What’s Changing?

Like other industries, the electronic security business changes to keep pace with technology. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes gradually. What does this mean for our customers?

Whether you are looking for a security system or already do business with H&S Protection, you might know just from looking around at retail establishments or manufacturing facilities that the use of cameras is on the rise. One major variable driving this growth is the ease of viewing  cameras remotely.

Managers wanting to keep a closer eye on security concerns or their processes can  quickly and easily see video footage from home or from their phone.  Ten years ago, quick video access through the internet was not so easy.

A second change is that technology is both easier to use and install. This holds advantages for you to consider when assessing whether you want to employ some form of security system. When you know your staff can learn  and utilize a system quickly and with minimal training, that makes a big difference. H&S is here to help you with that process.

Finally, training itself has changed and continues to evolve.   With our new hands-on training station in Pewaukee , WI, we can now work with customers remotely to explain how to more effectively work with the technology we install.

H&S is here for you. Reach us in Stevens Point at 715.344.0727 or Pewaukee at 262.574.7777.

82 Cameras, 102 Dock Doors — H&S has it Covered

Installing 82 cameras at an industrial facility sounds like a tough task. It is. Covering 102 docking doors with those cameras so that the customer is pleased is another toughie. We’ve pulled that off, too. Big or small, we handle the special security needs of our customers.

Such was the case when we worked with a manufacturing plant in the Stevens Point area that was looking for video coverage in its shipping and receiving areas, as well as access control on its main doors.

When sitting down with a client with such large needs, we look at “why” we’re providing the service. What do they want to accomplish? What is the customer looking to protect? What’s going on at the facility? Sitting down, we introduce ourselves and our company.

We started this process with a cheese manufacturer, addressing how we could provide services to all of their Wisconsin locations (and beyond if necessary), from Superior in the northwest to Kenosha in the southeast. The client had 10 facilities and wanted to be sure that we could cover them all, which wasn’t a problem from our Stevens Point and Pewaukee locations.

The point here is we are flexible and can expand to work with customers at multiple sites across the state and even across the U.S. To do so requires some creativity but that always includes due diligence to make sure our contractors meet H&S Protection standards. You might be surprised, but we have systems in such far-away places as Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Arizona and Canada..

Big or small, in-state or out-of-state, you will always get high quality workmanship when you choose H&S. Give us a ring at 715.344.0727 in our Stevens Point, WI office or 262.574.7777 in Waukesha, WI.

Lonnie Miescke Retires After 22 Years with H&S Protection

We knew it had to come. It happens with everyone at some point: time to hang up the spikes and see what comes next in life after a long and successful career. We bid goodbye to Lonnie Miescke a couple of weeks back after a 22-year career with H&S Protection that started with her working at Sentra Protection Systems before the company merged with Horgan Sales and Service to become H&S.

She had a great run with us. Many ups. Many laughs. She’s earned her retirement, her time to enjoy the next step in life. As owners, we’re  thankful to have had Lonnie on board. She was a rock in our Pewaukee office, always caring for customers, joking around with employees and those who came through our doors. She was an integral  part of our company.

We didn’t send her off empty handed at her retirement party. There were many gifts – some funny, others heartfelt. There was a stuffed pheasant in Mike Solomon’s office that she became quite good friends with, petting  it when she stopped by. After many indications she wanted the pheasant, we felt it only appropriate she got to take  her feathered friend  as a reminder of the fun days she had with us.

We saved a Packers doll for her as well, one of those bad luck charms that we hope transforms with Lonnie’s magic touch to become a good luck charm for the Packers in the years ahead. She also received a nice caricature with some of her amusing sayings engraved. We put together a memory box for her, and personal notes from all our employees. Our Stevens Point Office gifted her a camping care basket.

Her retirement party garnered quite the turnout, with over 30 current and former employees attending, along with significant others, as well as others she touched with her unique style. We held the event at Albanese’s Roadhouse, an H&S customer in Waukesha.

H&S will miss Lonnie’s smiling face. We already do. When you entered our Pewaukee office, you knew you’d be greeted with a smile. That meant a lot to us and to our customers. Thank you, Lonnie.

Mike Horgan and Steve Garritson

H&S Protection Co-Owners

Focus and Source Like Crazy!

Unless you’re doing an imitation of an ostrich with your head in the ground, you know there’s been a global supply chain challenge the past couple of years. H&S Protection has its share of difficulties keeping up with the availability of parts, and we’re changing how we do business to ensure our security installations occur on-time and within your budget.

Here are a few issues affecting our supply chain:

  • Tariffs
  • Availability of raw resources
  • Resin shortage
  • Disruptions in microchip supplies
  • Transportation of materials
  • Shortages of truck drivers
  • Fewer manufacturers of card readers

What are we doing about this? The broad answer is that we are more focused on sourcing like crazy. Two years ago, we operated on a just-in-time basis for customer installations. Not any more.

Sometimes it can take three or more days to get the materials we need. We’re ordering earlier to address these shortages. We transfer materials from one installation to another when necessary . We’re improvising  to keep the job pipeline flowing as evenly as possible.

