http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/ Thu, 02 May 2013 21:20:25 GMT en-us http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/competitiveedge.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/competitiveedge.cfm Thu, 02 May 2013 18:40:42 MDT Anyone in the manufacturing business knows it takes time to build product credibility in a competitive marketplace. Sometimes all a product needs is an extra feature to stay ahead of the competition. For many of our customers, our high-security fasteners are the key. One of our customers has done an excellent job of keeping themselves at the top by focusing on quality and customer satisfaction. This company, well known in their industry, makes digital air tire inflation and vacuum units for service stations, tire centers, car rental companies, etc., throughout the U.S. and abroad. When theft of these units began to increase three years ago, they were in danger of losing the image and credibility they had worked so hard to build. These inflation units are not just a compressor in a metal box, but are leading, state of the art, digital, automatic, high-precision calibrators, where all the operator needs to do is set the target PSI. The access panel to the cash box and the unit http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/hexhead.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/hexhead.cfm Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:35:54 MDT The founder of “The Green Can” recycling program came to Bryce to put an end to the rampant theft of cans and plastic bottles placed in their oversized bins. The public bins were an easy target for thieves and the company was on the brink of losing valuable clients and significant profits. People were simply removing a few hex-bolts and stealing the contents. Businesses pay for advertising on The Green Can recycling bins which are placed in various public areas and proceeds from cans and bottles go to local charities. Choosing the Best Asset Protection Was a Must The Green Can hires “Waste Management” to remove and transport the content of the containers. TGC decided padlocks were not an option because of easily lost and reproduced keys. Instead, they opted to use Bryce Fastener’s line of security screws. Bryce screws require no maintenance and eliminate the need for Waste Management to carry keys. With proper installation and tight contr http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/postheft.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/postheft.cfm Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:25:45 MDT The best part of being on the Bryce Security Screw Fastener team is we are always being challenged to solve new problems. One of the latest creative theft operations took place in 4 locations of a major grocery store chain in about 2 minutes during normal business hours. The security footage showed two men casually walking into the store on a Sunday morning. They walked up to the deli counter where the security camera only had a view of their backs. One went to the meat section “waiting to order,” and the other went to the POS (point of sale) terminal. Within seconds, he removed the terminal, pulled a similar looking one out of his bag and fastened it back on. A few seconds later, they casually walked out of the store. Two minutes had elapsed and they were noticed by no one. The head of security was puzzled at how the thieves had used no tools which probably would have attracted attention. It was discovered that the fasteners were not installed properly in any of http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/powerplant.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/powerplant.cfm Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:26:15 MDT Recently Bryce Fastener was contacted by yet another southern power company who was experiencing copper thefts from their substation transformers. Thieves were cutting ground straps and removing the exposed copper wiring. Due to OSHA regulations, the transformers would need to be shut down prior to replacing the ground straps. The power company instead came up with a special grounding bracket, allowing them to “hot stick” and reground the transformer without shutting down and interrupting service. Bryce Fastener security screws and nuts are being used to stop the removal of the grounding brackets and the resulting copper theft. For years Bryce Fastener has been supplying our fasteners to a multitude of utility companies and power facilities including nuclear, both in the US and internationally for public safety and to prevent copper theft. http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/tamperproof-screws.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/tamperproof-screws.cfm Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:26:28 MDT I Knew Nothing About Security Screws Eight years ago I knew nothing about tamperproof security screws, nuts or bolts. Then I started work in the shipping and receiving department at Bryce Fastener. From time to time when we were really busy, I also had the opportunity to answer a few sales calls. This is where I learned the most about how truly tamperproof our security screws and fasteners are when compared to the rest of the world. I was talking directly to the end users; the engineers, owners, managers and loss prevention experts who knew how insecure all the other fasteners were. Sadly most had learned this from experience, but others were a step ahead of the game and knew they needed something extraordinarily secure. I’m fortunate to have been around when Bryce Fastener, a 30 year old fastener distributor, became a manufacturer and bought their first Waterbury and National Cold Heading machines. We manufactured the only fully-functioning, truly tamper http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/bike-kiosk.