Audio Surveillance firm expands to
Lake, Osceola

July 9, 2004
As published in:
Orlando Business Journal
By Jill Krueder, Staff Writer

ORLANDO - In the early morning hours on May 14, an operator for Sonitrol of Orlando Inc. heard unusual sounds coming from a local high school's media building. The operator called police to the building, describing what she heard while on the line with the police dispatcher.

When the officers arrived, they caught - and foiled - four students attempting to release 300 live crickets into the building's air-conditioned duct systems as a senior class prank. The police also saved the school from much embarrassment, as Florida's governor was expected to visit later that day. [Sonitrol side note: Imagine if this student prank involving crickets were instead life-threatening dangerous chemicals made by terrorists to harm the school, students, staff, governor and guests!]

Spotting potential

The locally owned Sonitrol franchise, which sells audio and video surveillance systems, is one of five such franchises in the state and 170 nationally. And soon the growing business - which currently operates in Orange and Seminole counties - will expand to serve two more Central Florida counties. "In 1988, we had a few hundred accounts," says Sonitrol General Manager Bill Ford. "We now have 3,000 to 4,000 accounts."

Sonitrol was founded 40 years ago in Anderson, Indiana by a man named Robert Baxter. He originally came up with the idea to strategically place microphones in the walls of a building to listen for and find termites. In addition, he invented other sound-related devices and created Sonitrol to use his inventions.

In 1963, Baxter met local police officer and alarm company owner Al Cronk, who hired Baxter to maintain the alarm equipment and come up with new ideas. The relationship resulted in the launch of an audio sensor and Sonitrol security company.

Here's how the Sonitrol alarm system works: An audio detector picks up sounds of intrusion or noise in a facility. An employee in Sonitrol's control center interprets the sounds to determine if someone is breaking in, and if need be, calls the police. Unlike a traditional security alarm, Sonitrol's system doesn't make any noise, which gives police officers time to apprehend the unsuspecting perpetrators.

And with the addition of video cameras, Sonitrol workers can describe the suspects to police, as well as their exact location and in which direction they are heading.

More crime, more business

Once Sonitrol grew and began awarding national franchises, a group of silent investors bought the Orlando franchise area in 1974 and put the headquarters in downtown.

The company recently bought the franchise rights for Lake and Osceola counties and plans to hire three of four representatives to serve those counties.

Ford, who joined Sonitrol in 1983, attributes the firm's growth to more business from the commercial, school, government sectors due to a steady increase in crime over the years - and to more and more business owners being tired of the bad guys getting away.

For example, Sunbelt Lawn and Tractor owner Walt Thomas had a typical noise alarm system for 17 years. Nevertheless, his John Deere dealership in Winter Park was broken into 17 times in two years. After Thomas installed a Sonitrol system, the police caught one guy in November 2003 and he hasn't had any problems since then. "I sleep very peacefully at night," he says.

And Bob DeVecchio, coordinator of school security for Seminole County Public Schools, say the district has used Sonitrol's alarm systems in all schools since 1981. "The police have apprehended several individuals over the years as law enforcement arrives at the school due to the alarm," he says.

About Sonitrol:
Sonitrol Corporation is the leading provider of Verified Response security solutions for businesses and schools in North America. Founded by a policeman, the company's technology was created to reduce false alarms and increase apprehensions. Sonitrol's proprietary audio verification capability has assisted local law enforcement in the apprehension of more than 155,000 suspects since 1977. Its integrated suite of offerings includes audio intrusion alarms, access control, video surveillance and fire detection. For more information on Sonitrol and its integrated security solutions, please visit the company's website at www.sonitrol.com.