Business owner Jeff Wright is quick to give credit for his training to a previous employer - the United States government. Wright, owner of Koontz Alarm Service, graduated from Bedford High School in 1971 and immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he stayed eight years. During that time he earned an Associates degree in electronic technology and worked as a radar technician. He spent another three years in a similar capacity for the Federal Aviation Administration before returning to Bedford in the early 1990s for a manufacturing position. By 1995 he joined Dick Koontz as a technician, and bought the company from him July 1 that same year.

The bulk of his company’s work is to install and service burglar and fire alarms, closed circuit television surveillance systems and access control systems - the devices that allow visitors to be “buzzed” into buildings, opening doors with a remote switch. About 60 percent of his work is for commercial clients such as schools, jails and manufacturing buildings; the rest is for residential clients. The push for security following the Columbine school shootings and Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has meant that Jeff and his technician are busier than ever. “We have work scheduled through at least February,” he noted.
Anyone thinking about a career in electronics should enjoy working with their hands and with computers and like to solve problems and be a trouble-shooter. In addition, working well with people - both fellow technicians and clients - is imperative. “You’re going into someone’s home for an installation or to service a system or working with a commercial client to design a system, and you’ve got to be able to communicate well.”

In addition, good technical training is a must. His first advice for someone who wants to be in the field is to join the military. “You get fabulous training and experience that is hard to find any where else.” Short of enlisting, he said a technical school is certainly an option to be explored. “It’s extremely hard to find qualified, trustworthy electronics technicians,” Wright said. “It’s a field where there is a lot of demand in many areas. The basic expertise you develop in electronics can be used in many different fields - the sky’s the limit in this profession.”

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