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/bike-kiosk.cfm Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:37:54 MDT Over the last five years Minneapolis has made itself one of the top 5 spots for the “Friendliest Bike City’s” in the U.S. It’s no surprise that bike enthusiasts are setting up bike shops around a city who has invested in more than 120 miles of on and off street facilities and goes to great lengths to educate and encourage people to get on their bikes. One of our customers happens to be one of those Minneapolis bike enthusiasts; otherwise known as Bike Fixtation. They are ahead of their competition because they uniquely offer public bike kiosks located at heavy bike traffic sites throughout the city. Their business plan has proved very successful, and has spread throughout the nation and into other countries. Innovation at Its Finest Chad DeBaker and Alex Anderson came up with the idea at Chad’s bachelor party. One of the guys in their group had a flat tire while they were all biking from pub to pub. All bike stores were clo rebekah@brycefastener.com (Rebekah Bowie) http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/viper.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/viper.cfm Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:45:28 MDT My dad was a fan of the late Paul Harvey’s, “The Rest of The Story” which aired daily on the radio for about 33 years. As a kid, whenever I was in the car with him and it was on, he’d turn it up loud and make me listen to it despite my objection to switch to the music station. Eventually, I grew to enjoy the story where the conclusion always brought a smile and an enlightened perspective. That similar experience happens to us when we learn about what our customers are up to. Take for example, Prefix Corporation, who’s responsible for the exterior paint and trim of the new 2013 SRT Viper. In fact, they have a team (Prefix Coatings) of 125 skilled craftsmen who hand process all the exterior body panels. The process entails a lot of hand sanding and polishing prior to and after priming. The color and clear coat is then applied by hand followed by more hand sanding and polishing to produce a finish second to none. All stripes are applied before the http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/designengineers.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/designengineers.cfm Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:27:09 MDT Last month, we analyzed and categorized the different types of industries our customers represent and surprisingly we found nearly 40% of them are design engineers. The industries within the category of Design Engineering varied from aerospace, medical device, original equipment manufacturers to electronic monitoring devices. As we dug deeper into analyzing why the bulk of our business comes from design engineers, four common themes surfaced. Here are the top 4 reasons: 1. Product Liability Protection- While nothing is 100% risk free, design engineers have found our fasteners to be an important safeguard against liability claims. Manufacturers may be held liable even if a well-designed product injures a consumer who misused or abused the product. Bryce fasteners can almost eliminate consumer access to parts of a product not intended to be compromised. One of our customers manufactures external cardiovascular pumps worn by patients with end stage heart disease. The device is w http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/venezuelan-crime.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/venezuelan-crime.cfm Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:53:06 MDT A little over 10 years ago Bryce gained a loyal customer who is as unique as our fasteners. Tornitodo is owned and operated by Alberto Salazar in one of the most of dangerous cities in the world, Caracas, Venezuela. Alberto’s company Tornitodo supplies Bryce security fasteners to all the major cable companies in Venezuela. There are currently over 3 million Bryce fasteners installed there. Corruption and crime within Caracas run as deep as the rich culture and history of the country. Venezuela is reeling from one of the highest inflation rates in the world while struggling with export holds and poverty that plagues more than 80% of the population. Alberto founded his company in 1998 after the company he was selling standard bolts and nuts for went under and gave him the leftover stock. Soon after opening his doors, Alberto was approached by two large cable companies seeking a high security screw to curb the enormous losses they were experiencing. Cable is a hot commod http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/copper-theft-prevention.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/copper-theft-prevention.cfm Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:10:01 MDT This past May, Seattle’s Sound Transit LINK light rail system had 70,000 pounds of copper stolen from under their noses. That’s 4.2 miles of copper valued at about $200,000 that simply disappeared. How does this happen? The thieves had to know exactly how to gain access inside the elevated track way and go unnoticed during their heist. As experts in security applications, Bryce Fastener maintains that padlocks and tamper-resistant fasteners will not deter copper thieves. That’s why we developed the Key-Rex™. Had Seattle’s Sound Transit made a $1,000 investment and placed a Key-Rex™ bolt in every electrical access point, and kept the bits under tight control, this theft could have been prevented. Sound Transit’s Threat and Vulnerability Assessment team ensures they are properly prepared to respond to any emergency involving threats to the light rail and passengers, but was one simple piece overlooked? It was reported that main http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-security.