We’re living in unprecedented and uncertain times. That statement has become such a common refrain in the last year that it is almost a punchline, but that doesn’t make it any less true. One symptom of those times is a rise in vacant commercial property, from empty storefronts to untenanted offices. Data from Statista and the National Association of Realtors shows that not only has the number of vacant properties been on the rise since mid-year 2020, but the trend is also expected to continue through the end of 2021 and possibly into 2022. There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a ..read more

According to research from the Association of Religion Data Archives, the state of Kansas is home to over 4,700 churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques. In Missouri, the number is closer to 9,000. Each of these structures is designed and built for a unique purpose: to welcome the faithful for worship, fellowship, ministry, and mission. As welcoming as each church, synagogue, temple, and mosque may be for all those who seek peace and comfort, it’s also safe to say that every church and place of worship has plenty to protect, from business offices to A/V equipment, on-site storage facilities ..read more

We understand the concerns about the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus. We, too, have a heightened level of concern and are taking every precaution possible to minimize its spread to the community we serve and the members of our industry. Based on current guidelines and our own standards and practices here at A-TEC Security, we remain on the job and ready to serve all our residential and commercial security customers. Depending on community trends with COVID-19, we may suspend our in-person security consultations and reduce other services with short notice. However, we wil ..read more

Blended and integrated commercial security systems are the future. Nothing less will do. Sound hyperbolic? We don’t think so, and here’s why: Integrated systems that combine the best of intrusion detection, access control, video cameras, and more are simply more effective and valuable to business owners and property managers than stand-alone solutions. Think of it this way: Are you still using the same mobile and connected devices that you used five or ten years ago? Of course not. Huge advances have been made in mobile technology that allow for blended device ecosystems that would have been i ..read more

There are more than 9,600 wineries in the United States, producing around 23.3 million hectoliters every year. (For those outside the industry, a hectoliter is equivalent to on hundred liters. That’s a lot of wine!) Sure, 45% of those wineries may be in California, but that means more than half of all the wineries in the U.S. are stretched across the country, even popping up in unlikely grape growing regions such as Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. And like any other business, wineries in Kansas City need commercial security systems to help keep their people, premises, and products safe. Growing g ..read more

When we imagine livestock theft, we tend to think of it in terms of old westerns. We picture John Wayne shooting at cattle rustlers in grainy black and white. But any farmer or rancher knows that livestock aren’t cheap, and anything valuable is going to be a tempting target for potential thieves. In fact, goat theft is a big problem these days in California. In one county alone, so many goats have gone missing, the total loss adds up to $27,000. More than 2 million farms are spread across America. The sprawling state of Texas may be home to the largest number of farms in the U.S., but Missouri ..read more

Every business is different, and so are the commercial security challenges that each business faces. It is a rare thing for a commercial business to only need something as simple as a door alarm on the front and rear entrance, and that’s it. Most commercial security systems in Kansas City and around the country rely on a range of interlocking security solutions including access controls, security cameras, and more. Almost all businesses face unique security challenges relating to the type of business they do, their clientele, the architecture of their building, and even the neighborhood in whi ..read more

We hear a lot about “big business,” but small business is actually much more common. In fact, small businesses—those with 100 employees or fewer—make up around 48% of the private workforce in the United States. The small business landscape includes businesses of all kinds, including health care facilities, restaurants and food service, retail, manufacturing, technical and professional services, construction, worship centers and other non-profits, rental and leasing companies. The list goes on and on. Small businesses often run on tight margins, and their owners may find themselves in serious t ..read more

These days, businesses in Kansas City and around the world can’t afford to go without commercial security. Businesses are much more likely to be burglarized than private homes, and yet some business owners have yet to install comprehensive commercial security systems on their company’s premises. There are plenty of reasons business owners may be reluctant to take the plunge—and we’ll get to those in a minute—but there’s no denying that business security has become a need, not a luxury. When you consider that around 42% of businesses in the Midwest still don’t have a website, it may come as no ..read more

You’ve heard the saying, “The first step is admitting you have a problem.” Well, that’s true when it comes to commercial security, too. Today’s businesses face different kinds of security challenges than we faced in previous generations. Theft deterrence for businesses of any kind begins not with installing commercial security systems but with acknowledging the risks that your business faces. Once you’re aware of the challenges facing your business, such as identity theft from customer databases, shrinkage, fraud, internal theft, or organized retail crime, you can begin planning for theft dete ..read more