How Koorsen Is Fanning Its Fire Business Higher

Learn how Koorsen Fire & Security are expanding in the Midwest, how to contend with AHJs, and which are today’s top fire opportunities.

With the recession, companies had to become leaner and meaner, and find ways to work smarter and more efficiently. Could you provide examples of how Koorsen employees are working smarter and more efficiently today?

Wyatt: When the recession hit and we had to make some tough decisions like many business owners out there, and we had to cut back on some staff, we were quite amazed how perhaps we didn’t need as many people as we thought we did to get things done. That’s not a slight to anybody that was let go during that period. It simply points out that sometimes the people you have, the processes you have, the operating procedures you have can really make a difference in how smart you are as a company.

When I talk about us working smarter as a company, we have the right folks in the right seat on the bus. We have worked very hard on standard operating procedures to help eliminate mistakes and improve our efficiencies and processes. Also technology is quickly becoming more and more critical to us being smarter about what we do, having the ability to look back on what we’ve done, have better data, see trends at a faster pace than we used to.

The last thing I’ll mention, our training center, is probably the most important. We have our own facility and it’s one of the largest in the country as far as being a fire protection training center. It has a dedicated staff that brings our technicians forward at a faster pace perhaps than other companies, as far as teaching them how to do it right. Going through a very formal process so that they’re certified, by us and our vendors, puts a better technician out on the street. To me, that’s both smarter and more efficient.

What are the top three technology-based fire/life-safety opportunities today?

Wyatt: One would be emergency mass notification, but anybody in our business would probably say the same thing – it hasn’t taken off quite to the level most thought it would. We all know it has a long lead time and we understand these are typically larger purchases for many of the customers out there looking for them. But relative to what technology is doing, there’s certainly continuing focus in that arena. The second one is the advancements we’re starting to see in smoke and fire detection. Our primary supplier just released some new products that relate to this. We’re excited to finally have something new to talk about in the fire alarm business for smoke and fire detection. The last thing is a new product called Safety Shield. It in itself is not a technology item but technology has developed it for grease removal in restaurants. We do a fair amount of restaurant suppression business, and a sister company of ours does restaurant grease extraction, so this is a pretty exciting new product as well.

What about services, what are a couple of hot recurring revenue-generating services on the fire side now?

Wyatt: The top area we’ve seen in growth the past few years has been the sprinkler side of the business. At Koorsen Fire & Security, we not only service sprinkler systems of all types, we also inspect backflows, fire pumps, antifreeze loops and foam systems. We have seen a nice growth of that and our company has focused more on it. Certainly fire alarm system inspections, fire extinguisher inspections, those continue. Fire alarm is probably a bit better growth than on fire extinguishers. The fire extinguisher business is a little more commodity based and a little more difficult sometimes for the value we offer to show up for the smaller customers.

Koorsen: We’ve really driven the company more toward the service and inspection model than we have the installation model. If you’d take all the dollars we have, we’re about 70% inspection and service and 30% install across the board.

Being tightly regulated, one of the most challenging aspects of fire/life safety is satisfying AHJ requirements. How do you foster good relationships with
AHJs?

Wyatt: You really have to become a resource to the AHJ in a variety of ways. We are pretty well known for doing AHJ seminars, which we try to do a couple of times a year in all of our markets. The AHJs, we find, are always looking to learn. They want to be on top of what’s coming, what’s going on, being a leader in this industry. We feel like we can offer that, not only through the suppliers we represent, but also through the experience and quality of people we have in our training center.

Generally in a new market for us like Akron [Ohio], we utilize any existing relationships already in place and make sure they’re aware of what we can provide such as continuing-education credits and general information. We’ve become a great resource to the AHJ for knowledge, connections and training at no charge to ensure they are able to be as in the loop as they can. Through that, we feel they’ve become more respectful of who we are, certainly appreciate our professionalism, and that we’re a quality organization.

Fire products and technology doesn’t change very rapidly. Given that, how do you add value that differentiates your business from competitors?

Wyatt: The marketing answer is we’re a total protection, one-source company. You’ve got a lot of folks out there that talk about being a one-stop shop, but in most cases they subcontract some services. At Koorsen, that is not the case. Our focus is to show that differentiation and value. They see one company, and typically one individual, that account manager. And they make one phone call. I believe an important part of our success has to do with how easy it is to do business with us. If you need someone to take care of things, you’re going to call the person you work with and they’re going to take care of the rest.

Going beyond that, our customers should see a difference between the Koorsen technician who walks in the door to conduct an inspection or do a repair versus our typical competitor. Our technicians come in, look more professional and have a vehicle they’re driving that looks professional. And the education they receive through the training process comes out in the service they provide to the customer. They know what to do, and they do it efficiently and professionally. In the end, customers feel they were taken care of.

 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

About the Author

Contact:

Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].

Security Is Our Business, Too

For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.

A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.

Subscribe Today!

Get Our Newsletters