Security & Fire Alarm Industry Expert Witness

Expert Witness No. 1023

Expert Witness No.1023 has over 20 years experience in the alarm industry. Prior to his acquired his first alarm company, he was a Police Officer, and then a Firefighter/EMT. As an alarm company owner he built the company from 20 accounts to a million dollar enterprise and along the way he functioned in every capacity until the position (ie. Sales Rep, Service Tech, Installer, Central Station) was organized and filled. Expert has experience as a buyer of other alarm companies, as a seller, broker, and consultant in all phases of alarm company management. He has also prepared market valuations of alarm companies both historical and current for lawsuits to establish losses aid in settlement negotiations.

Expert is experienced in testifying in deposition and in court on alarm company management, procedure, system design, product placement, installation and service.

Biography

Expert was one of the first alarm contractors in the State of Florida to earn through competency testing and background investigation a Fire Alarm Contractor I License (Number EF 0000020) in 1989. Also licensed in New York State as an Alarm Contractor, Expert is the primary qualifier of Adelphia Security, the 24^th largest alarm company in the nation according to SDM Magazine.

He had served on the Alarm Association of Florida (AAF) Board of Directors since 1986 and is a past President of the organization in 1990. Expert is currently the president of a charitable trust organized by the AAF was awarded a life membership in the organization for his past contributions.

Expert has a BA degree from the University of South Florida in Social & Behavioral Sciences, College of Criminal Justice where he graduated in the top 10% of his class. As required by the State of Florida to sell and market businesses, Expert has completed the course of study, completed experience requirements and passed the state examination required to be licensed at the Broker level under the Board of Real Estate for Business Brokering.

Expert was born in Buffalo, N.Y. and is a resident of Florida since 1976. He works out of his home office on beautiful Tampa Bay, where he lives with his wife of 26 years, Ann, and their 2 college age daughters.

History

Expert acquired his first alarm company, HPI., after leaving the Police Department in 1982. HPI was positioned by Expert as a residential alarm and low voltage systems contractor serving the custom home builder of high end homes. Some of HPI’s over 2,200 clients had included Ret. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jack Eckerd, Jack Pappas, and Hulk Hogan. From 1982 though 1994 Expert built, through new system sales and 3 select company acquisitions from 20 acquired accounts to over 2,000 high quality RMR accounts. In 1994, near the height of the seller’s market for RMR and well positioned with no debt, Expert sold off the RMR and other alarm company assets and personnel to form the Tampa Bay Branch of Checkpoint Ltd. a fast growing regional alarm company headquartered in Naples, Florida.

In 1994 Expert renamed HPI as CVI, to work as a fulltime consultant and business brokerage to the alarm industry. CVI's first client was Checkpoint, Ltd. (a/k/a Starpoint Limited Partnership, d/b/a Checkpoint, Ltd. and d/b/a Adelphia Security). Expert was employed as an independent consultant, buyer’s broker and acquisition agent by Checkpoint and successfully closed over 25 acquisitions for Checkpoint/Adelphia Security between 1995 and 2001 when ownership and Checkpoint’s focus changed. During this time Checkpoint grew from 20,000 alarm RMR accounts in 1995 to over 70,000 accounts today.

Expert has also acted as a buyer’s broker for the acquisition of select companies by Guardian International and as a Seller’s Broker for several other companies in the Florida market. Expert has successfully consulted to hundreds of other alarm companies located in Florida, Georgia, New York, New England, Maryland and Ohio.

On September 11, 2001 Expert re-licensed HPI as an alarm installing company and with his partner, Chris Wright, is positioning it as a systems integrator of security and Fire Alarm, Access Control, CCTV with its focus on high end residential market and mid-range commercial clients. HPI’s first acquisition in the Tampa Bay market it serves was closed October 15^th, 2002.

Resume

Education

University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida Graduate: June 1980

Bachelor of Arts Degree, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, College of Criminal Justice

PINELLAS FIRE ACADEMY AT P.V.T.I., Clearwater Florida Graduate: March 1983

Pinellas Police ACADEMY AT P.V.T.I., Clearwater Florida Graduate: November 1977

Experience

CVI. Florida October 1994 - Present

President, C.E.O.

Consulting & Business Brokerage firm to the Security Industry specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions

HPI Florida October 1983 - October 1994and re-licensed September 2001 to Present

President, C.E.O.

City of Clearwater Fire Department, Dec. 1983 - Oct. 1985

Firefighter, Engine Company

Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Services

City of Clearwater Police Department, Aug. 1977- Jan. 1983

Police Officer, Patrol Division

Professional Associations

ALARM ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA Membership 1983 - Present

Regional Vice President                1986

Director-at-Large                          1987

State Secretary                               1988

State Treasurer                               1989

State President                               1990

Past President Director                 1991

Director-at-Large                         1992

Director-at-Large                         1994

ALARM INDUSTRY FOUNDATION OF FLORIDA           Trustee & President              1996 - Present

Licenses

Florida Certified Alarm Contractor I License EF 20

Florida Certified Electrical Specialty Contractor I License ES 40 (Low Voltage Systems Specialist) (Inactive)

Real Estate Salesman’s License (State of Florida)

Real Estate Broker’s License (State of Florida)

Keywords:

Security & Fire Alarm Industry Expert Witness, Central station expert witness, fire alarm design expert witness

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