Robert Welch founded ABCO Security after he felt the pain of being burglarized—twice. That pain motivated him to find quality security equipment and protect the good people of Prestonsburg, Kentucky—and treat them like family. Since 1981, we've prided ourselves on treating each customer like they're a part of the ABCO family. That means doing things like cleaning up our mess after every installation, making sure every technician is certified beyond what's required, and servicing a mining site at midnight if we need to. Today, we're Kentucky owned and operated in Prestonsburg, Kentucky and proud to be part of a bigger security family—Bates Security. Having worked as a Dallas police officer, Sonny Bates of Bates Security understood that strong security came from advanced technology and exceptional customer service. That's why, after knowing Robert and his family for several years, he acquired ABCO. Bates and ABCO were both family-owned, locally-operated and shared a similar philosophy on how to treat customers. That's why both owners knew bringing the companies together was the right decision. Today, the company is run by Sonny's sons, Jeremy and Bryan, and Robert's son, Tim, is the general manager of the Eastern Kentucky office.