NAPERVILLE, Ill.-- Stanley Convergent Security Solutions--which bought Sonitrol Corporation last summer for $275 million--brought another Sonitrol franchise into the fold with the acquisition, announced Jan. 7, of Sonitrol of the Palm Beaches.

"It's a natural fit for us," said Tony Byerly, Stanley's chief operating officer. "They've been in business [with former owner Joseph Rosenthal] since 1974 and have a great reputation, a good client base and they match up well with us in terms of their customer service."

Before Sonitrol was purchased by Stanley, Sonitrol Corporation spent a few years acquiring select independently-owned Sonitrol franchises. Asked if Stanley would continue with a franchise-acquisition strategy, Byerly said Stanley would consider purchasing other Sonitrol franchises as "opportunities present themselves, where there are parties interested in exploring purchase [and if the target franchise] matches up with our objectives."

There are more than 90 independent franchises across the country, Byerly said, "and some of them are among the largest alarm companies in the U.S."

  Terms of the Palm Beach franchise deal were not released. The mostly commercial accounts included retail, restaurant distribution and local government customers in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. The Palm Beach franchise office will close and accounts will be serviced by Stanley's Miramar, Fla. office.

Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (formerly HSM) has more than 75 offices and serves more than 120 metropolitan markets in North America. Asked how the integration process with Sonitrol Corp. was going, Byerly said Stanley was able to integrate the Sonitrol Corp. into its platform "within 90 days." He said the former Sonitrol employees are "some of the best we've seen ... it's been a great acquisition for us."