Family security business looks to offer Lexington clients high-tech protection and peace of mind
Most security experts recommend you guard against burglary, fire, carbon monoxide and the mechanical failure of critical systems in your house. For commercial property, 24-hour surveillance and the identification of people and vehicles roaming the premises are often necessary.
The sons of a former Dallas police officer offer both options in their two family-owned security businesses — Sonitrol of Lexington, a franchise, and Bates Security.
“Sonitrol is the company our family has operated here since 1984. We refer to it as the ‘mother ship.’ Several years ago, we felt it important to have a different option for residential customers. We established Bates Security to be competitive in the residential market,” explained Jeremy Bates, general manager of the two companies.
Sonitrol breaks down into several areas of commercial protection: intrusion, access control, video and fire. The goal is peace of mind through electronic security products. Sonitrol has systems that protect exterior and interior property.
“A client of ours, right up the street, had people stealing pre-fabricated housing materials to the tune of an entire house every two or three months,” said Bryan Bates, sales manager and Jeremy’s brother. “Then there’s obvious intrusion, like kicking in your door or smashing a window with a brick. We have solutions for that.”
Sonitrol focuses on verifying an alarm is in progress. When Sonitrol contacts 911, it may inform dispatchers “[the perpetrators] are in the west wing, and we’ve heard two male voices,” said Bryan. “That drives a faster, more effective police response.”
When officers do apprehend criminals using Sonitrol or Bates Security systems, the company also sends certificates of accomplishment to police role call, so he or she can be recognized among peers.
“We’ve developed good relationships with the police because, after all, our dad was an officer for nine years,” Bryan Bates said.
But Sonny Bates wanted a new career. He learned about Sonitrol while apprehending criminals and eventually went to work for them, becoming a general manager. His wife, Pat, also worked for Sonitrol in sales.
“Together, they figured they knew how to do it all and heard there were available Sonitrol dealerships in Lexington and Tulsa, Oklahoma,” said Bryan Bates. The decision was easy. Sonny Bates rhapsodized to his family back in Dallas: “Lexington is beautiful. You wouldn’t believe it.”
Managed access control is another vital Sonitrol component. An approved user can swipe a badge, fob or other credential to enter a building, gate, parking structure, horse farm or a neighborhood gated pool.
“We secure perimeter doors but also interior doors — like a computer server door — and control when doors lock and unlock, tracking when people come and go,” said Jeremy Bates.
Sonitrol and Bates Security operate on technology’s cutting edge. To keep abreast, the Bates brothers attend large industry trade shows. Then there’s what they call “bleeding edge” — technology that looks cool in a controlled environment, like a laboratory, but isn’t yet ready for consumers. “So we focus on ‘cutting edge,’” said Bryan Bates.
The coolest stuff in today’s security environment involves commercial and residential video. Car dealerships, for example, capture license plate numbers of every vehicle entering or exiting its lot. According to Bryan Bates, the camera does the thinking.
“When anyone comes on the property, the camera knows something’s going on that it was pre- programmed to watch. It zooms in with a variable focal lens and captures the image and records it in a server. You can use optimal video clarity to analyze it at a later date,” he explained.
On the residential side, an app called Bates Connect allows users to use a cell phone to connect to their home security systems. Cameras can be rotated, and the phone displays the images they capture.
“You can look at children or pets at home alone. That’s one of the more exciting things we’ve had,” said Bryan Bates.
Another protection component is fire. In the western world, the United States has among the highest fire death rates per capita, with the number of home fires increasing by 8 percent since 2000. The No. 1 cause is cooking; No. 2 is heating sources.
“Smoke detectors sense when there’s smoke in the atmosphere. There are also heat sensors. Carbon monoxide detection is important. It’s the silent killer. You can’t see or smell it,” said Jeremy Bates.
The Bates’ new Lexington headquarters, on Custer Drive, is equipped with all the security gadgets they sell so customers can see them in action. The Bates brothers also have the various home security systems they sell in their own homes.
Sales were relatively good during the recession, the Bates brothers said. Being in the community 30 years, having a long roster of clients, a strong amount of word-of-mouth advertising and a fine reputation all helped.
Bryan Bates also gave the company’s staff of 57 a valuable pep talk, reassuring them that they would have the support they needed to get the job done.
“When the recession started, we had a quarterly meeting,” he said. “We told everybody that someone had to be successful. We would provide service and communicate with and take care of our customers. We needed everybody to do their jobs, maintain a good reputation and get referrals. We asked everyone to work harder.”