Talking Business: Longview entrepreneur finds success with home security business

Rural, idyllic Silver Lake may not seem like fertile turf for selling security and alarm systems, but for Chris Sturm, having a home alarm is all about peace of mind.

Your neighbors are close but not overly close, so its nice to have the extra protection, Sturm said on Friday. After using another company for 25 years, Sturm said she was tired of having an outdated system so switched to Universal Security and Alarm Inc., to bring her home system up to date.

Sturm is just one of the 200 customers Universal Security has signed on since opening its doors in April. The Longview company offers residential and commercial alarm systems, medical alert buttons and fire monitors to customers in Washington, Oregon and California.

Prior to starting Universal, owner Aaron Wenner worked for another alarm systems company for over three years while running a side business with his wife Lacey. They were partners in Great Vapes, which offered supplies for users of vaporizers and e-cigarettes. Great Vapes, located in Longview, never gained traction in the area, and Wenner is in the process of selling off all of Great Vapes inventory. University Security operates out of the same address at 1429 15th Avenue.

Wenner was looking for a fresh start. Seeing the profitability of the alarm industry, and noticing areas where he thought his employer could improve, Wenner decided to break off and form his own company.

Wenner acts as a dealer working under the umbrella of the Monitronics Security System, a Dallas-based company and one of ADTs major competitors. After signing on customers and installing the hardware, Universal sells the contracts to Monitronics, which then offers 24-hour monitoring. Local police or fire officials are alerted if the alarms are activated.

Unlike old-school alarm systems, which operate off of a telephone line, Universals systems are completely wireless, using cell towers and WiFi to monitor spaces. These wireless systems are more secure, according to Wenner, since anyone can easily find an Internet video detailing how to disable a landline alarm system by cutting the telephone wire outside the building.

Wireless operation also means the system can be controlled remotely using a smartphone app. Customers can close garage doors, turn on lights and access remote video from their home security cameras using the app. Thats important for Sturm, who said she spends a lot of time away from her home travelling since retiring in 2013.

I can pull it up on smartphone and turn on lights and turn on the heat, I can do different things that I couldnt do (with the other system), she said. Sturm added that she and her husband Gene have referred several clients to the service.

Wenner depends on that word-of-mouth marketing, along with door-to-door salesmen, to bring in new customers. Big clients include Grocery Outlet stores in Vancouver and Tacoma, as well Les Schwab in Vancouver. Wenner is counting on his competitive pricing and high-tech equipment to continue to expand his customer base.

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Talking Business: Longview entrepreneur finds success with home security business