ADI lightens up

MELVILLE, N.Y.--New home construction is almost completely stagnant in the United States. Many alarm installers are dependent on new construction for new installations. Some dealers are struggling. With that in mind, ADI has created a new program to help those installers capture retrofit business and increase the size of new jobs through the lighting control market.

Called “Lighten Up,” the program is a partnership with Centralite, HAI, Leviton, Simply Automated, LiteTouch, Powerline Control Systems and Universal Remote Control that will provide education for dealers looking to add lighting to their repertoire.

“It goes along with one of our themes for 2009,” said Ed Constantine, senior product manager for wire, structured cable and home solutions at ADI, “which is that ADI is here, now more than ever, to help its dealers. We feel we've always been on the cutting edge, and when one technology or opportunity slows down, like new construction, we want to have opportunities for dealers to get through the tough times and uncover new business.”

Constantine acknowledges that many alarm dealers are wary of lighting because it often requires an electrician's license they may not have, “but in some areas, it's very easy to install. It's just plug and play. If you have to rewire, then you have to be an electrician or partner up with an electrician.”

To that end, ADI is even exploring a “matchmaking” service of some kind that would put alarm dealers in touch with electricians in their area and help create partnerships.

The educational campaign will consist of an extensive brochure, counter days at the branches, a series of webinars produced by the partner manufacturers, and there will be lighting education at many of the 39 expos that ADI will put on in 2009.

Constantine thinks dealers have a real opportunity to tap into both the green movement and their standard safety messages. “More people are trying to save on energy,” he said, “and this will help them do that. And the other thing is that you can tie the security system into the lights, so if the system goes off the lights in the house will blink, allowing responders to target it more quickly. Or it can be tied into the fire alarm, so that if the fire alarm goes off, the porch light can go off and on. Lighting can be a great supplement to the security and fire alarm systems.”