Atronic Alarms Awarded as Resident Expert

July 10, 2014 Scott Goldfine

Atronic Alarms project leaders (l-r) Chris Wright, Curtis Mayes and Neil Atha discuss access control using long-range card readers on the main gate to the Lodge at Highland Village complex.

Atronic Alarms knows only one way – the right way. The independent Lenexa, Kan.-based security firm has built a large and loyal following by putting quality and service above all else. Atronic’s customer-focused pledges include never sending service or sales consultants without a scheduled appointment, not requiring long-term monitoring contracts and never using pressure tactics to upgrade systems. To top it all off, the firm’s technical acumen – which has brought it SSI‘s 2014 Integrated Installation of the Year Award – is beyond reproach.

“Based on past winners with larger companies working on multimillion-dollar projects, I’m really surprised we won. What a great feeling!” says Atronic Alarms Vice President Neil Atha. “It proves that your local, smaller providers can have the integrity and experience to also create an award-winning project. It also lets the staff know the decisions we make and all the hard work they put in has a positive impact on the company.”

Atronic’s winning project involved equipping a five-building, 230-unit luxury apartment complex and its clubhouse with an integrated security, automation, fire, video surveillance and access control solution. The fiber-based installation features remote management capabilities and included 24 megapixel cameras, 12 telephone entry systems and 21 proximity readers, and six fire panels and 300+ fire detection/annunciation devices.

Let’s learn a little more about Atronic’s success formula, and how its expertise and diligence delighted this client.

3 Decades of Dedication

Fourth-generation Kansas City resident Perry Atha founded Atronic Alarms in 1982 to meet the demand he saw for a reputable security provider. His goal was to bring a higher quality of equipment and service to his neighbors and the community in which he grew up and raised his children.

Atha’s vision for Atronic was to establish a family-oriented workplace staffed with people who really care and take pride in their work to the extent that exceptional service is the norm. In 2009, Neil Atha, Perry’s oldest son, joined the company as vice president and gradually took over daily operations. (All further Atha references in this article are attributed to Neil.)

In 2014, Atronic’s monitored customer base has increased by 77%, the staff has increased from 30 to 46 and the business continues to solidify its sterling reputation in the communities it serves as an industry leader with quality professionals who deliver top-notch customer service. The company contracts with nearby Alarm Central to monitor its 7,800 accounts.

Atronic Alarms has won numerous business and industry awards, including the 2014 SAMMY (Sales & Marketing) Award for Best Newsletter this year and the Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award in 2009 for outstanding alarm management practices. The firm is also a member in good standing with numerous trade associations and community-based organizations.

Landing a $200K Project

In 2012, a client of Atronic Alarms, ePartment Communities (EPC), invested in and began plans to build a large, high-end multifamily dwelling complex called The Lodge at Highlands Village. A leading luxury apartment supplier to the Kansas City area specializing in lifestyle-oriented residential communities in mixed use developments, EPC places security such as access control and video surveillance high on its list of tenant amenities.

“We needed access controls because that is what our residents demand and it is important to them to have a secure living environment,” says Highlands Lodge Project Manager Brendon O’Leary. “Our video surveillance provides security of our amenities and our buildings. We want to be able to identify every person that enters our property to prevent theft, violence and vandalism. We had worked with Atronic Alarms in the past and were very pleased with their end results.”

In 2013, Atronic Alarms’ bid resulted in being chosen as the security integrator for the job. The total project cost for the integrated security system would land at more than $200,000, with an estimated 1,261 hours of labor. It would encompass security, automation, fire, video surveillance, remote video monitoring and access control.

“They were pretty sure what they wanted – providing a highly secured environment for their clientele. They were very hands-on and detail-oriented as safety is a big concern,” says Atha. “We helped show them how they could remotely manage it easily through their phones. That is probably the biggest thing we brought to the table.”

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About the Author

Scott Goldfine, Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher

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Scott Goldfine is Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher of Security Sales & Integration. Well-versed in the technical and business aspects of electronic security (video surveillance, access control, systems integration, intrusion detection, fire/life safety), Goldfine is nationally recognized as an industry expert and speaker. Goldfine is involved in several security events and organizations, including the Electronic Security Association (ESA), Security Industry Association (SIA), Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA), ASIS Int'l and more. Goldfine also serves on several boards, including the SIA Marketing Committee, CSAA Marketing and Communications Committee, PSA Cybersecurity Advisory Council and Robolliance. He is a certified alarm technician, former cable-TV tech, audio company entrepreneur, and lifelong electronics and computers enthusiast. Goldfine joined Security Sales & Integration in 1998.