The Security Industry Is Moving from AGM to Lithium: What We Learned at GSX 2026

Samsar Chief Growth Officer Peter Reardon shares what mobile security and surveillance companies told us about lithium batteries, tariffs, U.S. supply, cold-weather performance and sustainability at GSX Atlanta.

Andrew Jay, Chief Marketing Officer:

So Peter, can you tell me about the show and what were some of the trends that you noticed this year?

Peter Reardon, Chief Growth Officer:

So I just attended the GSX conference that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, at their global conference center, which is a pretty big place. I think it’s the 4th largest convention center in the United States, from what I’m told.

What I noticed about this show from the security and trailer lighting market was this:

Most of the vendors that are still using AGM are now in a position where they’re seriously considering going to lithium. They understand the benefits of lithium ion being lighter, having much better power, longer lasting, all those benefits. So I had some great conversations with people that are using AGM and want to move to lithium that I’m going to be following up with.

Tariffs were top of mind for people as companies look at how to cut costs. I noticed that some of the people that are already buying lithium were interested in hearing about our capability of having a US-based operation. I think that’s been driven by the ongoing uncertainty with the tariffs and the increasing costs that we’re seeing that keep going up and up. Having a domestic, US supplier like Samsar helps reduce the tariff risk.

For example, One of the vendors I was speaking to, they’re getting their product shipped from China to British Columbia, and then it’s being shipped to the United States. So there’s, you know, multiple levels of tariffs going on here. And they’re really interested in that we had this ability to provide something that’s made in America.

Also, there were some companies that really liked how Samsar builds products made for re-use and re-manufacturing. The sustainability impact stood out to folks. They thought that that was unique, particularly one of the battery companies that not only provides a solution for the mobile security and lighting trailer market, but they’re also heavily invested in the RV market. And the RV clients are very concerned about the environment because, you know, they are people that camp all over the place. So that was that was an interesting trend. And even some of the other companies, when I when I told them about the Samsar sustainability story, they thought it was unique and interesting that we can, you know, basically provide a second and third life for the batteries.

The best feedback was how people had noticed that Samsar had done so much work to engineer lithium batteries specifically for the security market. People we’re impressed with how Samsar batteries communicated with Victron, Morningstar, and Renogy products seamlessly. Folks asked about performance in cold weather and being able to share data about our batteries performing in Ontario, North Dakota, and other cold places really stood out. And frankly, the cost was a big draw. Samsar’s pricing is competitive and folks looking to make a switch from AGM were definitely excited about that.

Overall it was the best GSX show I have been to before. Really well attended, high energy, and a lot of people looking to solve problems and create opportunities for their business in the best way possible – one handshake at a time.

Pete brings over 20 years of experience in enterprise sales across AI, data, and industrial technologies, with a background in building pipeline, closing strategic accounts, and developing go-to-market strategies. Prior to Samsar, he held senior sales leadership roles at companies including BradyPLUS, Datch, Skycatch, and Ramp Holdings, where he consistently exceeded revenue targets and secured partnerships with Fortune 1000 organizations.