The Safer Buildings Coalition and Potter Electric Signal Company Share How Recent Acquisitions Have Shaped Potter's Commitment to In-Building Safety  

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Posted on April 29, 2021

The Safer Buildings Coalition took some time to speak with member Potter Signal, about what their recent acquisitions mean for the strategy of their business. 

Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC): Potter acquired TowerIQ previously, and now SureCall. Clearly Potter sees the in- building communications space as strategic.  

Potter Signal (PS): In-building communication for First Responders during an emergency must work flawlessly. Additionally, the radio signals must be sufficient so that the communication signals are clear and strong. The need is for the First Responders to be able to work together and communicate so they can focus on the task at hand and not be operating in a communication “dead zone”. There is growing recognition that this can be solved – via good analytics – before a building is constructed, and then by adding enhancement technology if necessary when the building is completed. This growing need has created an opportunity for Potter to continue its mission of saving lives. Additionally, municipalities continue to see the need for this technology and continue to adopt code requirements that require reliable communication signals inside a building. Coinciding with the building code adoption is the IFC 2021, requiring ERCES booster products compliance to UL 2524 – which will further expand acceptance of these products. 

SBC: What did Potter see in SureCall that made them the perfect fit for this acquisition? 

PS: Surecall’s lineage as a leader in radio signal boosters, means that their Guardian products are well designed. Plus, the Guardian products operate in the 700/800 MHz bands – which are becoming more prevalent as the main emergency responder bands in more and more municipalities. A leading Class B booster is now joined by a new Class A booster, which was released at the end of 2020. This portfolio will now cover both Class A and Class B products in the 700/800 MHz frequency band. Additionally, we’ve partnered with Surecall over the past couple of years and know that the Guardian series of products have been designed to be reliable and durable products. We will be combining the Guardian product portfolio with our TowerIQ ARCS systems. These systems together offer different approaches to serving Emergency Radio Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES), and cover a wider range of applications and geographies. Customers asked us to be a provider of multiple technologies and products so that the right solution could be deployed to the right application. 

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SBC: Does Potter plan to play in the commercial cellular space? 

PS: No. Our products will, however, continue to support FirstNet. 

SBC: Is Potter looking to expand its dealer network to add experienced in building communications system integrators? 

PS: Potter will continue with its current strategy of working with and partnering with distributors, dealers, and system integrators, to collectively serve these markets. We welcome to the Potter family new customers that have been marketing and selling the Guardian range over the past several years. 

We want to thank those at Potter Electric Signal Company for taking the time share their accomplishments and vision with us for growing from their TowerIQ and SureCall acquisitions, and wish them all the best! 

Potter LogoTo learn more about Potter Electric Signal Company, please visit here.