The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse
10 attempted break-ins
caught by Verkada within the first 5 months
<20 Minutes
from alarm raised to arrest made
$3 million
of merchandise secured across 10 acres
Nestled within the small town of Sumner, Washington is the mighty 10-acre campus of the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse, one of the largest home furnishing stores on the west coast today. With its hobbit-style fudge factory and 7-scale mile train track, the charming family-owned retailer holds a special place in the hearts of a close-knit community in the ‘Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World.’
As the Director of IT, Gabe Long oversees all technology within the Old Cannery – from its animatronic trains to the physical security system that protects over $3 million of inventory.
The Challenge
There are 40 entry points across the expansive property, with over 250,000 square feet between the Showroom and Warehouse alone. Given the large scale and value of the merchandise, Gabe needed a solution capable of real-time intrusion detection and automated theft response.
“Before we engaged with Verkada, we had an older system located inside our server room. We could access it while we were there, but while we [were not], it was just not usable.”
Why Verkada
Catch and respond to crimes in action
24/7 proactive security without an onsite guard
Drive sales with actionable analytics
Since installing the Verkada system, Gabe has caught ten attempted break-ins across their main warehouse and new construction site.
With Verkada, Gabe’s camera fleet is seamlessly integrated with professional video monitoring, enabling instant visibility across the premises. If an alarm is raised, professional monitoring agents will visually confirm the threat, notify emergency contacts, and take action right away. From the intuitive cloud-based Command platform, Gabe can easily configure his contact list, monitoring rules, and response flows – including live link sharing and police dispatch.
“When we signed on with Verkada, we were looking for a cloud-based camera solution. One of the things that really interested me in implementing a remote professional monitoring solution was that it was a simple add-on license to my existing platform. Once the system identifies a person or a threat, the monitoring agent is alerted and we can then initiate either a call to me or to law enforcement to seek additional support.”
Catch and respond to crimes in-action
On September 1, 2022 at 5:21 AM, Gabe received a phone call from a Verkada professional monitoring agent notifying him that:
Unusual activity was detected within a region of interest.
Through integrated cameras, the agent could visually verify there was an individual onsite.
The individual was clearly holding a flashlight.
“The agent knew to identify intent. She was able to pick up on certain nuances, like the presence of a flashlight.”
The agent dispatched the police and within seconds, all parties had direct access to view live camera feeds. Within minutes of dispatch, the police had apprehended and arrested the suspect.
“I was able to monitor the incident from my mobile phone, and when I arrived at the scene the suspect was already apprehended. I was able to share the footage with police through a direct link and playback the video on-the-spot. Everything we needed was already at our fingertips.”
24/7 proactive security without an on-site guard
“The professional monitoring agent has a direct line-of-sight into crimes in-progress. They can provide real-time updates during an incident and share a live video link with first responders.”
With a team of virtual guards at standby, Gabe maintains physical security across the premises – even while he is asleep. The Old Cannery is able to:
Detect and assess threats remotely: To protect the premises after-hours, Gabe can easily designate which cameras should be monitored and when. If an alarm is raised, monitoring agents will immediately review the associated footage.
Minimize false alarms: Integrated cameras enable instant visibility into alarm events, eliminating false police call-outs.
Take action immediately: If there is a legitimate threat, the monitoring agent will immediately contact Gabe and a pre-set emergency call list. If calls go unanswered but a threat is visibly present, agents have his permission to dispatch emergency services.
With a high-level view of crimes in-progress, the agents can also uncover critical details – including whether an intruder is armed or where they are located. From a safe distance, they can quickly relay that information to emergency response teams.
“I’m able to sleep throughout the night because the system is working as it should be.”
Drive sales with actionable analytics
Beyond loss prevention, the Old Cannery leverages Verkada’s powerful edge-based video analytics to optimize business operations. As the Old Cannery continues to innovate in the experience they are providing to its customers, management sought new ways to monitor the sales floor, scale best practices, and aid business growth. Using Verkada’s Occupancy Trends, Gabe and his team could finally accurately capture the points in the building where the most foot traffic occurred.
“We had an old infrared that’s been in place for 15 years. The Verkada system was counting about 150% more people, but we found Verkada to be more accurate since it was counting individuals walking through the door versus clusters of people that were tripping the infrared’s imaginary line.”
With more accurate people detection and analytics, Gabe could identify the specific areas in the showroom to place products and employees to enhance shopping experiences. Additionally, insight into the busiest times of day helped determine when to schedule employee shifts and breaks in the warehouse.
“I was able to show my team that 12:00 - 3:00 PM are our busiest times and we have a drop-off after 3:30 PM, so we know when to schedule breaks and lunches for our staff members.”
Looking Ahead: Making Communities Safer
Gabe introduced 24/7 proactive security by simply adding an alarm monitoring license to his existing Verkada camera system. Under the safety of Verkada’s integrated product suite, the Old Cannery is empowered to operate at its best while proactively protecting its people and assets.
Gabe can breathe a sigh of relief while the retailer continues to play an integral role in the community it serves – from hosting fundraising events to creating memorable shopping experiences for the whole family.
“We have peace of mind knowing that we are protected by Verkada.”
Interested in learning more? Request a free Verkada Alarms trial or a live demo.