Strategic accounts focus propels Convergint Technologies

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. - With two years of business under its belt and a staff composed of security industry veterans, Convergint Technologies is looking to continue its growth by serving strategic accounts and clients that want an integrated security system. This year, company officials expect sales to reach $40 million, a significant gain when compared with last year’s sales of $23 million. The reason for the steep increase, say company officials, is its focus on attracting new business and customers. “We’re focusing on strategic accounts - large significant accounts in North America,” said Dan Moceri, chief executive officer of Convergint Technologies, which celebrated its two-year anniversary June 18. Those strategic accounts includes the likes of shoe retailer Skechers USA, a fast growing company that implemented a digital video system in each of its retail stores and in its headquarters in California. Another client is the Veteran Affairs Hospital System and one of its facilities in Houston, which is one of the largest U.S. VA hospitals. “The hospital wanted the ability to bring the systems together through integration,” said Tony Varco, vice president of security for Convergint Technologies. To accomplish that, Con-vergint Technologies integrated the card access system, intercom, digital video and parking ballards together, enabling the hospital to provide better threat assessment and manage the system as one. But to serve such large clients, Convergint Technologies had to focus its attention on building its infrastructure, such as networking offices and doubling its employee base in a year’s time to 165 people. New locations have been an instrumental part of the strategy, including the acquisition in May 2002 of security system and HVAC provider Inet, which landed the company an additional office in Canada. Its most recent office addition came in June with an opening in San Jose, Calif. The 11-person location is headed by Rick Corr, who has been in the security business for 20 years and worked for Sensormatic, ComTel Systems Technology and most recently ETC, a local systems integrator. “We’ve been very fortunate to attract very experienced people,” said Moceri. “The bulk of the people in our company today have 10, 12 or 15 years of experience in a certain segment. That has attributed significantly to our success,” he said. In all, Convergint operates 11 offices across North America in key markets such as Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Seattle. But a missing element, said Varco, are locations in the Northeast, a market the company wants to expand into in the near future.