It’s not easy. Our ordering and employees are challenged. But, we’re meeting the demands of this new world in which we live.

We have seen shortages on orders of anywhere from 8 to 24 weeks. We search every supplier possible across the country to fill those gaps. Our inventories can go askew, but we plan ahead, seek alternative sources, get creative in our solutions.

There is no current relief in sight. We may place an order, expecting it to come in eight weeks and we get it in three days, or vice versa. There’s a lot of catching up to do on the manufacturing side, and we recognize this by working it into our planning processes. Everyone is playing catch up.

We’re working for you. We’re adapting, applying new lessons, learning on a daily basis. We’ll keep after it to keep you safe and protected. And, we thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we adjust to this rapidly changing world.

Demo This!

Think about this: having a system to train your security team remotely, giving access to all the functions necessary to bone-up on newer technologies. H&S Protection has that system, and it benefits our customers AND staff.

Any good training system should help your people get better at their jobs. Simple concept. In turn, as employees improve, their ability to design new systems, install them expertly, troubleshoot, and cleanup any issues  benefits the end user – you, the customer. You get a system that operates more consistently and effectively.

We’ve been slowly building our in-house training capabilities the past several years at our Pewaukee  WI office. If we were to wrap up what our training system can do, we’d say: Demo This! We can demonstrate how technologies work  and experiment with them — giving our staff a much greater degree of comfort in working with customers as the world of security technology rapidly evolves.

For example, we can demonstrate five different types of Video Management Software (VMS). In the training area, our new technicians do their programming, getting the touch and feel of these systems. They can work by themselves or with a senior member of our team one-on-one. They can work from home and access the training as well. That allows for self-training. Sometimes we’ll even find a member of our sales team taking the reins to improve their knowledge.

From the field, our team can remotely dial into site cameras through alarm.com. We might have a team member up in Grafton, and they can unlock a door in Pewaukee. They can access the customer system and sometimes work through problems remotely.

For our smart home devices in alarm.com, we teach team members how to install before they head to the field. We also bring customers in for demonstrations so they can look and feel how to operate the systems and compare one to another. That’s a big advantage we offer customers! It’s a clear side-by-side comparison, letting the customer determine their preference by seeing how the system works. This gives customers an instantaneous feel for access control/video.

Our training demonstration area started out as a traveling board, and just got bigger and bigger. As Covid hit in 2020, we found we could add more products, and we now have a cloud-based access system set up in Waukesha to show all the functions available.

Another benefit this provides the customers of H&S is when we introduce a new product to the market. We learn and master the product from the vendor before introducing it to customers.

Our training area is an investment in our people, products and technology. It’s another tool we believe helps us perform better, and, quite frankly, we’ve found it’s a morale builder as our team learns together, figures out how to solve a problem, and sometimes even have a little healthy competition. An engaged workforce makes for a healthy and productive workplace, we believe.

We all know there are some people who don’t like change. We get it. They don’t want new technology. “Just give me what I always had. I know how to use it,” seems to be the refrain. But, with our demo area, we are able to change some of that perspective. We “show” them what we can do. We demonstrate how easy the functions can be. They get excited. We deliver buy-in. Our sales, technician/installation and customer service staff have found that excitement and we hope to have many more opportunities for customers to join in that excitement.

H&S Alarm Alerts Waukesha Police

Thankfully, H&S doesn’t have to contact police departments on a daily basis. When we do, it means something is wrong, and we are alerting them to some form of criminal behavior.

Recently, we were able to help the Waukesha Police Department with an incident at one of our customers – in this case, a bank. A man had threatened to use explosives at the site.

The man passed a note to tellers saying he had a hand grenade in his pocket.  Thankfully again, no one was injured. The police responded quickly to our alert and apprehended the individual soon thereafter.

H&S sent the alert and the bank also sent word to the police through a direct call. No grenade was found and dispatch officers stopped the man before any special units were dispatched; according to the Waukesha Police Department, which added that the officers arrested the man within 90 seconds of being dispatched.

We are pleased to be able to help police in situations like this. H&S is in the business of protection and this is one more example where quick, effective response to an alarm activation made a difference. Such responses  happen because of the talent of our employees, the technology we employ and the training we provide to ensure systems are well-designed, well-installed and well-monitored with the best technology available.

Thankfully, this incident was averted with no injuries or property/financial loss. That’s what protection is about.

Hardware Experience Helps Alicia Jensen at H&S

Moving from a big box hardware store to H&S Protection, Alicia Jensen was able to build on her experience to help her in a new role as Administrative Assistant in H&S’s Stevens Point, WI office. Alicia joined H&S in August of 2020 after 25-and-a-half years with the big box retailer, serving in the Flooring  and Electrical Departments.

“A friend of mine at H&S recommended I apply. My main duties at H&S are job processing, customer service and receiving and staging parts for the jobs. I also order office supplies, update account information as needed and help the other admins,” Alicia said.

