WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A California company that provides video surveillance and security systems for businesses announced Thursday it is opening a monitoring center in Iowa.
Irvine, Calif.-based Westec InterActive will hire 120 people over the next three years to staff the center, the company said in a statement. The new center, expected to cost about $2.5 million to open, is scheduled to begin operation at the end of September in West Des Moines, company President Mitch Johnson said.
The Iowa center will be networked with the company's existing centers in Irvine, Calif.; Dallas, Texas; Frederick, Md.; and Palm Beach, Fla.
The West Des Moines center will provide business owners operational audits and reporting, which can include inventory analysis and fire safety reviews using intelligent video. Through GPS systems, the company can also track delivery trucks to see if they deviate from routes.
Westec monitoring centers are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The company has 2,000 customers in the United States including jewelry stores, convenience stores, restaurants and hotels, Johnson said.
In addition to performing security interventions, the centers personnel also perform remote guard tours and escorts, verify burglar alarms, and monitor outdoor spaces, such as ports, with intelligent video.
The Iowa Department of Economic Development approved a $500,000 grant for the project in June. The company also received $20 million in private funding.
