SIA New Member Profile: Platinum Protect

The Security Industry Association (SIA) provides benefits to all corporate members, whether an established company or a brand new one. SIA is pleased to welcome a host of young companies in recent times—including most recently Platinum Protect of Tampa, Florida. SIA caught up with Kirk Roberson of Platinum Protect to learn more about his company, which sells 2GIG and Alarm.com solutions to residential and small business customers. Contact Roberson at kirk@platinumprotect.net or visit www.platinumprotect.net for more information.

How did you get into the security industry?

I began in the industry in 2010, working for Jared Chappel and Steve Zolman at Pinnacle Security. I was fresh out of college and couldn’t find a job. I ended up moving to Atlanta to sell tree jobs door to door. When I told a college friend what I was doing, he demanded I drive out to Texas for the summer just see how the summer sales model worked. After a few weeks on the doors selling, I was on top of the leaderboard and getting shout-outs from Mr. Chappel! I was hooked.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love interacting with people, traveling and being a part of an office that enjoys pushing each other to do better. Our office traveled from Midland/Odessa, Texas, to Abilene, Denver and then Albuquerque. After the first year, I stayed on selling door to door with the Pinnacle team for another five years, when we merged with Devcon, then Protection 1. My apprenticeship was over 2015 with Protection1 where I was #1 residential sales in the entire company.

What’s your company’s biggest challenge right now?

My company’s biggest challenge is getting the ball rolling with no cash flow. I have always heard the term, “You don’t have a clue what it takes to run a business.” I now am fully aware! This industry, whatever the barriers to entry, will always have people there who know how to solve problems, and those are the ones who will make it.

But just starting out, I would say my biggest challenge is selecting the right CRM. My business model requires on demand everything, from credit checks on the doors, same day installs. Having a good CRM with a smooth API that brings everything together is crucial.

What trends does your company foresee for the security industry in the next year?

I see trends locally, and here in Tampa and Florida as a whole, everyone is turning to access control, whether information technology or energy.

What does your organization receive from membership in SIA? How do you plan to be active in the association in the near future?

My first year I don’t see myself taking my eyes off making the business cash flow positive. I lean on the adage “nothing worth having is easy.”

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).