Atronic Alarms Marks 30th Anniversary

Atronic Alarms 30 trucks — Atronic Alarms vans in parking lot in the early hours before day's start. The company's fleet has grown from one (back in 1982) to 16 in 2012. Many times people see the vans in neighborhoods and contact Atronic for more information on security systems and monitoring.

Rick Zink, commercial sales design consultant, worked to design an integrated security system for a private hanger in Kansas City that included access control, locking hardware, CCTV and an annunciator system.

A typical panel wired neatly by the experienced installation team. This has always been a source of pride for Atronic Alarms and photos are taken after each install for training purposes or to give "kudos" to the proper installers. Each device is on its own zone and there is typically no "piggy backing." This also helps service troubleshoot if there are any problems.

Rob Kemp in the quality assurance department; Shaun Jastrzembski and Rick Zink from the sales department discuss the day's agenda.

Atronic Alarms installed over 68 new cameras in two of Kansas City's historic hotels, The Kansas City Downtown Marriott and the Muehelbach Hotel. The two buildings sit directly across a busy street from each other and are connected by a glass skywalk.

Wes Cowsert, lead designer in the Marriott project, shows the PMPU1000 system management server. This server supported the first hybrid camera system in the area as both existing analog and new IP cameras were tied in together to form one large video network.

The Atronic Alarms team, lead by Wes Cowsert and Craig Albright, service manager, demonstrates the capabilities of the cameras to Marriott's security personnel.

Live stream data of the Atronic Alarms office on an iPad in the Atronic Alarms office. The company's RMR has grown to nearly 1.6 million in 2011 with more than 4000 monitored accounts, and much of that is due to additional client-focused services like video monitoring and Honeywell's Total Connect service.

The Code Blue system, which provides extra safety for employees walking to their cars, was installed in a parking lot campus in Lenexa, Kansas. If an employee saw a potential threat or required help, (s)he could go to the red structure and have an immediate two-way communication with the company's security patrol. A camera was mounted on the top so a live video stream would be available for the security patrol to help them determine if other authorities would need to be contacted.

Curtis Mayes, now installation manager for the company, was the lead installer and designer for the Code Blue project. He is shown here during the installation process.

The Atronic Alarms sales staff discusses new products and ideas. L to R: Wes Cowsert, Jason Rothrove, Shaunn Jastrzembski, Todd Harrison and Alec Saysoff.

Curtis Mayes, installation manager, works on a set of blueprints to design a commercial security system for a client. Mayes started with the company in 2000 as an installation technician. He joined the management team in 2011.

The Atronic Alarms van shown at an energy substation in Gardner, Kansas. Gardner Energy runs three energy substations within five miles of each other to power the community. Atronic designed an IP video analytic system for each of its locations to help eliminate threat of vandalism.

The design for Gardner Energy included two wireless video analytic IP cameras at each substation to monitor activity.

Kenny Thompson, lead installer on the project, mounts the cameras on poles at each location.

The inside reception area of the Atronic Alarms office building in Lenexa, Kansas. Awards on the front desk include the PDQ in 2009, the SDM Dealer of the Year in 2005 and Ingram's Best Companies to Work For in 2010.

George Echohawk, commercial design technician and analyst, has been with the company since 2006 and was brought on board to assist the expanding commercial sales and installation department. He reviews plans and blueprints with sales consultants to help design the best system for each application.

Todd Harrison, operations manager, (left) talks with Wes Cowsert, sales consultant, in his office. Harrison helps lead the sales staff with more than 30 years of business management and sales experience. Harrison is also on the Board of the Kansas City Chapter of the Crime Stoppers organization.

Neil Atha, vice president, joined the company in 2011 and works with management in the day-to-day decision making at Atronic Alarms. Alysia LaRock, marketing and sales support, helps organize the sales process by finalizing job paperwork and assuring that there is proper communication between sales and installation. Alysia is also Perry's key assistant and handles all of his paperwork and clients.

Nell Mathews, general manager, has been with the company since 1991. She was initially hired as a part-time bookkeeper. Matthew's generous heart, her positive attitude, her leadership capabilities and "people" skills along with her fierce loyalty to the clients and the employees has helped mold Atronic Alarms into the company it is today.

At every Christmas party, numbers are drawn and prizes are given away to the winning raffle ticket holders. Prizes include a two-night stay at The Marriott Hotel, gift cards and an iPad. Here Dustin Ditto, installation, claims his prize as Todd Harrison, operations manager, teases him about whether or not he will be called to receive the iPad for the 2nd year in a row.

New receptionist Anna Williams shadows Alysia LaRock for several days learning the phone system and each client's situation. People who call into the office are immediately met with a person, not a telephone answering system. This kind of personal touch is what helps make Atronic's customer service department one of the best in the area.

Steve Kort, the longest-tenured employee at Atronic Alarms, has been with Atronic since 1988, just six years after Perry started. Kort is the technical programmer for the company and is very affluent in equipment and its integration.

Hear more from Atronic’s founder, Perry Atha: listen to a podcast on www.sdmmag.com.

Atronic Alarms Inc., Lenexa, Kansas, a security, fire and home automation systems provider in Kansas, marked its 30th year in business.

Founded in 1982 by Perry D. Atha, a fourth-generation Kansas City resident, the company has grown from a small local alarm provider to one of the largest security integrators in the region, employing 31 staffers and serving thousands of commercial and residential customers.

The company was founded with a laser-like focus on people, working from day one to offer the highest level of customer service with quality installation and equipment to Kansas City area residents and to continually build relationships with clients, Atha tells SDM.

“From the beginning, was important to provide people with a product and service they could trust. They needed to be able to feel comfortable with the people that made up the company: the sales people, the installation crew and customer service. That was the foundation 30 years ago and still holds true today,” Atha shared.

Atha was also quick to acknowledge the people at the company.

“This incredible milestone never could have been realized without the dedication of our amazing employees,” Atha said. “Their hard work and professionalism have helped us grow into one of the most respected and forward-thinking companies in the industry.”

At Atronic Alarms, employees are encouraged to find balance between work and family.

“The concept about balance with family and work is simple: If you aren't happy at home you won't be happy at work and then our clients won't be happy. So we recognize and nurture our employees and their families as much as possible. Employees who take pride in themselves and thecompany they work for also take pride in the job they do, which never fails to be recognized by clients,” Atha explains.

Looking ahead, Atha shares that Atronic will focus on “video monitoring, video analytics and remote management through mobile devices along with hosted and managed access control services. We always keep abreast of home automation and energy management developments, as well. What makes life easier for our clients, what makes the quality of living higher,” Atha shares.

He notes that Atronic is at the forefront of the implementation of fully integrated applications that allow clients to remotely manage their systems through their mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers.

Atronic Alarms is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the 2004 “Dealer of the Year” award from SDM, a PDQ award in 2009, and Ingram's “Best Companies to Work For” in 2010. The company also has been recognized for its assistance in protecting abuse victims through its work with the non-profit Kansas City Domestic Violence Protection Services Agency.

“We look forward to many more decades of serving our community, protecting our clients and fostering a great work environment for our employees,” Atha said, maintaining that focus on people that has led to 30 years of success.

KEYWORDS: mobile devices and security remote management

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