EPS Security gets bigger digs in Kalamazoo, adds jobs

A Michigan company that specializes in high-tech corporate and home security expects to double its local 20-person staff over the next five years, and Western Michigan University’s Business Technology and Research Park is where it plans to grow. Engineered Protection Systems Inc. — known as EPS Security — has moved into a nearly 4,200-square-foot space in the BTR Park’s Initech Building,  4787 Campus Drive. EPS Security, a family-owned business based in Grand Rapids, has six offices across Michigan. It’s Kalamazoo office, formerly on Westnedge Avenue, was established 10 years ago. “Our new office at Western Michigan University’s research park will better suit our needs and growth in the next decade and beyond,” says Kevin Carlson, president of EPS. The office is involved in design and research, and serves as a beta test site for equipment suppliers. It also provides sales, installation and service to local clients. “Cellular and Internet technology is opening up incredible areas of growth in this field,” says David Hood, EPS director of sales and marketing.   As use of land line phones drops and cell phone use grows,  opportunities for security applications are rapidly expanding, Hood says.   “Small cameras installed in a business, for instance, can now be accessed from anywhere in the world,” he adds. Hood and Jeffrey Bos, EPS’s Kalamazoo branch manager, have met with WMU’s engineering dean Anthony Vizzini to discuss internship opportunities for students, future hiring needs and the possibility of extended research and testing partnerships with the college. EPS provides burglary, fire, access control, video surveillance and other monitoring and security services for its customers. Among the company’s major Southwest Michigan clients are Meijer Stores and Kalamazoo Public Schools. Founded in 1955, the company today ranks among the top 30 security providers in the United States. It serves more than 16,000 commercial and residential clients in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky.  Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: David Hood, EPS Security