By Ashley Willis
YORKTON, Saskatchewan, Canada — SecurTek Monitoring Solutions has purchased roughly 1,400 accounts from Priority Alarms of Manitoba, a security monitoring provider, for $715,000.
A subsidiary of SaskTel Telecommunications, SecurTek operates monitoring centers in Yorkton; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Aurora, Ontario, The firm was working on a strategy to expand its footprint in the Manitoba market when Priority Alarm owners Jim Kotowich and Lynn Guicheret approached SecurTek, which has provided monitoring service to the company since 2000, about a potential deal.
“The owner intends to retire, so he and his broker contacted us to see if we were interested in bidding on this account block,” SecurTek CEO Barry Rogers tells SSI. “Because we continue to be aggressive in our growth strategy within the Canadian market, we felt this deal was an excellent opportunity.”
The majority of the accounts acquired in the transaction are residential, according to Rogers. The firm will offer new customers its full suite of security, remote video monitoring, managed access control, PERS medical alert, interactive services and home automation. Additionally, SecurTek has chosen SDS Security of Winnipeg, a SecurTek dealer partner, to service the new accounts.
“SDS has an excellent reputation,” Rogers says. “SecurTek has worked with them in the past and we feel comfortable that the customers will continue to get great service as they have come to expect from Priority Alarms.”
Kotowich and Guicheret will continue to handle business operations for three months during the account migration phase to ensure seamless service continuity before pursuing new projects.
“We had been thinking about retirement for some time and had sought a way to make sure those who depended on us for their security needs would continue to be protected if and when we retired,” Kotowich explains. “SecurTek offers great value for our residential and commercial clients. We felt they would be more than able to continue to provide the level of customer service that had become of our tradition here at Priority Alarms. It is the right fit all around.”
Earlier this year, SecurTek purchased Alberta-based Intercept Security for $2 million. That deal, coupled with the latest transaction, keeps the firm on track to boost its business.
“SecurTek continues to look for acquisition opportunities across Canada and to expand our dealer network,” Rogers says. “We look forward to continue our growth strategy through acquisition, market expansion, organic growth and adding suites of quality customer products and services,” Rogers says.
Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION magazine. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.
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