SSI Hall of Famer and Industry Visionary Passes

IRVING, TX - Peder Kolind, 2014 Security Sales and Integration Hall of Fame inductee, passed away in Nicaragua on June 14, 2015. Kolind will be remembered in the security industry for introducing mass marketing of alarm systems in the early 1980s. This model provided great success to the companies he helped found in 15 countries across North America and Europe.

At the top of his career Kolind exited the security industry and dedicated himself to philanthropy. He chose to concentrate on Central America, and specifically Nicaragua, where he established Centro Carita Feliz. This apolitical, areligious institution provides 1,200 children and young people with food, medical care, scholarships, and education on more than 20 subjects.

This was soon followed by the establishment of Mi Museo, a museum in Granada that houses his collection of 7,000 pre-Columbian artifacts. No entrance fee was charged, so that Nicaraguans could share and understand their rich cultural history. The Nicaraguan government recognized this as a center of excellence by entrusting the registration, and preservation of the country's pre-Columbian heritage to the museum.

With financial support from others, Kolind built a village of 100 houses outside Granada. Here residents from both poor and middle class families established homes, became employed, received education, and integrated into a social community. By establishing clear rules, Kolind aimed to create a small aspirational society. Following the last payments on their property, the residents have now taken ownership and responsibility for their village.

In recognition of his contribution to Nicaragua, Kolind was appointed Honorary Consul General for the Danish Government in Nicaragua in 2013. His efforts for the poorest in Nicaragua will be missed. He leaves behind a wife Dr. Annette Kolind and three adult children.