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-security.cfm Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:43:35 MDT We are proud to have played a role in Advanced Solar Industries solar project in Haiti. ASI came to us with a need to secure their solar panels to the roof of a clinic in the poverty stricken area outside of Port au Prince. In this case, we were able to donate the needed security fasteners. Of course donating our fasteners might not always be possible, they are ALWAYS available at a highly discounted rate to solar installers needing a low cost, effective, anti-theft device for solar development in impoverished countries. Advanced Solar Industries used Bryce fasteners to install a 3.99kW array on a clinic vital to a community outside of Port au Prince, Haiti. The free clinic is run by the non-profit group Project In Development and will provide electricity to over 25,000 members of the rural community there. “Solar provides reliable and quality power for the clinic making energy not just a convenience, but a necessity to transforming the lives of the people they serve,& http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/loss-prevention-retail-security.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/loss-prevention-retail-security.cfm Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:23:33 MDT Why Loss Prevention is Shifting Their Focus 76% of Loss is Controllable The need for change in Loss Prevention programs is a hot topic in today’s retail industry. It’s amazing how much money is spent and the dangers involved in apprehending and prosecuting shoplifters. Recent research by Merchant Analytics indicates apprehension-focused Loss Prevention programs actually cost more than they recover. These programs aren’t reducing a retailer’s total shrink but indeed causing greater headaches with added litigation costs and violence and, at times, result in someone’s death. Research shows that approximately 76% of a retail’s total shrink is actually low-risk and controllable and that shoplifting only makes up about 24%. Shifting Focus We all know that opportunity is the driving force behind most shoplifting incidents. So it stands to reason that removing the opportunity eliminates the loss. With this in mind, five years ago, one For http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-protection.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-protection.cfm Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:09:44 MDT Solar Panel Theft Protection Here is part of our article published in the May/June 2012 Edition of N.A Clean Energy Magazine Tying down PVs .... if incentives stop, and the dramatic growth in solar installations level out, existing equipment must be protected. Considering theft was virtually unforeseen when some of the initial solar power project purchases took place, today's anti-theft measure will continue to add a hefty price tag over the next 25 to 30 years to an already expensive venture. The lack of accurate solar panel theft information has sparked annual insurance premiums, causing them to soar. Estimates now are that they make up approximately 25% of a PV systems' annual operating cost—depending on the system size and geographic location. In 2009, theft wasn't covered under general liability or warranties, and many solar integrators learned the hard way when they filed a claim…only to be denied. Comprehensive plans were desperately needed to cover losses caus http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/headmarking-with-meaning.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/headmarking-with-meaning.cfm Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:42:17 MDT Bryce Fastener Inc., a custom manufacturer and distributer of anti- theft fasteners now offers a new manufacturing service. The Product Development team has found a way to provide small head markings on their custom line of fasteners. Head markings are important for owner traceability in the future and it allows customers who have purchased multiple key codes the ability to distinguish between them. We had to come up with an added owner traceability benefit because our fasteners are installed in many long term applications, says Bryce Campbell, owner and CEO. When company personnel changes or a company is bought out, problems with removing the fasteners could arise. Currently the company stores all key codes in a data file but now offers this service as part of the order at no extra charge. Comparable to the encryption process used for the aerospace industry, letters and key codes are cut into the tooling leaving 3D lettering visible with a magnifying glass. We can't sell a customer' http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/a-new-anti-theft-device-for-solar-panels-will-be-showcased-at-the-2012-pv-america-west-solar-show.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/a-new-anti-theft-device-for-solar-panels-will-be-showcased-at-the-2012-pv-america-west-solar-show.cfm Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:44:17 MDT Theft of solar panels is just one of the many challenges the solar industry continues to face. Relatively easy to steal, panels are sitting on roofs or at ground level, and are often not secured by any anti-theft solution. A new anti-theft product is available and made to meet the challenges of securing solar panels effectively without adding high extra costs to an already expensive venture. Patent pending and currently being used by SnapNRack, Inovus, and Sun Light & Power, Raptor™ will be showcased by Bryce Fastener Inc. next month at PV America West Show at the San Jose Covention Center in San Jose, CA. Visit Bryce Fastener at booth 1325 For more inform.ation email: Mark Miller http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/copper-theft-protection-its-easier-than-you-think.