Caldecott PartnersLet’s talk
Company · acquired by Cobalt Service Partners

Superior Alarm Systems

Founded 1981 in Simi Valley, CA by Doug Leener · 1 branch (Canoga Park, Los Angeles) · sold to Cobalt, Mar 2025

A stolen stereo in 1977, a drill bought in 1981, and 44 years of a father-and-son security company in the Valley

Page as of Sept 28, 2026The sale ↓

Legacy

The founder’s story · from the public record

Doug Leener's interest in security started with a burglary. In 1977, while he was at school, intruders broke into his parents' home and took his prized stereo. In college he was hired by a start-up alarm company to sell installations under a new Los Angeles smoke-detector ordinance, tagged along on a few jobs to learn the trade, and concluded within months that the owners 'were more interested in playing golf than driving the business'. He says he had more ambition than that. Doug Leener, Founding Story (Cobalt company page) · Cobalt announcement, May 15, 2025

In 1981 he started Superior Alarm Systems in the garage of his rented house in Simi Valley. He bought a drill motor and a drill bit, and a week later sold two residential installs in Canoga Park, the neighbourhood where the company's headquarters now stand. Referrals followed, then the breaks that made the business: Circuit City and the supplement maker Pharmavite. Doug Leener, Founding Story (Cobalt company page)

Over four decades SAS grew from a local alarm installer into one of Southern California's enterprise security integrators, with UL-listed monitoring, UL 2050 high-security work for government-related sites, fire and life safety, command centers and integrated platforms for manufacturers, universities, sporting venues, studios and pharmaceutical companies. Doug's son Jared joined in 2016 and runs business development and sales. The company describes itself as employee-owned and says it 'carefully fostered' its culture over more than forty years; the 1977 break-in, Doug says, is still 'a constant reminder of the importance of the work we do'. SAS website: About Us · Cobalt announcement · Doug Leener, Why Cobalt (Cobalt company page)

Doug made the decision to sell a couple of years before the deal, once he knew it was time to retire, and set out to find someone he could trust to carry on the mission. He says he spoke with 'literally dozens of companies' before Cobalt, and knew right away that its people understood the mission and would value the employees. Jared says he and his father chose Cobalt above all because it would preserve 'the SAS family culture' built over 44 years while letting the company keep its 'boutique' customer experience. Doug is transitioning gradually into retirement; Jared stayed in his role; Cobalt said it would add leadership, and by 2026 former Navy pilot Adam Grossman was CEO. Doug and Jared Leener, Why Cobalt (Cobalt company page) · Cobalt announcement, May 15, 2025 · Cobalt: Our Team

The team

The people who built it

SAS's rebuilt site describes its leadership team without naming anyone. Publicly named people are founder Doug Leener, his son Jared Leener (Director of Business Development and Sales), Martin Ochoa (a Blue Book key contact, role not given) and post-sale CEO Adam Grossman.

SAS facility and fleet photo on Cobalt's company page
SAS facility and fleet photo on Cobalt's company page · source
'Our team' image on the SAS About page
'Our team' image on the SAS About page · source
'Our culture' image on the SAS About page
'Our culture' image on the SAS About page · source
Family in the business (as the company itself lists them)
  • Doug Leener · Founder (1981) and owner; Jared's father · source
  • Jared Leener · Director of Business Development and Sales (2016 to present); Doug's son; listed as Owner in The Blue Book · source

In the community

What they gave back · on the record
  • SAS holds UL 2050 certification for high-security and government-related applications and a UL fire listing, and runs its own 24/7 UL-listed monitoring; the site also lists California alarm-company and contractor licences. SAS website: Certifications
  • Doug Leener says the company was employee-owned and 'always fully committed to offering growth and learning opportunities to our people'; the careers page recruits engineers, installers, service technicians and project managers. Cobalt company page · SAS website: Careers
  • SAS is listed as a pre-qualified security subcontractor in The Blue Book construction directory. The Blue Book ProView listing

