Security 101 - Experts & Thought Leaders

Security 101, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital and a national provider of comprehensive commercial security solutions, announced the acquisition of Security & Energy Technologies Corporation ("SETEC"), a Chantilly, Virginia–based systems integrator with deep expertise serving both commercial and federal government clients. This transaction marks Security 101's 19th strategic acquisition, further strengthening its presence in the Mid-Atlantic market. Integration of complex access control Founded in 1987, SETEC has earned a decades-long reputation for technical excellence and exceptional customer service, providing design, installation, and integration of complex access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, and life-safety systems.  The company maintains long-term maintenance and service contracts and is widely recognized for its trusted relationships across enterprise and government sectors. SETEC's operations SETEC was founded and co-owned by Chet Hahne and Mark Morgan, who led the company through decades of steady growth. Robert Donnelly, a long-time member of the leadership team, will now serve as General Manager, overseeing SETEC's operations across the Washington, D.C. region. "We're excited to welcome SETEC to the Security 101 family," said Greg Daly, CEO of Security 101. "Their strong reputation, technical expertise, and customer relationships in the D.C. corridor align perfectly with our growth strategy and strengthen our ability to serve the federal market." "For nearly four decades, SETEC has been built on hard work, integrity, and a commitment to doing what's right for our customers," said Chet Hahne, Co-Owner of SETEC. "Joining Security 101 ensures that legacy continues to grow within a national organization that shares our values." Security 101's continued nationwide expansion Robert Donnelly, General Manager, added, "Our dedication to customer service hasn't changed, but now we have the strength of a national network behind us. With Security 101, we're positioned to take on larger, more complex projects across both commercial and federal markets." The acquisition underscores Security 101's continued nationwide expansion, reinforcing its position as one of the fastest-growing security integrators in the United States and establishing a strong foundation for further growth in the Washington, D.C. and federal markets.

Security 101, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital and a national provider of comprehensive commercial security solutions, announces the acquisition of JY Security, LLC ("JY Security") and Beartooth Corporation ("Beartooth"), two long-standing franchise partners serving the San Antonio and Minneapolis regions. With these transactions, Security 101 has now completed 21 strategic acquisitions, further advancing its national expansion and integration strategy. Delivering integrated security solutions JY Security has delivered advanced security systems to commercial and healthcare clients across San Antonio since 2019, adding another major Texas market to Security 101's corporate footprint alongside recent expansions in Dallas and Houston. Beartooth, a Minneapolis-based provider founded in 2020, has built a strong reputation for delivering integrated security solutions to enterprise and federal government clients across the Upper Midwest. Together, the acquisitions expand Security 101's reach in two key regions and strengthen its position across commercial and government markets nationwide. Exceptional regional businesses JY Security's Jeff Ye and Beartooth's Jake Froiland will continue in their roles as General Managers, ensuring a seamless transition and consistent leadership for their respective teams. "The addition of these two high-performing operations further advances our long-term strategy to unite exceptional regional businesses under the Security 101 brand," said Greg Daly, CEO of Security 101. "Jeff and Jake exemplify the leadership and customer dedication that drive our growth nationwide. We're proud to welcome their teams to the corporate organization as we continue building consistency, capability, and scale across the country." Expanding national network "Our success in San Antonio has been built on trust and dependable service," said Jeff Ye, founder of JY Security. "Joining the Security 101 corporate family enables us to maintain our local focus while leveraging national resources and collaboration to better serve our customers." Jake Froiland, founder of Beartooth, added, "The Minneapolis team is excited to join an organization that values innovation and operational excellence. With this partnership, we gain a broader platform to deliver even greater value and expertise to clients across the Midwest." These acquisitions reflect Security 101's ongoing commitment to growth and integration, adding two proven, market-pioneer operations to its expanding national network and strengthening its ability to serve complex, multi-market customers nationwide.

