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Giving a Heart and Soul to Security
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By Steve Lasky
Security Technology & Design
One of the most striking characteristics of the security industry is its entrepreneurial nature. Every year, bright-eyed engineers come to market with the best darn access control software or the best darn DVR the industry has ever seen. And more often than not, these magnificent men and their security machines shine bright for one ISC West or ASIS event before flaming out in a technology wasteland.
You have to admire the gumption that makes these neophytes keep plugging. It takes brains, brawn and bucks to weather the shifts in technology and the demands of an increasingly intelligent security buyer. Like any successful entrepreneur, Alan Foreman, president of Altronix Corporation, lives and breathes his chosen vocation. In an era of one-hit wonder companies, high-tech pantheons and mega-merger giants, Foreman's company is a refreshing rest stop on technology's highway.
Altronix is a leading manufacturer of low-voltage electronic components. Foreman launched the Brooklyn-based company in 1984 in collaboration with engineer Jonathan Sohnis, and more than 20 years later Foreman's fire still propels this independent manufacturer to embrace innovation.
Now, I am not in the habit of devoting this space to talk about manufacturers. In fact, I've never done this in the 19 years I've written this column. But Altronix was my first exposure to the security field. I remember walking an ISC East event in New York in 1987, lost in the maze of high-tech devices. I wound up settling in the Altronix booth and introducing myself to Alan's father Hy. Turns out he and my grandfather grew up in the same Polish town and immigrated to New York at the same time. Suddenly I was family. As we neared the end of our visit I asked Hy what Altronix did, expecting a very technical answer. His reply: “We make things that help people.”
It struck me as I walked through the “new” Altronix corporate headquarters in Brooklyn last week that this attitude is what makes Foreman and his crew different. Just take the site of this corporate hub. It is located in a 64,000-square-foot section of the massive U.S. Army Depot, circa WWII, now being refurbished along the waterfront. In his own way Foreman is giving back to the community that has made him a success by helping solidify this historical reclamation project.
When it comes to his products, they reflect an “ Old World ” craftsmanship and pride that dictates quality over quantity and reputation above revenue. “Hey, we sit in a very vulnerable position. We don't make fancy products or flashy software,” chuckled Foreman. “But the bottom line is our products have to work in order to make these big systems go. We sort of like knowing that without us, a million-dollar system isn't worth a penny.”
Success has embraced Foreman not only because his ethics demand he serve his industry, but that the benefits of success serve the betterment of the world in which he lives. All of a sudden power supplies take on a whole new relevance.
