Gwinnett Stripers, Coolray Field

Coolray Field, home of the Gwinnett Stripers, underwent a management change that gave them local control over security. Diamond Baseball Holdings Senior Director Ryan Stoltenberg said leadership wanted to deploy an electronic access solution throughout the ballpark. They sought to replace mechanical keys because it was getting too expensive to hire locksmiths to rekey locks when keys were lost or stolen. Whenever an employee lost a master key, they had to rekey the entire facility. They also had issues with unauthorized individuals accessing the elevators to the private suites on gameday. Mechanical padlocks secure gates to the complex, but there was no way of knowing who unlocked a padlock or when it was unlocked.

While leadership was ready to install electronic access throughout Coolray Field to address these issues, they were not yet prepared to have a network-only solution as their network structure was also undergoing changes and improvements. They needed a blend of offline and online electronic access to protect the front of house, back of house, parking access, and elevators.

Coolray Field needed an access control solution that included locks that could work independently of the network for an undetermined amount of time. Salto North America Technology Business Development Leader Ron Shaffer visited with ownership and, working with Johnson Controls Security Solutions Senior Account Executive Jamie Beasley, recommended a variety of solutions that would work for Coolray Field for their current and future needs. 

To remain separate from the network, Coolray Field deployed electronic locks that operate on the Salto Virtual Network (SVN). Salto SVN allows stand-alone locks to read, receive, and write information via an encrypted and secure data-on-card system that utilizes the capabilities of RFID read/write technology. In SVN, all access data is stored on and distributed by its operating smartcard. When presenting a smartcard to an offline stand-alone door, this controls access rights to that door. Thanks to two-way communication, the door also writes data like blocklist information or battery status back to the smartcard. The smartcard then transmits this information to the server via online wall readers that can update and receive information from the cards anytime and anywhere in the facility.

“During our demonstration at Coolray Field, we presented the Gwinnett Stripers leadership team with a comprehensive overview of Salto SVN and its capabilities. We showcased how these locks could fulfill their offline requirements, complementing our existing solutions that cater to their online needs,” said Shaffer.

Beasley said one of the best parts of the installation was how quickly they got the customer up and running.

“One of the most impressive parts was being able to deploy the solution so quickly – getting locks deployed, having doors online, audit trails – that by the time we left initially, we already had 60 locks online,” said Beasley. “That would never ever happen with a hardwired solution.”

Salto now provides online and offline electronic access – wire free, wired, and wireless – throughout Coolray Field. Salto Neoxx padlocks protect parking lots and the front gates and provide leadership with audit data on who unlocked gates and when. Elevators use wired Salto Design XS Wall Readers to restrict access to authorized suite users or employees. The suites are outfitted with Salto’s Original+ wireless electronic locks, allowing them to offer real-time or scheduled control over access during games or events. Back-of-house areas continue to use Salto SVN wire free technology. Front-of-house operations use online XS4 Original+ locks to offer more real-time control. The facility also has Salto Original+ panic bar interface kits that work with emergency exits.

The solution is managed by Salto ProAccess Space management software and the Salto mobile application, JustIN mobile. Employees quickly weighed in on the importance of being able to use their smartphone as an access credential, which Coolray Field promptly adopted.