A few weeks ago I met up with Paolo and Carla Scalese who run a family business called OnGuard Security Products. They specialise in the manufacturing and installation of security doors…
They also offer the following products:
• Security Window Grills
• Flyscreens for both windows and doors
• Louvre and Slat privacy screens
• Balustrades
• Fencing and Gates
On top of this they are the only company in NSW to be able to offer products from Decoview.
All their doors are manufactured here in the inner west of Sydney in a factory in Mortlake.
After speaking with Carla and Paolo I got a strong sense that these two really know what they are doing. Furthermore, they really care about their customer.
“We care more about the people. Obviously we all need to make money but we also worry about peoples safety because that’s a priority to us. It’s not about upselling. It’s this is what you need and this is what you can get within your budget” – Carla
“I find that a lot of our clients are in the older demographic who live in Sydney but their families have moved away. They are the ones who are a little bit more worried than anyone else because they are out on their own. We have a soft spot for these people especially when you see the news.
I have been in the locksmith industry for over 15 years and the stuff I have seen and heard makes me a little bit nervous. So when they ring up and say they have been broken into, even if they haven’t – they may have just forgotten to close the door – it doesn’t bother me to go and spend 15 minutes with them to make them feel comfortable in the house they are going to sleep in.
There was a lady in Summer Hill who had gone to the shops and when she came home she noticed that the mesh on her door was broken. She got into a bit of a panic and rang us to say she had been broken into. I went out a couple of hours later do have look. She was pretty nervous and rang her daughter who was in WA. I popped out and saw her on my way home and made sure the door was secure and everything. She was happy that someone came out and had a look straight away. Older people rely heavily on the door even if it is not a security door. They see it as something else extra that people have to get through.” – Paolo
Whilst I’m happy with the CrimSafe Doors I had installed a few months ago, I regret that I hadn’t met Carla and Paolo before I made the investment. After meeting up with them I learnt so much about security doors. In particular if it’s not “CrimSafe” it can still be crim safe!
The difference between CrimSafe and OnGuard Security Products
CrimSafe is marketed directly for Wynstan. It is patented as CrimSafe and only Wynstan can sell it.
OnGuard Security Products uses Screen Guard. It is the exact same mesh and looks the same as CrimSafe. The only difference is in the manufacturing process; same mesh and product, same steel grade – just a different way of assembling it. CrimSafe screws the mesh in. Rather than drilling a hole in the mesh OnGuard has a “knock in wedge” so there are no holes in the mesh.
The Manufacturing Process with OnGuard Security Products
With OnGuard Security Products you get their service from the beginning to end. They do the measuring, quoting, manufacturing and then go out and do the installing. It’s a complete package. In a lot of companies the installers are a contractors who do not offer any follow up care. Once they have installed the door, they are paid and their job is done.
Same Day Service
If there is a problem with the product OnGuard Security Products does its best to get to you the same day as you call. If not, it is generally the next day. This “Same Day Service” forms part of Paolo and Carla’s core belief to provide exceptional service for their clients from the beginning to the end. As the business grows Paolo and Carla still want to stick to these core beliefs. In order to do this “we will hire people and train them the way we want them to be trained and to follow our processes and stick to our guidelines and our high standards.”
How to check that it is compliant
All the products that OnGuard Security Products uses are from a reputable supplier who has tested the product to ensure it’s made to comply. OnGuard Security Products is given a set of instructions on how to manufacture doors. If the doors are manufactured to those standards, then it is compliant.
For example, if the instructions say there needs to be a pot rivet every 10 centimetres and the manufacture does not do this, then the product will not comply. If something should happen and upon inspection it can be seen that the door was not made to standards then the manufacturer is liable.
All OnGuard Security doors have OnGuards stickers on them to verify the doors are from OnGuard Security. If there is any issue the customer can ring and OnGuard will go out and see them.
Security door versus are screen door
For a door to be called a security door certain criteria has to be met. That’s what differentiates a security door from a screen door.
A security door has to have a three point locking and three hinges. On a sliding door it has to have four rollers not two. If you only have two hinges you can grab the door in the middle of the door and pry it open.
On a roller door if you only have rollers at the bottom and the door isn’t locked properly, you can jiggle the door off and pop it out. Sliding door have to have four wheels top and bottom and an interlock at the back of the door. OnGuards licence says that if they write it as a security door it has to meet security standards. If a door is not installed to meet security standards then it is just a screen door.
Make sure you look up the licence number
It’s really important that you check the licence number of the person/company installing your security doors. There are places that are not licenced and are just installing screen doors but selling them as a security product.
OnGuard puts their license number on their invoices and quotations. You can look up the licence number on google and see if it is actually a licenced locksmith or security screen. The unlicensed product may be cheaper but they really don’t care what they are selling you.
Paolo the Problem Solver.
There has been quite a few instances where people have been told that something can’t be done by other people in the same industry.
Paolo is very good at looking at a problem and finding a different way to solve it. Paolo told me of a time that a lady in Bossley Park was told to rip out her doors and put new glass doors in. This would have cost her a fortune. Paolo found a solution to her problem. He can solve problems that others have said are unsolvable.
You can meet Carla and Paolo form OnGuard Security Products here. I have no doubt that once you spend some time with these two you will know that you are good hands.