She and her husband, AJ, and have been together for 12 years. They have a pug named Gizmo, a cat named Gemma, and a piranha named Floki. Alicia and AJ are huge hockey fans and follow the Boston Bruins. They also enjoy professional wrestling like AEW and WWE.

“My husband does commentating and I sell tickets at the door and help where I’m needed. We’ve even met a handful of famous wrestlers throughout the years,” Alicia explained.

“We love going to concerts as well. Music is my absolute favorite thing. I’d rather go blind than lose my hearing and not be able to enjoy music. I’m getting more confident singing on karaoke nights at our favorite bar as well.  It’s fun. I also really enjoy DIY projects and fixing stuff around the house,” she added.

“H&S is an enjoyable atmosphere to work in.  Everyone is friendly and works together to make things run smoothly, and the owners and management make sure we are always on track and comfortable with our tasks,” she said.

“H&S is supportive if something comes up in our personal lives and a day off is needed.  Everyone here cares about each other as much  as the company itself.  It’s refreshing compared to my retail days,” Alicia added.

Birds Chirping

The birds are chirping in Wisconsin. It’s that time of year – if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this spring, you’re getting warmed up for the task ahead.

We’re prepared to help you at H&S Protection. Not with your buying or selling. But, instead, we’ll help if you’re moving into a new home and you want to explore the newest security technology on the market.

The options available today can be confusing. If you’re not a techie, considering a do-it-yourself option probably isn’t going to work. That’s where H&S comes in.

Fifteen years ago, most home security installations were still  hardwired. Today, that has mostly gone the way of black and white TV, replaced by new wireless systems. These systems give you many features, not only to secure and protect your home, but also to help with energy consumption, lighting and other features.

With our www.alarm.com app, there are more services we can offer to help you “manage” your home than were available 7-8 years ago. It’s easy for us to set you up, and then explain how to use the key functions on your smart phone.

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, gardening or golfing, you’re seeing some budding going on in the trees, and a hint of green here and there to lawns. Being in Wisconsin, we’ll probably still get some blustery snow in the coming weeks, but the birds are chirping and if you are in the market for a new home, please reach out to us to set a time where we can listen to your home security needs.

In SE Wisconsin, call H&S at 262.574.7777; if you live in mid-state Wisconsin, call us at 715.344.0727. We look forward to sitting down with you.

When the Bills Don’t Get Paid

If you are a manufacturer or distributor (or any business for that matter), you want to get paid by your customers. Missed invoices or incorrect invoices are bad for your business. If you face a problem like this, you know that it must be fixed. But, how?

We have a solution here at H&S Protection. We sit down and meet with you to set up a camera system targeting your staging area so that video footage captures your shipping process in exact detail. It’s the type of system we recently installed for a customer in Waukesha who found outgoing shipments weren’t matching up with what was received when their customers got the delivery.

They were coming up short. That’s not good, and our customer knew they needed to solve the problem quickly. We responded with a three-camera installation targeting the receiving dock. We watched the loading and unloading process to determine optimal locations.

Our cameras provided enough clarity to pick up the bill of lading on the invoice documents. With approximately $30,000-$50,000 tied up in inventory, this was a BIG issue for our client. The system holds 180-days of recorded video, and it captured what was leaving the facility on their trucks. This helped reveal that  the problem was actually with the carrier.

H&S helped with the video review. With our input and insights, the customer changed their shipping practices. While the issue wasn’t necessarily our customer’s, they needed proof on what was “going out the door” to determine where the discrepancy was.

For less than $4,000, H&S staff were able to come up with a targeted strategic design. “A really cool system” as one of our design consultants termed it.

Now, they don’t need to have $50,000 tied up in inventory. We provided a clarity level on the video that picks up text on the paper, including quantities and parts numbers. We adjusted the cameras as necessary to provide greater specificity. Any shipping or loading dock would benefit from a similar system by saving money tied up in inventory, which is money lost.

As a security company, we recognize the importance of your bottom line. If you think we can help you with a targeted system, give us a callin southeast Wisconsin at 262.574.7777; or in central Wisconsin at 715.344.0727.

Protecting Churches

Protecting Churches

When we recently finished a camera installation at a church in Wauwatosa, WI, we didn’t figure on the system coming into play so quickly. But, it did. And, that’s a good reason to consider a camera system if you head a religious congregation.

None of us want to think that a burglar or criminal will do harm to a church, synagogue or mosque. But Sadly, incidents do happen. Your building may be considered a “soft” target.

While we don’t know the intentions of those who broke into the Wauwatosa church, we do know they threw a brick through the window because our cameras captured that on an early Friday morning after we finished the install on Monday. It’s the fastest we can remember where an installation led to helping with an apprehension.

The video showed two men looking at the door, going back up the street, then returning, before taking off running after trying to open the crash bar. We received multiple views of the car as they drove up AND away. We’re glad we were there with video technology to capture the incident. It’s the type of help we’re proud to provide our customers, and to law enforcement so they can better do their jobs.

If you would like to hear from us about any of our security systems in the Milwaukee metro area, give us call at 262.574.7777. If you have a home or business in central Wisconsin and would like to meet with us, please call 715.344.0727.