a hungry solutions providers market. He held positions as the director of SIA, chair of the International Biometrics Association, and chairperson of the Home Automation Association. While still the principal of his firm Joe managed to hold down assignments teaching college courses in business management and marketing at Western Connecticut State University, the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, and New York Institute of Technology. At its zenith, J.P. Freeman & Associates served over 700 corporations worldwide, the United States government and the governments of Germany and South Africa.
Joe Freeman is survived by his bride of 61 years and the love of his life Lucille, along with children Joseph Freeman, Jennifer Freeman, Mary Freeman (James) and Megan Lewis (George).
About the Author: Steve Lasky is a 34-year veteran of the security industry and an award-winning journalist. He is the editorial director of the Endeavor Business Media Security Group, which includes magazines Security Technology Executive, Security Business and Locksmith Ledger International and top-rated webportal SecurityInfoWatch.com. Steve can be reached at [email protected].
