What Happened to Matson Alarm
Matson Alarm was founded in Fresno in 1974 by brothers Larry and Mike Matson and ran as a family company for almost fifty years. In February 2022, it was acquired by Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, a national fire and security company headquartered in Atlanta that has bought up dozens of local alarm companies across the country. That's not a scandal, it's how the security industry has been consolidating for years. But it does mean that a company many Central Valley businesses chose because it was local and family-owned is now part of a national organization, and for some customers that changes the math.
The Questions Worth Asking After Any Acquisition
When a local provider becomes part of a national one, nothing necessarily gets worse, but some things are worth re-checking rather than assuming:
Who actually answers when you call, the people you know or a national line?
Where do decisions about your account get made?
Did your contract terms, renewal dates, or rates carry over the way you expected?
Who owns the equipment on your walls, you or the company?
If you wanted to leave, what's the notice period and what happens to your system?
These are fair questions for any provider, including us. A company with good answers won't mind you asking.
What a Locally Owned Alternative Looks Like
We're Bezemer Industries, a licensed California contractor (Lic #1109846, C-7 and C-61/D28, Alarm Operator #8216) based in Clovis. We're not a national brand and don't want to be one. We design and install commercial security, cameras, access control, alarms, and cabling, ourselves, monitoring runs through a UL-listed central station, and when you call (559) 314-7050 you're talking to the people who'll do the work. Decisions about your account get made here, by people you can drive to.
Be Honest About the Fit
A national provider genuinely fits some businesses: multi-state operations that want one vendor everywhere, or companies that prioritize a big brand name. A local contractor fits businesses that want the owner reachable, the techs consistent, and the accountability personal. Neither is wrong. The mistake is assuming the company you signed with years ago is still the same kind of company today.
What Switching Actually Involves
Less than most people fear. First, check your current contract for the end date and required notice, that's the only real constraint. Second, much of the equipment already on your walls can often keep working: many panels and cameras can be taken over by a new provider, so switching doesn't automatically mean buying everything new. We check exactly that during a free site walk and tell you straight what's reusable and what isn't, before you commit to anything.