Luxury Car Dealership Drives Security and Style with Digital Access

Growing businesses need access management that’s as adaptable as they are. A secure, digital solution that scales effortlessly ensures an organization is ready for whatever the future holds.

H.R. Owen, a premier dealership specializing in luxury and sports cars like Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Lotus, understands this firsthand. With operations primarily in London, their expansion led to a new facility in Hatfield. Given the high-value inventory, security at this new showroom was paramount, mirroring the standards across all H.R. Owen locations.

“Security is paramount, as we needed to ensure that we are not just protecting our high-value products, but also our staff and our customers,” explains Sean Nevatte, Group Aftersales Director at H.R. Owen.

For the new site, the challenge was to find a single, unified access management solution that could handle everything from glass doors to fire exits and parking barriers.

But it wasn’t just about security. H.R. Owen’s discerning clientele expects a refined environment. The access control system needed to blend seamlessly with the showroom’s high-end design, adding to the aesthetic appeal rather than detracting from it.

Finally, scalability was crucial. As a successful, growing company, H.R. Owen needed assurance that their investment in digital access would continue to meet evolving requirements for security, flexibility, and aesthetics – both now and in the years to come.

SMARTair brings real-time control and easy scalability

“During the planning stages with H.R. Owen and the architects, it was clear that ASSA ABLOY’s SMARTair solution was the only real choice for the site,” says Matthew Taylor, Operations Director at Knightsbridge Security, the company responsible for the system’s installation.

SMARTair, part of ASSA ABLOY’s suite of connected digital access solutions, is an out-of-the-box system perfect for medium-sized premises with diverse access points. Of the 100+ devices installed throughout the Hatfield facility, SMARTair Wall Readers and SMARTair i-max Escutcheons stood out for their sleek design and versatility.

Being wireless, these devices offered a fast and cost-effective installation. The elimination of extensive cabling meant minimal disruption during setup. This wireless nature also provides long-term flexibility, allowing H.R. Owen to easily extend or reconfigure their access control system as needed.

Operationally, SMARTair provides equal convenience. The facility can manage access remotely, allowing real-time monitoring and adjustments to access rights in response to potential threats.

H.R. Owen also embraced SMARTair’s mobile access solution, Openow, enabling staff to use their smartphones for access instead of physical cards or fobs. This not only enhances security by reducing the risk of lost credentials but also contributes to sustainability by minimizing the use of single-use plastics. Openow’s Parking Mode feature, particularly useful for car showrooms, allows drivers to unlock parking barriers from 3-5 meters away without leaving their vehicles. This reduces the risk of theft or unauthorized access, a critical benefit for businesses like H.R. Owen with high-value assets.