SSI Hall of Fame: High 5

George Lippert

Current Status

Deceased, 1989, Age 66

Why He’s on the List

• Was a founding member of the Security Equipment Industry Association (SEIA), now known as the Security Industry Association (SIA)
• In 1973, as Morse Products’ VP of sales he chaired SEIA’s Standards Committee, helping those standards gain industry acceptance and UL recognition
• Some 30 years after he championed industry standards development, SIA, NBFAA and CSAA are all ANSI-accredited bodies, and UL accepts SIA’s equipment standards as the basis for its testing and listing of security products and procedures
• Got manufacturers and installing/monitoring companies talking to spur joint efforts in false-alarm reduction, education/training and legislative activities
• Was a pioneer in recognizing convergence of technologies and formed early alliances with movements (e.g. “Smart House”) to integrate electronics for interoperability
• Helped finance, launch and contribute content to Alarm Installer & Dealer (precursor to SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION) and its associated THE Security Show expo

Keys to Success

“One word: Integrity. He was a good, kind and honest person who seemed to always refer to anyone he knew as ‘my friend.’ People who had business relationships with him could be confident of him being true to his word; if he made a commitment to do something one could rest assured he would do it. He worked hard, cared about the people with whom he worked, his customers and the industry of which he was a part. He was one of the few people with whom one could do business on a handshake without risk. He was genuine.” – Dick Li
ppert, son

Legacy in Industry Publishing

Was the primary investor to help Bob Bargert found Alarm Installer & Dealer (AID) magazine — the forerunner of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. Was also instrumental in securing other industry notables, like George Weinstock, Bob Contestable and Tony Schiacci, as investors, and helped Bargert launch THE Security Show expo in Los Angeles. For several years, he contributed a monthly column (“By George!”) to the magazine.

Something People Might Not Know

Considered a “Renaissance Man,” he was a musician, engineer, pilot, radio operator, dirt-bike enthusiast, salesman, manager and golfer. Had he not gone into security, he might have spent his career in electronics manufacturing. The company he founded was initially an electronics entity and developed a small wireless radio in the 1960s.

Fond, Funny Memories

“I have many memories of George. He was my boss, my mentor and, always, my friend. One day at his Country Club in Vista, Calif., we noticed a one-armed man on the golf course. On another visit a few weeks later, I pointed out that the one-armed man was on an adjacent fairway. George said, ‘Do you think it’s the same man?’ His wife, Doris, told the story of one New Year’s Eve when they decided to stay home. At about 11 p.m., she suggested they go to bed and turn on the TV. At midnight, when the big ball dropped in Times Square, George complained, ‘See, if we weren’t in bed we could be having fun now.’” – Ron Spiller, colleague and friend, SSI Hall of Fame member

Being Inducted Into the Hall

“He would be honored and humbled to be inducted into SSI‘s Hall of Fame. I am sure that wherever he is today, he is looking down on this event and is extraordinarily happy to find himself once again among his friends.” – Dick Lippert