RISE: Site Sentry projects strength

At first glance, there seems little to separate Site Sentry from a host of other security companies.

What sets it apart, however, is its value proposition to clients: do away with buying complicated and expensive CCTV assets, and instead hire out a sophisticated, physically imposing surveillance tower only where necessary.

These systems – overt, solar-powered towers with inbuilt speakers and alarms – were the brainchild of Paul McKiernan and Jason Nuttman, who founded the business after Mr McKiernan experienced multiple instances of theft while he managed a construction company in the early 2010s.

The initial foray into the security business informed Site Sentry’s current batch of towers, with the company capturing evidence of arson at a construction site in Osborne Park.

The problem was that the system was specifically designed to be discrete.

Because of this, the arsonist never knew he was being watched, and the systems in place merely recorded the offense.

As a result, the masked arsonist was never prosecuted, and the site’s owner ended up paying tens of thousands of dollars to repair damages.

The company’s latest batch of for-lease towers are intended to make their presence known, deterring intruders as opposed to simply recording instances of trespass for later use.

These systems have proved valuable to a wide range of businesses, with local governments in Queensland and big businesses such as Telstra buying into the product.

Growth for Site Sentry has been strong during the past four years, with revenue growing 20-fold and full-time staff up by five times.

Having achieved profitability this past financial year, Site Sentry’s success has relied as much on its innovation and technical knowhow as it has on the straightforward value of security presence.

With staff and profit expected to grow further this financial year, the O’Connor-based business has balanced innovation with simplicity, as a result earning the microbusiness of the year award.