Sonitrol dealer will run Sonitrol and new acquisition 'side by side'

ROCKY HILL, Conn.—Doug Curtiss, owner of a Sonitrol franchise here, Sonitrol of Hartford, announced today the acquisition of Intercity Alarms, based in South Yarmouth, Mass.

Curtiss emphasized that he, not Sonitrol, acquired Intercity. While they now have the same owner, “the companies will be run side by side,” Curtiss said.

“This transaction is unique. It creates a portfolio of brands, each with its own strengths and a 40-year tradition in New England. Going forward we can build a two-plus-two-equals-five situation.”

Intercity brings with it 25,000 residential and commercial accounts, two offices (in Lakeville on the South Shore of Massachusetts and the South Yarmouth office on Cape Cod), close to 40 employees and an additional central station. Intercity has a central station in South Yarmouth, and the Sonitrol dealership has a central here in Rocky Hill.

“This will bring a great level of redundancy to both operations,” he said. Making the centrals redundant will not take long, Curtiss said. “It'll be a matter of days not months.”

Sonitrol has a strong footprint in Western Mass, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and has for 40 years. Intercity, Curtiss said, has an equally strong presence in Eastern Massachusetts, the Cape and the islands Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Both companies also have a small presence in New Hampshire and Vermont.

“I have this idea that people want to do business with local people; that is our niche,” he said. That's how both companies have retained their customers, he added, being within an hour's drive, getting quick service at a reasonable cost, and being able to schedule an appointment with one call and no voicemail.

Steve Marchessault, general manager of Intercity, will continue to run that company. “He has a great management team and has had a long career in the industry,” Curtiss said.