It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you, but almost all supermarkets in Wisconsin have their share of security protection – cameras, sensors, access control. They monitor for inventory control, theft (internal and external) and damage to merchandise, among other things.

Aldi, Piggly Wiggly, Sendik’s, Pick ‘N Save, Walmart, Metro Market, Meier’s, you name the supermarket, they have similar needs when it comes to protection — from the perimeter to the product. H&S Protection is a one-stop-choice when it comes to determining the specifics of your security needs if you operate in the supermarket retail sector.

We focus heavily on business security. That means in every situation figuring out what drives our customers’ needs.  When it comes to supermarkets, there might be an issue with regular damage when product is unloaded from the trucks to the site. Why is that? You might rely on anecdotal evidence, or you might have a sense that workers aren’t paying close attention to the unloading process and the Ragu bottles are shattering far too often.

That is information you need to know. The store manager may have a “sense” of things, but it’s extra important that video validates what the manager is thinking. That allows you to make sound decisions, whether it means a hard discussion with your trucking company regarding the unloading process or with your employees on their safe handling of product.

Successful supermarkets and other businesses run on extremely tight margins. Supermarkets comprise one of the most highly competitive markets in the United States. Protecting inventory and eliminating theft are two issues that help them remain competitive.

Check out our H&S web site for more information on who we are and how we can help: www.hsprotection.net.

Kat Lindow has a “can-do” attitude that fits perfectly with H&S Protection. Before joining our team, she had been introduced to the H&S way of doing business when we came into service the cameras systems at her previous place of employment.

“I knew that they were friendly people dedicated to doing their job well. After my last employer ended their contracts in Portage County, I was looking for positions, and the one for H&S wouldn’t stop popping up, so I figured I should apply,” she said.

Previous to joining H&S, Kat spent three years working for Advanced Disposal and Waste Management as a scale operator and office administrator. “That allowed me to gain account payables experience. Prior to that, I spent five years in the legal field, first in Superior, Wisconsin, then in Stevens Point working for various law firms and the court house,” she added.

Officially Kat’s title is Administrative Assistant. That has her primarily handling Account Payables, making sure Fire Inspection Paperwork gets where it needs to be and checking the reports first thing in the morning to make the H&S team aware of any high-priority problems.

In her spare time, Kat plays piano for her church a few times a month. She also enjoys long bike rides (anywhere between 5-20 miles) because “I can do this either by myself or with my family. I also recently started doing taekwondo, and while my progress is slow, I keep my broken boards in my office to remind me that I can do tough things on hard days. My husband Gus and I also love vacationing back in Superior/Duluth and camping with our kids and dogs.”

“The people here genuinely care about the customers, and not in a ‘get good customer service scores’ kind of way. Everyone genuinely wants all customers to feel safe, and to feel cared for. You can see this at our weekly meetings, where if one property is having some issues, the entire team immediately jumps into troubleshoot and offer ideas,” Kat observed.

“I can truly say I have never worked in a place like this before. The owner and management are concerned about the wellbeing of both customers and employees, and have an attitude of ‘what do you need to succeed?’ We have a variety of personalities across the departments, and there really is never the ‘not my job’ attitude with other employees — we all are able to ask for help when we need it and not be afraid of someone being irritated, and we all provide help when we can’,” she concluded.

Retrieving video is faster, easier and smarter than it was just a few years ago. What does that mean for H&S customers?

Simply put, it means using video surveillance to protect your premises is more effective than ever.  And while leading-edge technology comes at a price, it may be exactly what you need for your business.

Here’s why.  Today’s video systems have smart-search capabilities that make finding recorded events a breeze.  For example, let’s say there’s a theft in the parking lot and you’re trying to figure out what time it occurred.  Our software allows you to simply highlight the targeted vehicle, which generates a color-coded timeline showing any movement activity.  Click on the timeline and presto…you’ve not only found the time of the theft but the culprit(s) too.

In the retail arena, you may suspect the Frosted Flakes are getting squashed by an irate customer.  No problem.  Upload a picture of the perpetrator into the system and the next time he walks into the store, the cameras will recognize him and alert you.  Not bad, huh?

The point is you don’t always need to watch a larger area. You can dial in and target something or someone specifically.  H&S will help you with that.  We’ll provide you with experience and expertise to determine where, how and when to set your cameras and software to your advantage.

This can save a lot of your time in going through video to find out what exactly is going on in specific situations. Call us to see these advantages of our premium video systems. We’ll design a custom and comprehensive solution for you.