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/copper-theft-protection-its-easier-than-you-think.cfm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:50:16 MDT City and state governments across the country are suffering huge losses to copper wire thieves. Copper prices are reaching all time highs and, with the suffering economy, copper theft is exploding. Most of the losses occur at the in-ground junction pull boxes and the light poles that they feed. Unfortunately, new laws to clamp down on recyclers have had very little effect on the overall problem. There is increasing evidence that a significant percentage of the copper wire stolen is not making its way into recycle, but instead is taken by dishonest contractors for reuse. Recently, a shipping container full of stolen copper was found before it made its way to the Far East…a clear indication that organized crime is at play. There are many attempts to use different approaches to combat the problem. Liquid Nails is even being used to glue the lid of pull boxes shut. One city official told me that they were placing 3000 lb concrete blocks on top of the pull boxes. News reports from http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-theft-protection-its-easier-than-you-think.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/solar-panel-theft-protection-its-easier-than-you-think.cfm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:43:49 MDT Solar panel theft, especially in remote commercial and residential applications, is becoming a major concern. Relatively easy to steal, panels are sitting on roofs or at ground level, and are often not secured by any anti-theft solution. While there are many options available, it's important for the solar industry to think about the cost/benefit ratio and choose an option that is maintenance free while lasting the lifespan of the panels. For the past several years Bryce Fastener Inc. has been manufacturing special keyed fasteners for various solar installations across the country and it has proven to be very effective. The new Raptor" head design combined with the Key-Rex drive can be installed in place of standard fasteners at a fraction of the cost of any other security device. There are three key features to the fastener making it a quick, cheap, but very efficient security choice in protecting solar investments. 1. Security Raptor", with the Key-Rex drive, is NOT a stan http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/tamperproof-screws-are-historythe-age-of-high-security-screws-has-begun.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/tamperproof-screws-are-historythe-age-of-high-security-screws-has-begun.cfm Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:47:40 MDT The tamperproof fastener industry has a very long history and continues to evolve. The industry actually dates back to the early 1900s when the one-way screw was first patented in Italy. These early tamperproof screws are commonly seen in public restroom fixtures even today. The drilled spanner was the next step in the evolution of tamperproof screws. Way back when and even today…drilled spanners can be seen in elevators protecting the control panel from unwanted entry. Both the one-way and the drilled spanner have their draw backs…they are slow to install, torque is limited and they are not suitable for power driving but they were the only thing available and served as a good deterrent at the time. In the 1960s, the skyrocketing popularity of aluminum mag wheels created the need for some type of security fastener to stop the theft of these expensive accessories. McGard came out with the wheel lock that offered multiple different key codes. These keyed fasteners answe http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/choose-a-security-fastener-so-that-youre-the-only-one-with-the-key.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/choose-a-security-fastener-so-that-youre-the-only-one-with-the-key.cfm Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:50:49 MDT The tamperproof screw industry is rapidly changing and products that were considered to be very secure just a few years ago are woefully less secure today. Although most tamperproof screw suppliers offer a wide variety of drive styles such as hex-pins, torx-pins and snake eyes, because of the mass production and distribution of driver bits offshore, these drive styles offer little, if any, security. After many years in the security-fastener industry, I've learned that there are multiple considerations when choosing a product that must provide product liability protection, intellectual property protection, maintenance control, and most important, prevent property theft. For example: Where is the fastener going to be used (does the head style need to be custom for the application)? Do the screws need to be high strength steel? Does the application call weather-resistant components? What are the screws protecting? Examples: Two Different Keyed Fasteners Most important http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/card-reader-tampering-becoming-big-security-concern.cfm http://www.brycefastener.com/bryce-security-blog/posts/card-reader-tampering-becoming-big-security-concern.cfm Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:37:05 MDT Credit card readers have become the targets of very sophisticated criminals. We continue to see more and more stories about this serious problem. Stories like this one by Tracy Kitten, seen in BankInfoSecurity.com. If Bryce Fasteners were used to secure the card reader stand or in the backs of the card readers themselves, this problem would stop virtually immediately. Fraud Scheme Hits Grocer BankInfoSecurity.com (11/29/11) Kitten, Tracy Reports of card reader tampering at Save Mart Supermarkets come as fraudsters are increasingly targeting retailers, according to consultant Robert Siciliano. He notes that retailers are easy targets for fraudsters because they are understaffed, which means that any tampering with card readers is likely to go unnoticed for a time. Save Mart Supermarkets says the compromised readers had been installed at self-service checkout lanes at 19 Lucky Supermarkets stores and one Save Mart location. Since the tampering was discovered, readers on the affected