CertaSite names general manager for West Michigan
Industry veteran with deep local ties to lead operations in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo
(Indianapolis, Ind.) CertaSite, a newly-launched commercial fire protection and life safety company, announced today that it has named Don Hennessy as the general manager for its west Michigan operations.
CertaSite provides the highest levels of customer service, responsiveness, building safety and code compliance to customers across the country. The company goes beyond compliance, focusing on partnerships and professionalism while providing customers a simplified and dependable solution to managing all of the fire protection and life safety systems found in commercial buildings.
CertaSite entered west Michigan in 2018 with the acquisition of Kalamazoo’s Approved Protection Systems and Field’s Fire Protection in Grand Rapids. Both companies assumed the CertaSite name and brand in the acquisition.
Don Hennessy joined Approved Protection Systems in 1991, shortly after immigrating to Kalamazoo from County Cork, Ireland. He served in a number of roles, ranging from technician, to scheduling, to service manager, gaining valuable experience about the commercial fire protection and life safety industry.
As general manager, Don will lead the CertaSite teams in both markets while strengthening the sales division, and delivering on CertaSite’s technology-based service platform for new and existing customers.
“We’re modernizing our industry at CertaSite by building an entirely new company that results in better data for our customers, allowing them to plan and manage their resources in a way that makes sense for them,” said Don Hennessy, general manager. “We also are making the customer experience better for the people we protect, because of the wide variety of services we provide. Whatever our customers need in terms of life safety, we can effectively manage it for them.”
Don also intends to utilize CertaSite’s professional development opportunities to mentor and lift up employees, investing in continuing education to ensure employees pursue additional certifications and recognitions.
“I firmly believe you can have a good career in the commercial fire protection and life safety industry,” Hennessy continued. “CertaSite’s programs for employees represent an investment in their personal growth that impacts more than our daily work. It directly contributes to job satisfaction and longevity in our industry, ultimately leaving a lasting impact on our customers.”
At the local level, CertaSite is committed to non-profit organizations in the communities it serves. In west Michigan, it has supported Gospel Mission in Kalamazoo, Haven in Battle Creek, and the National Wild Turkey Federation’s freedom hunt for disabled veterans.
“With Don at the helm, we’re looking forward to serving our customers in this growing market,” said Jeff Wyatt, CEO of CertaSite. “West Michigan’s thriving economy is the perfect place for our team to expand, and we are excited to share our technology-based platform with the diverse industries we serve.” The Grand Rapids Business Journal is excited about this movement as well and recently shared the news of Don's advancement.
CertaSite already has acquired eight fire protection and life safety companies, and is actively engaged in bringing new businesses under the CertaSite umbrella. To date, the CertaSite family includes: ABC Fire Extinguisher Co. (Youngstown, Ohio); Approved Protection Systems (Michigan); Approved Safety and Security (South Bend, Indiana); Company One Suppression (Illinois and Iowa); County Fire Protection (Ohio); Erlich Fire Protection (Michigan); Field’s Fire Protection (Michigan); and Spears Fire & Safety (Michigan). Headquartered in Indianapolis, CertaSite primarily serves customers in the Midwest, with plans to strategically grow in new markets. Markets of focus for 2020 include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
About CertaSite
CertaSite is a commercial fire protection and life safety company founded in 2018. We take a new approach to fire and life safety, going beyond compliance to give our clients an unmatched level of customer service and tech-based control over their fire and life safety systems. Our team of experts serves approximately 15,500 customers in more than 13 markets. CertaSite is headquartered in Indianapolis. Visit www.CertaSitePro.com for more information.
