The events of September 11, 2001 spawned an Akron-based business that protects clients from disaster by warning large groups of people within minutes of a threat.
"Post-911, I saw the need for a robust form of emergency communication for the masses," says Scott Dettling, company president.
Established 2003 in Washington, D.C. and later moved to Ohio, Dettling's home state, Inspiron Logistics' original focus was telecom consulting. The system was designed for emergency notification of federal agencies and contractors.
Today, universities, fire and police departments, municipalities, and others rely on WENS (Wireless Emergency Notification System) from Inspiron Logistics to get critical information to those who need to know as quickly as possible
"From day one, our system had to be turnkey; it had to be simple to use. At the height of an emergency, complexity has no place. Alerts can be issued in two steps. Other systems may have four pages of options, and if you check the wrong box, the alert is never going out," Dettling explains.
Unlike 9-1-1, which is intended for individuals to report a problem to emergency services, WENS is a hosted Web site.
"We are an inversion of (9-1-1), designed for use by emergency services or a county emergency management director who needs to alert hundreds of thousands or even millions of people very quickly," Dettling says. Within minutes, WENS can notify huge numbers of people through voice calls, sirens, digital signage, or text messages, he says.
Inspiron's client base has consistently grown by 100 percent annually, says Dettling, while the company's renewal rate is an exceptional 96 percent. The company has 15 employees, including contractors, and plans to expand to more than 80 employees within the next two to three years.
Source: Scott Dettling, Inspiron Logistics
Writer: Patrick Mahoney