INDUSTRY FOCUS

Surviving The Tough Times

Dayton, Ohio, has seen a lot of ups and downs over the years. The city is more than a survivor as businesses find a way to keep their doors open, and today, even attract some very interesting tech firms.

What the city does have are companies that weather economic storms and continue to prevail. Celebrating 100 years of business, Copp Systems is one example. While security wasn’t part of its business in 1920, the company has taken a leading role in several security verticals, including healthcare, military, transportation, government, campus and aviation security.

Nineteen years ago, Bill DeFries moved to Dayton to take leadership of the company that has become fully immersed in the security industry. Take a look at the arithmetic that has made the past 100 years so memorable.

The company has kept making a splash the past half century. In 1920, Stanley Roy Copp opened his company by working on and repairing radios. Following military service, he returned to Dayton and became fully immersed as a repair center for AC Delco radios and public address systems at NCR.

By the 1960s, Copp Systems moved closer to security by becoming involved in low voltage systems. In 1970, they jumped into fire alarms and access control. Fire alarms are still a large part of what they do, just having completed a renovation of the fire system at Stratacache Tower, formerly known as Kettering Tower.

The 1980s were a turning point for Copp Systems and the security business. Company officials jumped headlong into their roles as security integrators. Part of the offerings include Wanderguard wristbands for memory care patients. The solution is onsight cameras that will lock down a facility if a patient nears an exit. Copp Systems also scored some terrific contracts in healthcare, including the Dayton and Cleveland VA Medical Centers.

“We’ve stayed ahead of the economic curve with our integrated solutions and offering excellent customer service,” DeFries said. “We also picked and identified strong verticals that we wanted to excel in service, such as crime databases where we have a software solution that aggregates crime information that is usable in real time.”

For a company that started with four employees, and currently has more than 40, it’s been a long and successful ride. Happy birthday Copp Systems.

This article originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.