Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Veterans Business Radio, brought to you by ATL vets, providing the tools and support that help veteran owned businesses thrive. For more information, go to ATL vets. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Veterans Business Radio and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor ATL vets. Inspiring veterans to build their foundation of success and empowering them to become the backbone of society after the uniform. For more information, go to ATL vets. Today on the show. So excited to be talking to Cory and Kyle Sherman with Safety Systems Management. Welcome.

Cory Sherman: Hey Lee, how are you today?

Lee Kantor: I am doing well. So excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about safety systems management. How are you serving folks?

Cory Sherman: Great. So, um, we specialize in wireless emergency notification systems. We’re trying to change the industry norm in the construction field of the air horn being the main aspect of emergency notification on a construction site.

Lee Kantor: That seems a little outdated in today’s world, but talk about kind of the genesis of the idea. How did this idea come about?

Cory Sherman: Yeah, so I was working on a 20 storey high rise in the Buckhead area in Atlanta, uh, with a national general contractor and ran a fire drill with the age old air horn. And it took me over 45 minutes to get everybody off that building. And so I was like, man, there’s got to be something better out there. And we couldn’t find anything. And so me and my brother, who was Veteran started working together on a design of the mobile communication tower to get deployed on the site to improve the industry standard and emergency action plans. And so that’s how the idea was born.

Lee Kantor: And then how did you begin kind of getting the first people to make that switch? Because it seems like that air horns been around for a minute.

Cory Sherman: Yeah. So we ran a few test pilots in the Atlanta area and proved that we could get people off the building faster than the air horns could.

Lee Kantor: So how much faster?

Cory Sherman: So we’ve just installed on the JFK International Airport expansion. We did over 2000 employees, got them out within ten minutes with our system deployed on site.

Lee Kantor: And what were the you know, what was kind of the amount of time that the previous system would have done?

Cory Sherman: Usually typically 20 to 30 minutes.

Lee Kantor: Wow. So I mean, that’s literally life or death.

Cory Sherman: Yes. And it’s a moment’s notice. So we try to say that we get real time information out at the right time.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re deploying your technology, what are what are some of the concerns that your clients are like? What are they. They obviously when you explain it to them, it makes perfect sense, right? I would imagine intellectually this is like a no brainer for them to understand why your system is better. But any type of change like this is tricky. Can you share kind of how you have to educate them in order for them to to make the switch?

Cory Sherman: Yeah. Well, most safety guys that we encounter, uh, really love the idea. And they know that it is a gap in the construction industry. Tricky part is getting the money guys behind it, because usually an existing project already has a budget built out. So getting into a budget that’s already existing is pretty tough, but you’ve got a lot of the general contractors out there that are in the process of changing their safety culture, and so that the safety side will trump sometimes the budget and saying, hey, we need to get this product involved because we know it is a better product that will increase our safety.

Lee Kantor: Right? And then once it’s in the budget, this time it’s in the budget then, right? It’s easier the next time.

Cory Sherman: Correct.

Lee Kantor: Now your system is it’s wireless. Is that what makes it different?

Cory Sherman: Yes. It’s wireless. Operates off a radio frequency. Uh, doesn’t rely on cell phone or Wi-Fi to operate. And we can span large construction project that some of the other competitors cannot.

Lee Kantor: Now, is it deployed? So it’s just over the air that people hear the warning so they know they have to, you know, evacuate? Or is it something that also combines that it’s going to some people’s cell phones? Is it a combination or is it just kind of just a wireless loud noise?

Cory Sherman: Yeah, it’s a combination. So on the audible side, we’ve got prerecorded messages in English and Spanish. Uh, everything from active shooter, lightning alert, tornado warning, fire evacuation and evacuation drills. Um, you can do live voiceover so a person can pick up the intercom and speak through to get any type of communication out. And we also have visuals. So we’ve got LED strobe lights that come on when an event is activated, and LED sign boards that can display a sign as well. Um, so it’s a myriad of different audio and visual, and it does have the capability of texting, uh, a group of people saying that an event has been activated.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you feel that there’s a trend towards a more safety culture happening in today’s world? It seems like every day there’s some event that’s happening that’s not great, that’s good for your business, but it’s not great for, you know, the people involved.

