Located in a one stoplight town in rural Nebraska, U.S., George Risk Industries (GRI) has been producing top quality security products for over 50 years. In these days of mass production by mega-conglomerates, the story of GRI is unique in many aspects, one of them being their family legacy. The company is family-run since its inception.
Located in a one stoplight town in rural Nebraska, U.S.,
George Risk Industries (GRI) has been producing top quality security products for over 50 years. In these days of mass production by mega-conglomerates, the story of GRI is unique in many aspects, one of them being their family legacy. The company is family-run since its inception.
GRI manufactures the largest variety of door and window magnetic reed switches, water sensors for flood detection, programmable and fixed temperature sensors, and humidity sensors along with a wide variety of specialty products from door monitors, to tilt sensors to hold up switches to nurse call buttons. GRI specializes in custom products built to the customer’s specifications. Custom products include anything from built-in end of line resistors, custom-length wire and armored cable, Molex connectors assembled on the switches and product modifications.
The company was founded in 1965 by George Risk, after a long career in electronics. In the beginning the main product line was push-button reed switches. George used his inventive genius and developed many products over his life time including many of the standard burglar alarm switches still sold today. After his passing away in 1989, his son Ken took over the business and expanded it. GRI grew from 75 employees to more than 150, added a building to the main plant and opened a satellite plant in Gering, Nebraska. The company today is managed by the 3
rd generation to the Risk family, Stephanie Risk-McElroy who joined the company in 1999 as an accountant and currently serves as its CEO, President and Board Chair.
To its employees, the company is known for its family atmosphere. Some employees have been with the company for over 30 years and bring with them the craftsmanship and expertise of manufacturing tens of thousands of units. In today’s changing security business landscape, it is this quality that has helped GRI stay ahead of the game.
“It is difficult to compete when customers are price shopping alone in comparison to off-shore manufactured items,” said Scott McMurray, Director of Sales and Marketing for GRI. “For 50 years GRI has maintained its reputation by manufacturing quality items with quality materials, being the go-to company when someone needs an item not found on the shelf or built to their specifications. Often it’s the small things that make a difference. When a customer calls GRI they always hear a live voice and don’t have to go through a seven step automated process to actually talk to someone”.
U.S. handmade switches
In addition, the close-knit atmosphere and the fact that all the links in the production chain sit together gives the company the ability to ship standard product the same day. GRI remains the only US manufacturer of door and window sensors. Each product is built by hand and 100 percent tested throughout the production process for quality control including closed loop, open loop, SPDT, DPDT, biased for high security, standard gap, wide gap and extra-wide gap.
Despite its small size the company is well recognized in the industry. GRI security products and environmental sensors are installed in some of the world’s largest international airports, world-renowned museums and galleries, luxury yachts, marinas, truck fleets as well as millions of residential and commercial properties. Looking down the road, the company keeps on innovating. “GRI is currently working on a wireless line as well as a current controller for automatic light switching for our international markets” said McMurray.