SALTO WECOSYSTEM, a provider of access control, ID management, and smart locker solutions, proudly announced the recipients of its esteemed partner awards during a special breakfast ceremony held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the annual ISC West trade show in Las Vegas. Colin DePree, Sales Strategy, SALTO WECOSYSTEM North America, extended his heartfelt congratulations to the award winners, expressing gratitude for their relentless commitment to excellence. Access control and security "We are immensely proud to honor our business partners who continuously demonstrate unparalleled dedication to enhancing access control and security solutions,” said DePree. “Their hard work and innovation play a pivotal role in helping us shape the future of access control. Thank you to all of our partners for their invaluable contributions." Four pillars of success Every year, SALTO WECOSYSTEM recognises select business partners for their dedication Every year, SALTO WECOSYSTEM recognizes select business partners for their dedication to delivering access control solutions and for their emphasis on the company's four pillars of success: Fostering a culture of learning and impact, getting closer to the customer, building the brand, and achieving sustainable growth. The awards ceremony, held amidst physical security industry pioneers and innovators at ISC West, celebrated the outstanding contributions of these partners in advancing security technology and fostering customer satisfaction. 2023 Partner Awards The recipients of the SALTO WECOSYSTEM 2023 Partner Awards are as follows:  Eagle Award  Apex Systems Group, Colorado​ Integration Technology Partner of the Year Motorola Solutions Video Security and Analytics, Texas​ National Partner of the Year Convergint​ Inspired Business Partner Awards  West - Integrated Protection Systems, Inc., Brooklyn Park, MN  Southeast - Tex-Oma Builders Supply Company, Wichita Falls, TX  Northeast - Central Security Integration Solutions, New York City  Regional Business Partner of the Year  West  Pacific Northwest - Fire Power Inc., Spokane, WA  West Central - PRO SECURITY PRODUCTS, Sandy, UT  Southwest - Netronix, Fullerton, CA  Mountain West - Volta Systems Group, Las Vegas, NV  Plain States - Nex-Tech, Hays KS  Western Canada - Smart Tek Communications, Richmond, BC  Southeast  South Texas/Louisiana - Communications Cabling Innovations, Houston, TX  North Texas, OK and AR - Ntouch Networks, Hurst, TX  Southeast Region - Basesix, Atlanta GA  Northeast  New York City - LIF Industries, Port Washington, NY  Great Lakes - All Secured Security Services, Columbus, OH  Northeast Region - Hogan Security Group, Pennington, NJ  Quebec - Groupe Central, Saint-Leonard, Canada  Ontario - JPW Systems, Ontario, Canada  Breakout Business Partner of the Year  West  Pacific Northwest - Ednetics Inc., Post Falls, ID  West Central - COMER COMMUNICATIONS, Redding, CA  Southwest - Security 101 San Diego, San Diego, CA  Mountain West - Colorado Doorways, Inc., Denver, CO  Plain States - Turnkey Solutions, Fargo ND  Western Canada - Complete Security Installs, Surrey, BC  Southeast  South Texas/Louisiana - York Access Control, Corpus Christi, TX  North Texas, OK and AR - Ascenda Services, Tuscola, TX  Southeast Region - Invision Technologies, Albany GA  Florida Region - Infrastructure Solutions Co. /Infrasol, Miami Lakes, FL  Northeast  New York City - Signitel Inc, Brooklyn, NY  Mid Atlantic - Empire Communication Systems, Altoona, PA  Northeast Region - Setronics Inc., Billerica, MA  Eastern Canada - AZ Serrurier, Québec, QC  Central Canada - Security Locksmith and Design, Mississauga, ON

Enterprise customers provide a large, and very lucrative, business opportunity for the physical security market. These customers include big global companies with plenty of revenue to spend and employees and facilities to protect. As a group, enterprise customers also tend to be a demanding lot, requiring systems that are large, scalable, that can operate across a wide geographic area, and that provide top-notch system performance. Enterprise customers set the standards of performance for the entire market, and they challenge manufacturers to up their game. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to reflect on the industry’s biggest customers: What are the security challenges of the enterprise market?

  Economic recovery has enabled companies to continue global expansion efforts. We’re seeing substantial growth with our enterprise clients – 45% year-over-year increase – and sound growth with our local markets – 14% year-over-year increase. Both existing and new clients are upgrading their current security infrastructure and investing in the development of long-term solutions. Convergence of physical security and IT security continues to trend. Threats, vulnerabilities and pain points are different for every end-user, which compels us to be even more agile with large-scale solutions and evaluate how we engage existing customers on this topic. However, the path forward is still undefined for every integrator – most are not being honest about the uncertainty. Continuing Mergers In The Industry Our industry will continue to see mergers and acquisitions. Traditionally these changes lead to failures and take quality integrators out of the marketplace, which drives end-users to evaluate existing solutions and ultimately increase opportunity for nimble companies, like Security 101. Good economies make talent recruitment more and more challenging Conversely, good economies make talent recruitment more and more challenging. Security 101 is making a greater investment in the future now by focusing on our people with career development programs. Additionally, we are recruiting new talent from outside of the industry and identifying individuals with key skill sets that can be developed internally with stronger training programs. I think you will see more integration companies mirroring our approach. Winners And Losers Our industry will continue to see more technically complex products and a greater emphasis on standardized solutions that address physical security and IT security needs. End-users are looking for more integrators with IT centric training and certifications. The winners will be the companies who actively invest in developing their internal teams to include these technical qualifications and capabilities. The losers will be those who fail to identify and prioritize this need. Our biggest success has been continuing to maintain and grow a great team, which has allowed us to drive new business and continue to be consultative with a customer-centric approach.

Industry standards make it possible for systems and technologies to connect and work together. Standards enable today’s integrated systems. But does adherence to standards stifle innovation? Does the necessity to interface using an industry-wide standard slow down the implementation of newer (and possibly not standards-compliant) capabilities? Or do standards eliminate extraneous variables, empower more integration and encourage greater innovation? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How does the use of standards either stifle or jump-start innovation?