Cory Sherman: Yes. There are a lot of, uh, what do you say emergency situations arising in this day and age that, um, a lot of people are not prepared for, um, and you’re seeing a trend in the industry trying to be reactive to it and trying to put something in place. So if something like that happens, then, you know, they’ve got good emergency plan to deal with a situation like that.

Lee Kantor: So you started out focusing in on construction sites, um, is it expanding as the roadmap, expanding to other places as well?

Cory Sherman: Yes. So, um, we do have. Some municipality interest. We do have general industry interests. You know that you’ve got an old warehouse that only has one horn for fire. Um, these different emergency scenarios are popping up there as well. And so we do have some inroads into some other industries.

Lee Kantor: And you, you were able to get a patent for this, right? This is something that’s kind of proprietary.

Cory Sherman: Yeah. So our mobile communication tower, um, has a utility patent behind it. Um, we’ve had that for about three years. Um, and so it’s been a value add to the company being able to, to get that.

Lee Kantor: So did you start out, uh, I know you’re you’re from Atlanta. Did you start out, you know, kind of working in this area and region and then have expanded nationally?

Cory Sherman: Yes. So our first sales were in the Atlanta area and um, now we are national. We’ve got sites from New York, Texas to Washington state.

Lee Kantor: So, uh, you’re growing pretty rapidly.

Cory Sherman: Yes. For a small business, we’ve had growth over the past three years in a row.

Lee Kantor: Now, is this something that once you set it up for them, that they’re good? Or do they have to hire you every time they, um, have another construction site?

Cory Sherman: Um, usually, um, we can walk them through a setup over the phone if they reset it up again. But we can come out and help make sure everything’s tested, working properly, and do a retraining if there’s new people on site.

Lee Kantor: So it’s kind of. So it’s not kind of a one time sale like you, once you find a partner, you know, anytime they, uh, have another construction site, you’re, it’s good for them to call you and include you.

Cory Sherman: Yes. And we do have a rental side as well. Um, we do have some job sites that rent and so they don’t have to purchase if they would rather just rent if that fits their budget better.

Lee Kantor: Now is it? Is there a sweet spot in terms of certain size construction?

Cory Sherman: Um, so we are getting buy in from a lot of large scale, uh, you know, your data centers, uh, battery plants, items like that. Um, but, you know, we’ve got some multifamily, um, that are wood frame built, that the fire risk is very high. Um, you know, health care is a good spot. We’re looking at getting into, um, with our FCC radio frequency. We’ve been approved to be on, uh, FBI job, um, a high security Air Force job in Warner Robins because our system doesn’t pick up any information. It basically just shoots out numbers. And if the powers that be want to monitor the frequency, they can, um, so where they don’t allow like employees to have any type of Bluetooth or cell phone device or system can come in and provide us any type of emergency or communications they need on site.

Lee Kantor: Now has um, I know you’re in the emergency business. Uh, has this been tested in an actual emergency since you started?

Cory Sherman: Um, we’ve had some semi, um, emergencies. Nothing like a big fire or anything, but it has worked where it has evacuated the building and got everybody out.

Lee Kantor: Just as just as it was promised to do.

Cory Sherman: Yes. So it works, this promise.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you? Or just trying to get on the radar of more, uh, you know, construction folks?

Cory Sherman: Yeah. That would, uh, that’s the plan. Get into print. Any, um, company that’s willing to listen and know they need to fill the gap.

Lee Kantor: And then, um, you’re pretty much kind of industry agnostic, right? As long as, uh, you know, they’re building and they feel that safety culture is important, they should have a conversation with you and somebody on the team.

Cory Sherman: Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wanted to learn more, what’s the website? What’s the best way to connect with you?

Cory Sherman: Um, our website is w-w-w dot com. Or you could go to wwlp.com.

Lee Kantor: Well congratulations on all the success. Uh, Cory and Kyle, uh, you’re both doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Cory Sherman: Well, we appreciate you taking the time to have the conversation with us.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Veterans Business Radio.