In central Wisconsin, reach us at 715.344.0727. In southeast Wisconsin, call H&S at 262.574.7777.

Holy cow, it’s 2023! At the height of Covid two years ago, who would have thought a locally-owned business like H&S Protection would not only navigate those troubled waters, but come out of that period stronger than ever?

As we enter 2023, there are new goals and resolutions. But, if Covid has taught us anything, it’s that contingency plans and adjusting on the fly are an important part of the business landscape. We’ve written about a number of these issues in the past to keep our customers informed not only about where we’re headed, but more importantly how we can best serve you in these dynamic times.

While we don’t expect major disruptions in 2023, we do recognize (more than in years past), the potential for a hiccup or two to occur. We’re experienced and prepared for far more supply chain and logistics situations than we were two years ago. That means continued timely service to our customers. When we know we can’t meet a deadline, we’ll communicate quickly with you to ensure you the next steps in an installation or service call.

As we do every year, H&S has set goals for our bottom line. That’s important for the long-term health of our business. But for 2023, there are no specific new year’s resolutions. Instead, we pledge to maintain our focus on finding the best tailored security solutions for our customers.

We pledge to be responsive to your calls. We pledge to keep you informed about the status of projects. We pledge to give you our best and listen attentively to any areas  of concern. We continue to develop as a business and as individual team members, learning as we go. Those may not be goals per se, but they are important operating principles we embrace year after year.

Steve Garritson is leaving the security industry after 43 years, selling his share of H&S Protection to Co-Owner Mike Horgan. His last day with H&S will be December 31.

Steve and Mike have run H&S for 15 years after getting to know each other at Wisconsin security industry meetings some 20 years ago. At the time, both ran their own Wisconsin-based security companies, but as they compared notes over the years and recognized similarities in their business lines and approaches, they decided to join forces to capitalize on their complementary strengths.

 

Steve brought the operations expertise to the business, while Mike focused on the financial side. Steve plans to continue to be available as the business moves forward, helping with advice as needed.

“I’m happy for Steve. I’m glad he is able to take this next step for himself and his family. It will be a blow for me because we’ve had a good partnership. We have two different ways of thinking, and that makes our decision-making more solid.  I will definitely still bounce ideas off him,” Horgan said.

Mike called their co-ownership the “right mix,” with Steve covering his area of expertise on the operations side. Ultimately though, Mike said Steve’s leadership transcended operations and crossed all areas of the business. “We had the ability to talk about things and one of us would have a different twist on the issue, and it would make you think, ‘Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought of that’,” Horgan explained.

Steve said he will miss the people, seeing the H&S team in the office, making coffee, chatting to catch up with employees. “That’s what I hated about Covid – I couldn’t handle being by myself in the house working. You learn more about people in five minutes face-to-face than you would otherwise,” Steve said.

He acknowledged the importance Mike provides H&S. “I know my limitations on finances.  And Mike would provide the level-headed approach when I sometimes would fly off the handle. He helped us sit back and talk about things,” Steve observed.

Heading North

With more free time, Garritson plans to head north to enjoy more time at his vacation home in Presque Isle, WI. He’s had a seasonal cabin for a number of years, and three years ago Steve and his wife Barbara closed on the Presque Isle home, about four-and-a-half hours north of Brookfield.

He has been spending a couple of weekends a month during the winter at the new home and would like to increase that time in retirement. “We spend as much time up there as we can during the summer. It’s awesome. We have five grandkids, ages 2-7, and it’s real fun for them at their ages,” he said.

Steve’s decision mindset started a couple of years ago, but the lake house lit the fire to make a final decision to sell his side of the business. “I think the lake house made Steve’s retirement more real and urgent,” Mike said.

Next Steps for H&S

As Steve moves into retirement and Mike assumes sole ownership of H&S, Mike Solomon and Steve’s son Ben will assume primary leadership roles at the Pewaukee office.  Mike will continue his role as General Branch Manager and Ben will continue as Operations Manager.  Both have been groomed for these duties over the past year or so. “The change will really be more that Steve is out of the picture.  Mike and Ben have been working closely with us all along to prepare for the transition and their titles won’t change,” Horgan said.

“I’m going to miss Steve’s sense of humor and ability to make me laugh even when I don’t feel like laughing.  He’s a great story-teller; spins a good yarn.  Not everybody can do that,” Horgan continued.

Garritson will continue to serve the company on its Board of Directors, staying in contact with Mike when the need arises for additional advice or perspective on issues that arise.