Honeywell Honors a Rich History With Ademco Alarm Security Museum

April 30, 2008 Scott Goldfine

Ron Rothman (l), president of Honeywell Security & Custom Electronics, welcomed guests to the company's new headquarters recently for the grand opening of the ADEMCO Alarm Security Museum.

An invited throng of trade media and select C-level executives of leading installing security installation firms were on hand at Honeywell Security & Communications’ new headquarters May 21 for the grand opening of the company’s ADEMCO Alarm Security Museum. The exhibits celebrate the company’s famed legacy, from its founding by entrepreneur Maurice Coleman in 1929 to its growth into the industry’s leading intrusion security products manufacturer under the innovative stewardship of Leo Guthart, who was on hand for the museum’s unveiling.

Guthart, who became the chairman of ADEMCO Security Group and vice chairman of Pittway before it was acquired by Honeywell in 2000 and was elected to SSI’s Hall of Fame in 2004, marked the occasion by reflecting on the beginnings of his 36-year tenure with the organization and how far it has come.

“I thought I was coming to this company for 18 months, and then I would be off buying more companies,” Guthart told SSI. “But somehow it gets in your blood, and then the company began growing very rapidly. So I dug into it and stayed for a long time. What I really feel good about is well all my guys are doing, and how well the company is doing. Two of the old ADEMCO guys run half of Honeywell now. That’s something I am really proud of.”

The museum, which owes much of its content to donations from industry historian and equipment buff/collector Ralph Sevinor (who was also on hand) of Wayne Alarm in Lynn, Mass., traces the development of alarm systems of the late 1920s through the introduction of advanced forms of security communications in the early 2000s. In addition to the literature, photos and videos on display, dozens of classic and innovative products are showcased. Included are a 1929 alarm contact, foil tape, 618 Dialer Programmer, Alert II 5600 Series wireless devices (circa mid-1980s), 5130XM control panel/keypad, 1997 LYNX prototype and much more.

Along with the grand opening of the museum, invited guests that included several members of the First Alert Professional dealer network were treated to a complete tour of Honeywell Security’s expansive and impressive new facility.

“It’s an opportunity to really showcase what we do globally in terms what goes into the products,” Ron Rothman, president of Honeywell Security & Custom Electronics, told SSI. “There are many things that are unique to the alarm industry and Honeywell Security that are hard to fully appreciate unless you can see them up close like this.”

The headquarters building centralizes much of Honeywell Security’s operations, including the AlarmNet alarm signal communications network. It was built in such a way to lend itself to tours for customers, media, municipal authorities, etc., as well as to foster a collaborative spirit among the company’s personnel.

“We designed our new headquarters with lots of glass and open spaces not only to facilitate tours like this but also so our employees connect with each other and don’t become siloed,” said Rothman. “It is critically important engineering, marketing EQ, sourcing, financing, all the departments work together because we are all working toward the same goal.”

For more information on the ADEMCO Alarm Security Museum or Honeywell Security & Communications, visit www.honeywell.com.

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About the Author

Scott Goldfine

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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].