California safe maker sets up new location in Hammond
Not only does Kevin Trimble own a trademarked “Second Amendment” residential gun safe in his home, but many of his house guests also end up owning one.
“These gun safes are fairly new with our company, but already they’re very popular with our customers,” said Trimble, vice president of Blue Dot Safes, a custom safe manufacturer and service provider with a new location in Hammond.
The gun safes are specifically designed to safely protect firearms of any kind, from smaller vaults for guns and pistols to larger safes that house up to 30 larger weapons. These progressive safes come with a one-hour factory-certified fire protection rating up to 1,700-degrees.
“These safes are a timely addition to our line of products,” Trimble said.
The California-based company, in operation since 2004, is one of only a few manufacturers in this country that produces customized commercial and residential safes. It does so in its 90,000-square-foot factory in Pomona, a suburb of Los Angeles.
“We take great pride as a customized manufacturer that caters to our customers’ loss prevention and security needs,” said Trimble, whose work history boasts 25 years of experience in retail loss prevention and related investigations. “Our mission is to provide customers with peace of mind by securing their assets against theft.”
The firm offers an assortment of safes, from cash deposit products for national retail establishments such as Little Caesars and Family Dollar to more high-tech commercial products such as Tech Guard, designed with a 10-minute delay to allow customers a safe place to protect high-priced digital-age devices.
The company also offers “smart safes” that protect against counterfeit currency, while routinely servicing mom-and-pop shops, jewelry stores and corporate offices.
Blue Dot is expanding its reach into the Midwest with a refurbished 60,000-square-foot facility at 430 Russell St. in Hammond. The company said its Hammond location was scheduled to begin operations in November and includes a 24/7 call-support center, a distribution-fulfillment hub and a showroom.
“The showroom will allow our customers to kick the tires on our products,” Trimble said.
The majority of the firm’s national customer base resides east of the Mississippi River, prompting a location somewhere in the Midwest to cater to those clients.
“Preferably in the Chicago area,” said Trimble, 46, who became familiar with Northwest Indiana through his former position as director of U.S. security for the McDonald’s corporation.
Blue Dot officials, including its president and chief executive officer, Berge Jalakian, were happy to “stumble on” the new location in Hammond.
The city kicked in financial assistance through its business facade rebate program.
With an asking price of $1.25 million, the site was more cost-effective and accommodating than other potential sites in Chicago, Trimble said. Plus, some of the site’s employee base, expected to swell to 26 workers, are from Northwest Indiana and nearby communities.
Also, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered up to $210,000 in conditional tax credits, based on the number of jobs and performance-based incentives.
“We’re excited to welcome Blue Dot Safes to the Hoosier state as they… create good jobs in Northwest Indiana,” IEDC President Elaine Bedel said in a statement.
Trimble said the Hammond property was initially identified in the first quarter of 2018 and worked with the city, state and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to secure approvals. Trimble and his staff also have been hands-on, doing some of the grunt work at the site to prepare for its grand opening.
“This is a great opportunity for our company,” he said.
“We’re excited to be a part of the Northwest Indiana community, and we’re looking forward to growing into this new space.”
For more information on Blue Dot Safes, visit www.bluedotsafes.com.
Click here to read more from the Dec-Jan-2019 issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
