Paxton Secures Highlands Grow Facility

Paxton Secures Highlands Grow Facility

Net2 access control has been installed at Highlands Grow, a fully licensed industrial-scale cultivator, producing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use

Based in Lapeer, Michigan, Highlands Grow provides consumable cannabis products to U.S.-based retailers, projects. The volume of produce they cultivate is of extremely high-market value and needs to be secured with a sophisticated and advanced security system as stated by Michigan state law.

Prior to the new Net2 security installation, the Highlands Grow facility was secured by traditional locks and keys. This meant that they were open to potential security risks, and their site would not meet the legal requirements to secure the higher volume of product they plan to produce as they increase the size of their ever-growing customer base.

Highlands Grow contacted Existo Solutions, a consulting company specializing in services designed specifically for the budding U.S. cannabis industry. They recommended Paxton’s Net2 access control due to its customizable high-security functionality and integration options.

“Achieving compliance while growing cannabis in most US states is related to the security and access of the facility,” said Chris Hernandez, operations lead at Existo Solutions. “Cultivators who don’t comply can receive up to a $90k fine from the government, so it’s vitally important to get access control right.”

For the new security system to meet legal surveillance requirements, cameras need to be integrated alongside a remote alert system. For Highlands grow, that means monitoring 50 cameras, while securing 21 doors, which lead to large-scale grow rooms and secure vaults, storing curing cannabis and finished products.

Having this functionality is crucial so the owners can receive real-time notifications and video clips of potential security risks on individual doors when the facility is at low capacity.

Chris continues: “What is very important for the customers in our industry, isn’t just knowing who goes in and out of a facility, it’s who goes up to a door when they are not supposed to. It’s about being aware of who tried to open a vault when no one is there,” Hernandez said.

Existo Solutions installed Net2, Paxton’s flagship networked IP access control system, which originally launched into the US market in 2007. Since then, the system has received consistent updates and integrated with many leading cameras, as well as fire and intruder alarms.

The system was integrated seamlessly with VIVOTEK cameras, meaning that Highlands Grow can now remotely monitor every door on their facility 24/7, using Net2Online software and the Paxton Connect app.

“Paxton is our go to when it comes to access control. We like the way Net2 integrates with VIVOTEK cameras, and the system just works every time.

“Net2 has enabled us to provide Highlands Grow with the highest security service package we offer, which is great for them,” he said.

Paxton’s vandal resistant Entry range touch panel has been fitted on the main entrance to the facility, alongside an Entry Premium monitor in the site's security station. The Net2 software has been configured to provide notification alerts on the owner's smart devices if people are trying to enter the building outside of business hours.

Net2 readers were installed across all doors alongside the camera integration to monitor access from internal employees to grow rooms and vaults. These readers have been configured to allow different access levels depending on seniority in the company, and time restrictions added to lock down rooms with no need for frequent access.

Chris concludes: “I think access control is so important as one of the initial means to manage the workspace and how people move around. There are lots of locked doors in the cannabis industry and opening them using Net2 makes it easy to move around with large plants on carts,” Hernandez said. “Paxton makes our job straightforward. It’s beyond simple, it’s beyond easy, and the technology is so stable, that it's easy to support.”

The Net2 system has been installed with no problems and the owners are pleased with how easy Net2 access control is to use. They have been maximizing the use of its feature-rich software and have been impressed with the proximity cards, which they have doubled up as access tokens and ID cards.

“Using Net2 is very smooth. Once I started using the Paxton Connect app, it has been a breeze. Almost too easy,” said Matt Saagman, director of cultivation at Highlands Grow. “As we expand our facility, we plan to keep building on the current system, and we are interested in seeing what else it can do as we grow.”

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.