Built on Trust: How Trifecta Access Controls Became One of Wisconsin’s Top Installers

Hear How Trifecta delivered on its brand promise of quality products and services with INSOMNIAC® CIA.
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For 20 years, George Garneau has built his business on something more powerful than technology — trust.

In the storage industry, where reliability can make or break an operation, facility owners know they can count on Trifecta Access Controls’ team of low-voltage installers to recommend quality solutions, pick up the phone, solve problems fast, and keep their businesses running. “The people I work for know they can count on us,” George says. “Whether it’s fixing a gate in a snowstorm or troubleshooting access control, we do whatever it takes.”

That commitment has made him a fixture in the Wisconsin self storage community, where word-of-mouth alone has fueled Trifecta’s growth — and earned him OpenTech’s Dealer of the Year award.

“The support we get from OpenTech helps us minimize issues. Their systems are stable, which means we don’t have to spend as much time troubleshooting. It’s been a positive experience working with them.”

— George Garneau, Owner of Trifecta Access Controls, LLC

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The Road to Trifecta: How a Mechanical Engineer-Turned-Geologist Discovered Self Storage and Came to Own a Self Storage Access Control Installation Business

George didn’t have owning a business, self storage or even access control on his radar at the beginning of his career.

He started in the mechanical engineering field before developing an interest in geology. Not one for sitting behind a desk, George jumped into the field as an environmental geologist with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR): a role he held for 15 years.

His path changed when he was assigned to assess a contaminated property. The land couldn’t be excavated, but it could be built on—making it a perfect candidate for self storage. Seeing an opportunity, George stepped in as a general contractor, overseeing the construction of a facility from the ground up. “We couldn’t dig out the soil or disturb it, but we could build on top of it without affecting groundwater or anything else.”

Working alongside a private company, George served as the general contractor to build the self storage facility and eventually became the site’s manager. He also assisted at two additional sites the company built. Eventually, he began to run one of the three divisions within the company that focused on access control.

But after his employer sold off the facilities, they hit hard times: The other two divisions crashed, while George’s held on. When the company dissolved, he kept his division, renamed it Trifecta Access Controls, LLC, and never looked back.

Quality Product, Install and Service a Priority for Trifecta Access Controls

The driving force behind Trifecta’s success is its focus on delivering quality products, service, and support. But self storage access control hardware often made it hard to deliver on the first promise.

CIA Keypad on Gooseneck

“We were having so much trouble with the keypads from the companies we were using,” Garneau says. “There were constant failures, bad boards… just problem after problem. That’s when we started hearing about OpenTech.”

With nothing to lose, George installed his first INSOMNIAC CIA access control system in 2021. He and his clients had so much success with the product that he began to recommend it to all of his self storage customers.

“The stability of the system is the main reason. We’re not running out to fix things constantly, unlike a few competing systems that are more susceptible to foul weather,” he shares.

Once he started installing more CIA access keypads, George found that his team spent less time responding to technical issues at those sites and had more time to install new access control systems.

“2023 was one of our best years ever,” he says. “We really picked up a lot of projects, and our work with OpenTech products just kept growing.”

It makes sense, then, that Trifecta would earn the Dealer of the Year title in 2023, which is awarded to the installer who sells the most OpenTech equipment in a single year.

“The support we get from OpenTech helps us minimize issues,” George says. “Their systems are stable, which means we don’t have to spend as much time troubleshooting. It’s been a positive experience working with them.”

OpenTech Dealer Channel Director on Trifecta Access Controls' Contributions to the Self Storage Industry

Gary Carland, the Channel Director of OpenTech Alliance, has had a chance to get to know George Garneau well over the years they’ve worked together. “George and Trifecta have always been known for their quality and service,” he says. “When we built the dealer network at OpenTech Alliance, they were a definite fit for our core values.”

He continues on to say, “Trifecta has succeeded in providing both a quality product and quality support to all their local customers. We are looking forward to the future of Trifecta and to the next generation carrying on George’s values.”

Life Beyond Trifecta: George Garneau Sets Sights on Retirement After Successful Access Control Installation Career

Running an in-demand access control installation company requires long hours and dedication, but for George Garneau, Trifecta is more than just a business — it’s an extension of his values. At its core, Trifecta thrives on trust, much like the relationships that sustain the self storage industry. That same trust defines George’s personal life as well.

A devoted husband and father, George has always prioritized family, whether supporting his son, also named George, as he steps into a leadership role at Trifecta, or sharing his love of the outdoors with his wife and children.

george garneau and his dog
George Garneaus dog Ember

“Family is the most important thing to me,” he says. “I want to spend more time with my parents, my wife, and my kids — they’ve always been my greatest source of happiness.”

Now, as he prepares for retirement, George is proud to hand over the reins to his son, ensuring the business he built continues to serve customers with the same reliability and care. Just as Trifecta has earned the trust of storage operators across Wisconsin, George trusts the next generation to carry his legacy forward — one that, like so many in the self storage industry, is built on the back of a family business.

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