Makrowest acquires Knight

DALLAS--Makrowest LLC, a holding company, made its first acquisition this past spring with Dallas-based Knight Security, founded in 1983. Terms of the deal were not released, but the new combined company will adopt the Knight name while retaining the form of a limited liability company. Former Knight owners Malcolm Reed and Bryan McGee will remain with the company as well, in executive sales positions. "It's a win for our employees and the ownership and the customers," said Martin Krohn, Knight's vice president of sales and marketing. "It's been a positive thing locally. There's a rejuvenated spirit within the office ... it certainly hasn't been a slash and burn type of thing. That was one of the major motivations to sell to Makrowest." Knight currently employs 16, with a satellite office in Houston. The alarm business is roughly one third residential, two thirds commercial, though "we're not an integrator," said Krohn. "We don't go out and bid the half-million dollar systems ... We're getting in on the bottom end of the integration, but we're not a player in that market." Under the leadership of president Trey West, the new Knight will now be in acquisition mode, said Krohn. The company is "looking to expand in central Texas, looking to expand in Dallas/Fort Worth," said Krohn. "Primarily we look at a company's reputation. We're looking for top quality processes, people, and also a company that fits within our core competency as well." For instance, Knight is not in the monitoring business; despite owning the equipment and lines of a central station, it allows another company to operate the center. "It's a little bit unique," Krohn said of the arrangement. "When they started the company 23 years ago, they made that decision."In the coming months, Knight plans to unveil a new look through branding and marketing.