A Case Study
Wyomissing, PA
UGI Energy Services is a subsidiary of UGI Corporation which distributes, stores, transports and markets energy products and related services. They are a domestic and international retail distributor of propane and butane; a provider of natural gas and electric service through regulated local distribution utilities; a generator of electricity; a regional marketer of energy commodities; an owner and manager of midstream assets; and a regional provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and electrical contracting services.
UGI has a rich 130-year history as an organization, having thrived through various business cycles, the Great Depression, World Wars and major divestment of assets following the public Utility Holding Company act of 1935.
UGI was incorporated in Philadelphia as United Gas Improvement Company in 1882. Within 10 years their net income topped $1 million. By 1903 UGI held interests in 45 gas and electric companies throughout the US. In 1940 UGI, now publicly traded on the NY Stock Exchange, reported $846 million in assets and is operating in 11 states.
Today UGI reports over $5 billion in revenues and is operating in the US, France, Columbia, Poland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the UK.
If you need a security monitoring system installed at your facility, we recommend CSi. — Joel Russel, Manager LPG Operations
The Challenge
In 2013 UGI Energy Services was contacted by a government agency regarding the security capabilities at a few of their facilities. To this point they had been relying on site staff to identify security threats and could not guarantee that each site was continuously surveyed. The government agency requested that UGI install a security monitoring system capable of detecting and communicating security events. The Department of Homeland Security is continuously mandating Critical Infrastructure Protection improvements.
UGI contacted a company (not CSi) but found that their provided solution was less than satisfactory. Insufficient picture quality. Temperamental communication with data storage. “The system itself was not conducive to remote monitoring,” says Joel Russell, Manager LPG Operations.
Their next call was to CSi.
The CSi Solution
“During our first site visit with CSi, we were immediately impressed by their professionalism and technical expertise. They carefully listened to the objectives we needed to accomplish, assessed the site’s unique layout and design and then systematically reviewed how to best meet our needs,” says Russell.
CSi responded by installing a solution utilizing CSi’s expert technicians as well as remote cyber developers. The solution involved multiple Bosch Intelligent Video Analytic technology (IVA) cameras and Genetec’s Department of Homeland Security Safety Act Certified Security Center with Omnicast giving UGI the ability to generate alarms and transmit those to their staff. CSi also implemented a remote monitoring capability that allows specific company personnel to remotely view the facility using an app on their smart phones.
Russell continues, “At the end of the project, the security monitoring system was installed on schedule and on budget despite some obstacles. To meet difficulties and still maintain the proposal is the truest indicator of a well-organized and skilled team. Through the entire project, it was obvious that CSi was a quality partner and worthy of my company’s time, money and trust.”
UGI and CSi continue to work together to bring government certified video surveillance and access control to additional sites.
Click for live video feed demonstrations. (Live video feeds are indeed live, but not of UGI sites.)