AlarmForce enters the Midwest

TORONTO, Ontario--Saying he's "looking for a piece of the pie," Joel Matlin, president of Canada-based AlarmForce, announced December 6 that he would take a slice of the Midwest by opening an office in Columbus, Ohio, in January. This will be Matlin's second stateside office; he opened an office in North Carolina in February. "We believe there's opportunity for growth because of the density factor," he said, noting that the 11.4 million residents of Ohio and the 8.4 million residents of North Carolina represent a significant market for AlarmForce. The move into Ohio follows a record fiscal year for the residential alarm company, which installs and manufactures its own two-way voice home alarm systems and line-cut protections. AlarmForce ended its 2005 fiscal year on Nov. 1 and announced it had added 13,400 new subscribers in FY05, the largest number of new subscribers in the company's 18-year history. AlarmForce now has 56,700 subscribers, a 16.4 percent increase over fiscal year 2004. From its base in Columbus, the geographical center of the state, Matlin said he intends to "migrate to Cincinnati and then to Cleveland." Once the company builds its brand to a certain target number, which Matlin declined to discuss, "we will go on to our next state." Matlin will oversee the Columbus office from the Toronto headquarters. Initially, six service and installation technicians will staff the office. Both the Ohio and the North Carolina offices were new offices, a growth strategy that differs from other companies that favor acquisitions, Matlin noted. "We only grow organically. That's our style and our strategy and we think in the long run it will continue to be successful," he said.