ut of the cotton fields of South Georgia has
come one of the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art
security products on the market today. Produced by
New Heights Manufacturing in Ellaville, Sky Watch is a
crime deterrent and surveillance tool that has proved to be a
success with law enforcement and military agencies. Sky Watch
units currently line U.S. borders, tower above major cities and are
protecting U.S. troops in Iraq. And when a law officer or soldier needs
to quickly operate Sky Watch, they refer to a set of clear,
concise operational instructions designed by Quick Start.
Sky Watch is a mobile, hydraulic lift
that can rise from ground level to a
height of more than 24 feet in seconds.
Its rugged construction allows it to be
driven to any location over rough
terrain and, when raised to its maximum
height, allows up to a seven-mile view
spanning 360 degrees.Bulletproof glass, infrared cameras,
high-powered spotlights and M-16-ready
gunports combine to make Sky Watch
both an effective law-enforcement
tool and crime deterrent. Sky Watch
customers have demonstrated that
its mere presence has the effect of driving
crime out of an area. The unit’s effectiveness in surveillance has been so widely recognized that National Geographic magazine featured Sky Watch in a full two-page photograph in its November 2003 issue.President and CEO Adam Strange credits the ingenious invention to his father Burt, who serves as chairman of the privately held company’s board of directors. Huntmaster, the hunting blind predecessor to Sky Watch, began selling in 1992 and quickly caught on with sportsmen. But it was the development of Sky Watch for the security industry that propelled the company into the world market.
Not long after the launch of Huntmaster, says Strange, “We started seeing applications in the security market.” The company teamed up with a security expert and in 1996 developed a prototype of the Sky Watch. When the prototype hit the trade shows, says Strange, they knew they had found a niche and began manufacturing the new units at the facility in Ellaville. Soon afterward, Sky Watch piqued the interest of the U.S. Border Patrol and the military, and in 1998 New Heights began selling the units to the U.S. government. The product continues to evolve as Strange and his associates learn new markets. “We’ve graduated from hunting to commercial security to border patrol and military applications.”
Because of high demand, the company expanded its manufacturing operation in Ellaville and doubled the staff, from 20 to 40 employees. Quick Start and South Georgia Technical College partnered to train the new employees, but the most effective aspect of Quick Start’s work with New Heights involved the development of training aids to be used when operating Sky Watch. In Iraq, soldiers found they needed instructions that they could decipher at a glance. A combat zone is no place for a cumbersome manual. In the end, Quick Start’s creative integration of illustrations with step-by-step instructions solved the problem, and today Quick Start’s training aids are part of every Sky Watch unit produced.
“Quick Start got our personnel up to speed in no time,” says Strange. “The training aids turned out great and are working wonderfully for our customers. We’re very pleased with Quick Start’s training.”
Sky Watch models used by the military and police can be outfitted with a number of high-tech features, including bulletproofing, infrared cameras, biological detection, radar systems and thermal imaging, which benefits the operator with night vision.
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