In their words

3 public statements by the founder and team
  • 2025
    Founding Story / Why Cobalt (Superior Alarm Systems page) post
    Doug Leener; Jared Leener · cobaltsp.com (Our Companies) · Three first-person statements. Doug Leener on the 1977 burglary, the golf-playing bosses, the garage start in Simi Valley, the drill and the first two installs, and landing Circuit City and Pharmavite; Doug on deciding to sell two years before retirement and talking to dozens of buyers; Jared Leener on choosing Cobalt with his father to preserve the family culture and boutique service.
  • 2025-05-15
    Cobalt Acquires Superior Alarm Systems press
    Doug Leener; Jared Leener; Anthony Gonzalez · cobaltsp.com (News & Insights) · Buyer's announcement of its 13th acquisition. Quotes Doug on the garage start and the 1977 break-in, on Cobalt understanding the mission, and on getting 'the resources of a much larger company, while respecting the integrity and uniqueness of our local operation'; quotes Jared on the fit; Anthony Gonzalez calls SAS 'mission-oriented'. Doug to retire gradually, Jared continues, Cobalt to add leadership.
  • 2026-08
    About Us (rebuilt site) post
    Superior Alarm Systems · superioralarmsystems.com · Post-sale About page: 'Providing peace of mind since 1981', growth into one of Southern California's leading integrators, an unnamed leadership team, and a section headed 'Proud to be a Cobalt Service Partners company' promising customers 'the same experienced SAS team they know and trust'.

Founder Q&A

In their own words · by email · published with permission

We’d like Doug Leener to tell this story in their own words. Ran this company, or built it alongside the founder? Ten questions by email, answered at your pace, published only with your OK.

The sale

As both sides told it · on the public record
Announced May 15, 2025 By Cobalt (own newsroom) Deal #13 for Cobalt Service Partners Founder left Cobalt, May 15, 2025
What Cobalt Service Partners said

Cobalt announced SAS on May 15, 2025 as its 13th acquisition and second of 2025, describing it as an enterprise-focused integrator with a national and international footprint. Anthony Gonzalez said SAS is 'exactly the kind of business we want to partner with': mission-oriented, good to its team, with unmatched support for long-standing customers. Doug to retire gradually, Jared to continue, additional leadership to be added. Cobalt's company page dates the acquisition to March 2025.

Announcement
What the founder said

Doug Leener said he decided to sell a couple of years before, when he knew it was time to retire, and wanted to leave the business with someone he trusted to carry on its mission. After dozens of conversations, Cobalt stood out because its people understood the mission, valued the employees and would let SAS keep its culture while adding big-company resources. Jared Leener said he and his father chose Cobalt to preserve the family culture and boutique customer experience.

Source

Terms on the record: Nothing public. No price, structure, rollover or earn-out disclosed. Advisors: None named on either side.

What happened after

Public signals since the sale · dated
  • 2025-03
    Acquisition closes (Cobalt company page: 'Acquisition Date: March 2025'). source
  • 2025-05-15
    Cobalt announces the deal; Doug Leener begins a gradual transition to retirement; Jared Leener continues as Director of Business Development and Sales; Cobalt says it will add leadership. source
  • 2026-06 to 2026-09
    Website rebuilt (uploads dated June to September 2026): new services, industries, certifications and partners pages, licence numbers in the footer, an unnamed 'Leadership' section, and an About section headed 'Proud to be a Cobalt Service Partners company'. The Leeners are not named anywhere on the new site. source
  • 2026-09-28
    Cobalt's team page lists Adam Grossman as 'CEO, Superior Alarm Systems' (former U.S. Navy pilot; senior roles at Janus et Cie and Jacuzzi Group). No announcement of his appointment was found. source
  • 2026-09-28
    Greenhouse board lists three openings: Security Systems Technician IV in Canoga Park, and Security Technician III and IV in San Jose and San Francisco, the first public sign of a Bay Area presence. source

Then and now

Founder and leadership
Doug Leener
Founder and owner (1981 to 2025)
Left Gradually transitioning out of day-to-day operations into retirement (per May 2025 announcement); no public update since. Listed as Owner in The Blue Book source
Jared Leener
Director of Business Development and Sales (joined 2016)
Stayed Continues in the same role per the announcement; a public search result shows his LinkedIn headline as 'Superior Alarm Systems, Inc.' source
Adam Grossman
Now CEO, Superior Alarm Systems (Cobalt team page, Sept 2026) source
Martin Ochoa
Listed as a key contact in The Blue Book (role not given)
Now source

Companies Cobalt Service Partners also bought

20 on the public record

All 21 transactions →

Sources

Everything above, dated Sept 28, 2026

Unverified at publish: Whether Doug Leener has fully retired (no update since May 2025); whether Jared Leener remains in post under CEO Adam Grossman and when Grossman was appointed; the meaning of 'employee-owned' (ESOP or simply family-and-staff owned); headcount; the Blue Book 'Est. 1979' versus the founder's 1981; the San Jose and San Francisco postings (new offices or remote technicians); no photo of Doug or Jared Leener on a permitted source; no press or community coverage found.