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About MNESTA

MNESTA is an association of committed security professionals who promote and protect the mutual interest of those doing business in Minnesota in electronic security, fire, and electrical power-limited industry by providing governmental oversight, education, and networking opportunities, all in the interest of increasing the quality and value of the industry’s services state wide. 

MNESTA Provides Industry Education and Training

Offering Free Training

As available and free to all members MNESTA offers up to date NEC Code and industry training. These training classes keep our members current on code and technology, and qualify for CEUs that can be used toward PLT license renewals.

Insightful Meeting Speakers

MNESTA regularly provide speakers at our events with a wealth of information. They share insight on running security business, writing contracts, sales tax, alarm and fire regulation, industry technology, and other timely matters.

MNESTA Oversees Government Activity

We Are Your Voice at the State Capital

MNESTA closely monitors legislative activity at the State House of Representatives and Senate.  We respond to adverse and favorable legislation by contacting legislators with the help of our membership to influence the writing of laws that affects our industry.  We inform our members how laws will affect their businesses.

Bureaucratic Watchdog

MNESTA is a watchdog at regulatory agencies such as the Board of Electricity and Department of Labor to make sure our industry is fairly represented and more widely accepted as a player at the table.

Enforcing the Law

MNESTA promotes consistent enforcement of licensing and regulations. We draw attention to violators that steal business and highjack our industry.

MNESTA Promotes the Industry

Industry Recruitment

Our members depend on a viable workforce that can support the growing needs of this industry. We are always working to partner with schools and programs to promote our industry to future potential employees.

Running Networking Events

MNESTA annual golf event, Holiday party, and Annual Business meeting all come complete with a meal and ample opportunity to come together in a non-competitive atmosphere to share ideas and better our industry.

Regular meetings

MNESTA schedules and organizes meetings and product shows to keep members in the know and in touch with the most effective and best business practices.

Accomplishments

Restored $1.5mm+ in funds for enforcement of permit and licensing violations, keeping fraudulent companies from stealing business and tarnishing industry credibility.

Improved partnerships with local law enforcement agencies and worked together to reduce false alarms by establishing a model ordinance that is used state wide.

Lobbied for licensing optionsand reasonable CEUs that lead to the current licensing legislation that clarified and legitimized our industry while protecting it from unqualified companies.

Provided free CEU training for license renewals to members, saving them $115,000 last year alone.

MNESTA members adhere to a code of ethics.  This code of ethics is enforced among members and MNESTA promotes these ethics for all businesses.   

Code of Ethics

Members of the Minnesota Electronic Security and Technology Association (MNESTA) are committed to serving the public with high quality products and services that help to protect lives and property.  The MNESTA Code of Ethics is intended to assist MNESTA members and their employees to provide these products and services in a highly ethical manner.  This Code is binding on all members of MNESTA. In providing products and services, MNESTA member’s impact:  their customers; public emergency response agencies; their employees; their competitors and the general public.  MNESTA members shall take all appropriate steps to adhere to the following principals as they apply to each of the impacted groups.
1. Customers
MNESTA members shall give due respect to customers by complying with the following:
  • Shall advertise in a non-deceptive manner and in accordance with applicable laws.
  • Shall not misrepresent the capabilities of their products or services; and not quote statistics or provide other information which is known to be false or which the member has not made a reasonable effort to objectively verify.
  • In contracting with customers, members shall use printed documents that clearly and conspicuously set forth both the member’s and customer’s rights and obligations.
  • Shall provide and keep updated a phone number for customers to call to obtain service or assistance.
 
2. Emergency Response Agencies
MNESTA members shall reduce the rate at which emergency response agencies respond to alarm signals   caused by non-emergency occurrences by the following:
  • Comply with applicable alarm ordinances.
  • Encourage customers to comply with applicable alarm ordinances.
  • Train customers in the proper use of the member’s products and services and provide the customer with written instruction material.
  • Provide reasonable cooperation to customers and emergency response agencies in remedying an alarm system or equipment identified as creating excessive false alarm signals.
  • Encourage participation in, or cooperate with, MNESTA programs designed to reduce false alarms.
3. Employees
MNESTA Members employees deliver products and services to customers thereby creating, sustaining and developing their businesses.
  • Shall comply with all applicable licensing laws.
  • Develop and utilize training, equipment, policies and procedures that promote on the job safety for all employees.
  • Members shall provide training to all employees to allow them to perform their duties in a high quality manner
  • Shall comply with all equal opportunity employment laws
  • Shall comply with the background check requirement as outlined in Article III of the MNESTA Constitution and By-Laws.
4. Competitors
MNESTA Members shall be ethical in their relationships with competitive companies.
  • Shall comply with all anti-trust laws.
  • Shall conduct all Association meetings and functions in accordance with MNESTA’s anti-trust statement.
  • Shall not make any negative statement regarding a competitor that it knows to be false or unverified.
  • Shall not illegally “raid” a competitor by targeting the competitor to hire away its employees for the purpose of harming the competitor.
  • Shall not misrepresent themselves as a competitor for the purpose of obtaining competitors customers.
5. General Public
MNESTA members shall act as responsible citizens in the communities in which they operate.

Adopted by the General Membership on February 5, 2009

Anti-Trust Statement

The Minnesota Electronic Security and Technology Association (MNESTA) is committed to compliance with the letter and spirit of the anti-trust laws. Topics which present anti-trust implications should not be discussed.

Meetings conducted under the auspices of MNESTA are designed solely to provide a forum for expressing various view points on topics described in the program or agenda for such meetings.

Under no circumstances shall MNESTA meetings or activities be used as a means for competing companies or firms to reach any understanding, expressed or implied, which restricts competition, or even engage in communications thereon.

Board members and Committee chairs, facilitators, moderators and speakers have been instructed to stop any conversation or discussion related to restraint of trade, price fixing, compensation, marketing strategies and any other topics that could be considered anti-competitive.

This statement will be posted on the web site and referred to at the Board Meetings and General Membership meetings.  MNESTA would appreciate its members, speakers and guests to conduct themselves accordingly.

For more information on becoming a member or if you are a consumer looking to better understand the products and  services our member companies provide, please review our entire website as it offers information that can benefit everyone.
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