Fastest-Growing Companies: Defender Direct

Alarm systems may seem like a luxury, but when economic times are tight, homeowners are more likely to spring for the peace of mind that comes with additional security.

So says David Lindsey, president and owner of Defender Direct, the No. 2 fastest-growing private company in the Indianapolis area for the second year in a row.

"The security industry can almost move inversely with the economy. As people get less easy about things, they want more security," he said.

Founded in 1998 as a local security systems distributor, Defender Direct has grown into a 40-state distributorship for multiple technology brands and a provider of customer service operations that range from sales to home system installation.

A salesman at the time, Lindsey decided to start his own company when ADT and other brands were offering $99 start-up packages for homeowners. Those prices made home security systems more affordable and provided a valuable jumpstart to Lindsey's business.

He's come quite a long way since then.

Defender Direct earned revenue of $78.1 million in 2007, making it the largest company on IBJ's list of Indianapolis-area Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Revenue jumped 288 percent, from $20.1 million in 2005.

The company, which also sells and installs home satellite television, has based its growth on a nationwide expansion plan. Defender Direct is the largest ADT dealer in the country and a top five dealer for GE and DISH Network.

Lindsey credits a "world-class" marketing database for getting Defender Direct in more and more homes.

"We're driving our growth by being able to predict who wants our service.

We're reaching that exact household at the right time," he said. "Everything we do is direct mail and Internet-based, and it all leads to an inbound phone call. We don't do any outbound calling or cold calling."

The satellite TV division has taken its lumps from the economy, with Lindsey acknowledging that Americans are cutting back in the entertainment category. But, overall, Defender Direct plans to experience similar growth in 2008 that it saw over the past few years.

"We are really taking advantage of our nationwide footprint," Lindsey said.

Defender Direct's growth is taking place from coast to coast, but Indianapolis is benefiting the most from new jobs and investment promised by the company. In January, the company announced it would create more than 300 jobs over five years and invest more than $15 million. Up to 800 other jobs are planned for other locations in Indiana.

That number of new jobs would double Defender Direct's Indiana work force.

Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Defender Direct up to $6 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $345,000 in training grants based oh the company's job creation plans.

Defender Direct

3750 Priority Way

Indianapolis 46240

(317) 253-5200

defenderdirect.com

President: David Lindsey

Services: installation and service of satellite -TV and home-security systems