Liberty Bell: It’s All Relative

The words family and business are eloquently woven in the storyline of Liberty Bell Alarm's success.

Founder Ron Buzzard was not thinking business when he went out and bought alarm parts in 1981, but he was thinking family. He was focused on his loved ones, protecting them after their home was burglarized.

A do-it-yourself kind of guy, Buzzard installed his own security system and soon started offering the service to extended family and friends.

Apparently, they told two friends, who told two friends and, thus, Liberty Bell Alarms (LBA) started and hasn't stopped.

The company carved its success (and profitability) by beginning as a security business and, later, evolving into a fully functional low-voltage company.

Sacramento, Calif.-based LBA adeptly added new areas of expertise as it grew, always keeping the coveted recurring revenue of monitored accounts at its core.

As the business (owned by Ron and his wife Joan) grew up, so did their young son, Mark. Today, Mark is also a corporate officer and owner of Liberty Bell, and he has a family of his own.

Being sure not to underestimate the value of alarm systems and monitoring accounts is something that has behooved LBA. All three Buzzards concur that most A/V companies didn't add security to their repertoires until realizing, later in the game, the benefits of monitored alarm accounts.

Liberty Bell has amassed many and currently serves approximately 4,100 monitoring customers.

Slowly, but surely, expanding its services to include home theater, whole-house A/V, IP surveillance systems, home automation, structured wiring and central vacuum proved to be a smart move.

The company, now known as Liberty Bell Alarm & Home Theater, is the largest independently owned and operated low-voltage company in the Greater Sacramento area and was rated No. 7 on CE Pro's "Top 30 Structured Wiring 2007" list.

"We have worked closely with a number of builders over the last 25 years, and expanded our services," explains Mark Buzzard.

"We work for all of the major builders in the area and plan on expanding in 2008 to the Central Valley, Bay Area and possibly Reno at the request of one of our largest builder accounts."

Building Relationships

Though the new-construction market is down throughout the country, LBA continues to do a lot of work with builders. This is no matter of accident or luck. The integration company has long history of working with builders.

"We were one of the first alarm companies to offer pre-wiring and trimming alarm systems to builders," Ron recounts.

"We prepared the concept and presented it to a builder who hired us. We sold them by explaining how they would make money on the installation, too."

Ron explains that, at the time, LBA had just three installers, including himself.

"It was a bold move, and we expanded the company in employees and trucks to service that builder — and then began offering it to other builders."

Over time, Ron says, LBA let builders know that other low-voltage services could be installed.

"Vacuums, intercoms and then, of course, structured wiring, audio and home theaters entered the picture as something people wanted in their homes," he says.

Builder accounts generate a huge amount of business for the company. Although it admittedly loses out sometimes, (or, at best, breaks even) on prewiring, LBA recovers the loss by securing monitored accounts, installing home theater, whole-house music systems, surveillance cameras, central vac, etc.

"The builders we work with recommend us highly to their homebuyers," Mark adds. "We also work for many of the custom homebuilders, providing custom designs as well. We have a solid name in Sacramento and continue to grow and get better with new systems every day."

Matriarch of the family, Joan, has seen both the business and her family grow over the years. She not only dedicated herself early on to the accounting and office management tasks of running the company, but she, along with her husband, also realized early on that the company would benefit by her helping to maintain relationships with builders.

"It kept it interesting for us and expanded our business," she explains. "Builders are happy with our service, quality and the fact that we always show up on time."

Although many have asked LBA if they'd like to add high-voltage electrical to its scope of services, the company has opted to stay focused on low-voltage services.

Along with alarm monitoring, which is certainly in demand there, is also a high demand for home theaters.

Joan explains that, in addition to home theaters, builders are preparing their homes with structured wiring, even if their homebuyers choose to trim services down. If the new construction market continues to slow, Joan says LBA will be ready.

