Features Business & Marketing
Q&A with Doug Adlam, general manager, ADI Canada

SP&T News: What are your immediate plans for the Canadian market?
Doug Adlam: ADI Canada has experienced dramatic growth over the past 12 months, and my immediate focus is to ensure our staff is able to keep up with the pace. My experience with high volume distribution should benefit the team as we continue to grow. In addition, ADI will be expanding and improving a number of our locations this year to better serve our dealers and keep up with our growth. We will also continue to promote the services and design support of ADI’s Systems Support Team in Canada. This is a key differentiator for ADI, and I want to make sure our customers take advantage of this value add. 

SP&T News: What attracted you to the security business?
Doug Adlam: My interest in ADI is what really attracted me to the security business. ADI is a strong, well positioned company with great people and I was really excited about the opportunity. With ADI’s stability and financial position, we are able to take advantage of new opportunities that come our way.

SP&T News: How will your retail experience come into play, running a security distributor?
Doug Adlam: Much of my retail experience was with the contractor side of the business – providing building materials to residential and commercial construction markets – so I also have experience in both wholesale and distribution. I’ve noticed a lot of similarity between what is valued by builders and general contractors and what is important to the security dealer or integrator. The products might differ but the needs have a lot in common. The desire for innovative products, knowledgeable and dependable service, and an understanding that “time is money” seem to be universal demands.

SP&T News: Is there anything the security industry can learn from retailers?
Doug Adlam: Good retailers focus on all of the factors that make for an easy shopping experience. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes that ensure that the needs of the customer are being met, and I think this principle holds true for any business. Leveraging metrics such as: in-stock position, call response times, and quality of shipment play a part in this. So does ensuring the availability of job lot quantities and quality products. I am committed to ensuring that ADI is an easy place to buy for our customers, whether at our branches, on the phone or online. With our vast product offering, ADI is the one-stop-shop for dealers.

SP&T News: With retailers like Lowes offering home security solutions like Iris, how does this affect the security channel?
Doug Adlam: Do It Yourself (DIY) security products may have a small niche in the market, but there will always be a need for the added value that dealers can provide. This is increasingly true when we consider the rapid pace of technological advancements and the trend towards integrating a number of security elements into a whole home solution. More and more users are looking for a system that can perform multiple functions and be managed from their mobile device. These are the solutions and services security dealers can provide, which provides differentiation from the DIY offerings in the market.