Providing for the Family Business

The integration company boasts a custom showroom that generates a lot of business, and it showcases all the services and products/systems they offer. For this space, LBA has put together several packaged systems that are repeatable — and extremely profitable.

The most popular is the 5.1 theater package, which includes a Hitachi flat screen, a Denon receiver, a Velodyne subwoofer, five in-wall speakers and, usually, a DVD player and a universal remote.

"Over the years, we've adapted and adjusted to market trends," Mark points out. "These times are no different.

"We're adjusting and advertising our showroom (and all the audio/video goodies) more to the aftermarket."

Mark explains that LBA will be contacting existing customers to propose upgrades or services.

"There is business out there and we will find it," he says. "We have never assumed that, if we sit back, it will just come to us."

The showroom is not the only attention-grabber drumming up new business for Liberty Bell. The company van, for example, is a piece of marketing magic on wheels. It attracts attention on the busy street in front of their office.

"We have had calls,Web site visits and stop-in customers as a result of the interest the van has received," says Mark. "It has sizzle factor, and it differentiates our company."

Security installations, and the recurring revenues they represent, were long the bread and butter of LBA's business. Now, however, the company is well spread, offering additional higher-end installations.

Mark says that home theater and alarms services are complementary. "People need security and monitoring to protect those big, flat-screen TVs," he says.

"We moved in the direction of bundling services much like a grocery store, where customers can get both lettuce and cough syrup.

"They make one call for a low-volt item and are able to add a variety of other services and products to their homes."

Lifetime Learning Credits

As technologies have evolved, LBA has kept up to date on them. The same is true about new products, new applications and new installation requirements. Both father, son and staff have studied and gathered info about industry developments with manuals and by testing products.

Morning meetings have always been a rule of thumb at LBA. Joan recalls the early days, when the business was based out of the Buzzard home. She'd attend the meeting and then drive Mark to school, she says.

Her son literally grew up with the business. Through the years, Mark worked summers for the company and was trained in all areas of the business.

Today, education continues. Vendors come to the LBA office for individual and group trainings. "We have become highly valued for technical high-end product installations," Ron says.

Managing Values and Success

Currently employing a staff of 37, LBA does not sub-contract out any work. Employee retention strategies include a 401K plan, fully paid health benefits, holiday and vacation pay, bonuses, birthday gift cards and recognition, daily morning meetings with positive feedback and appreciation, and, Joan emphasizes, a positive and caring environment to work in.

LBA now operates out of a building on South Watt Avenue in Sacramento that the company purchased in 1995.

Buying the building in Sacramento was a good move for LBA. In fact, Joan calls the decision one of the three best business decisions Liberty Bell has made.

The other two were not attaching to other partners or companies along the way and recognizing the value of monitored accounts — that is, saying "no" to builders or salespeople who wanted a piece of the accounts' pie.

"It has allowed us to stay very competitive with our pricing," Joan says.

Joan says that businesses need to stay geared toward their location and the market within that location.

"Each plan is unique and depends on those facts," she says. "There's no cookie-cutter recipe, except to not make those adjustments too late."

The fact that LBA has been around as a family-run business for so many years has likely helped generate client referrals and repeat business.

"Customers do like that we are a family-run business and that we are going into the next generation," Joan echoes.

"It speaks to our commitment ... which translates into how we treat employees and customers."

"Family and faith-based values are central to who we are as a family, and that translates into everything we do as a company," Joan explains.

"Values of integrity, character, kindness, hard work, fun, trust and honesty have an effect that radiates outward. We have seen young men grow up while employees in our company ... and that is particularly satisfying."

She adds, "It is my hope that the values we hold as a family are obvious throughout our company."

The words family and business have indeed been integral to the life of Liberty Bell Alarm.

"We are a family-owned business, with plans to continue into the next generation of Buzzards," Mark says.

"My father and mother started this company on their own, and they have worked extremely hard to get us where we are now.

"I plan to carry on the heritage of Liberty Bell Alarm & Home Theater Inc. for years to come."