The 2nd annual SD&I Fast50

April 5, 2013
A look at America’s fastest growing systems integrators

This article originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Security Dealer & Integrator magazine

Now in its second year, the SD&I Fast50 is a capsule and chronicle of America’s Fastest Growing Systems Integrators, lending insights into the specialty contracting arena we call burglar and fire alarms. But today, it’s much more than that. The industry continues to morph and change with the times and technology. Whether a dealer or an integrator, these contractors are the face of the industry and the marketplace—providing services and solutions that run the gamut from traditional intrusion detection alarms to interactive services to monitoring and hosted video and access control.

And, if the results of the second annual Fast50 are any indication, America’s Fastest Growing Systems Integrators are getting pretty good at changing their business models, learning new technologies and adapting to new revenue opportunities.

The entrants in the 2013 Fast50 program were deep and diverse in all areas except one. Most, close to 94 percent, were private companies, with the remainder public entities. That seems to be indicative of our industry as a whole; that it is comprised primarily of independent small- to medium-sized businesses. And interestingly enough, these same companies, those with 1 to 50 employees, will be charged with the bulk of video surveillance installations in the future, according to the latest industry research statistics.

Public or private, all the companies who entered the Fast50 program are to be lauded for their continued success, even in this ongoing recession we are experiencing. Coupled with massive technology overhauls and changes—and more to certainly come in the near future—the systems integration audience seems willing and able to change with the times and move to the area of new services, such as those mentioned above and certainly those which are IP based, hosted and interactive models of doing business. With this willingness to change comes new challenges—such as training employees and learning new technologies and as always—technology continues to be a major challenge among readers (according to SD&I readership studies).

Overview and insights

In addition to the fact that most of the companies are private firms, other statistics were gleaned from the entrants in the program. When asked about their business mix, close to 82 percent indicated that they focused on the commercial (including government) market with a much smaller percentage of that mix, 19 percent, involved in the residential market. Fast50 will watch that number in subsequent years of the program as the residential construction market revives and more dealers and integrators move into the realm of energy management, home automation and interactive services.

Fast50 entrants are deep and diverse in the vertical markets they do work in. Interestingly, some 13.5 percent reported doing work in the corporate marketplace. Next came education, with participating companies noting education as a market in which they do business, 12 percent, and government/Homeland Security and healthcare as the next market in which they do business, 11.70 percent for both. But up and down the vertical market chain systems integrators seem to do business almost equally in all kinds of markets and this could be indicative and reflective of the regions and areas they serve.

Also as part of the Fast50 fact-gathering questionnaire, we asked participant companies to indicate their top three fastest growing vertical markets based on revenue growth. The fastest growing vertical market was education, followed closely by corporate, and then healthcare and government/Homeland Security. Finally, nearly 67 percent of the respondents were central station companies or provided third party monitoring.

Why we started Fast50

We started Fast50 last year and had our inaugural awards during ISC West 2012 because we wanted to create a level playing field and an awards and best practices program that would recognize the entire landscape of systems integrators and alarm dealers. On these pages we have assembled three lists: the overall ranking based on the highest percentage of growth; ranking by revenue growth; and ranking by percentage growth. You can see these lists on the accompanying pages and also note that there may be additional companies aside from those in the overall rank because of the nature of the other two compilations. We congratulate everyone in the program and thank the industry for their support and these dealers and integrators for taking time to submit their forms and privately disclose their revenues (which are not published, another perk of the program). We also thank the Security Industry Association, Silver Spring, Md., and ISC West (Reed) for their endorsement of Fast50 and their help in promoting and marketing our program.

First, because of the nature of America’s Fastest Growing Systems Integrators—and the fact that it only includes 50 companies—every firm that placed, no matter where in the lists, are to be congratulated. This is an elite compilation and everyone deserves recognition. This year, 2013, we had many more entries, which made the competition even stiffer. The fact that more companies entered could be based on the fact that the recession is waning, that more dealers and integrators are increasingly aware of the positives of marketing their companies in programs like this, that more were familiar with the program, or simply that they wanted the world to know that they could achieve success even in these recessionary times.

The mechanics of Fast50

Here’s how the program works: The companies ranked in the SD&I Fast50 are recognized and ranked based on percentage growth and revenue growth, and their overall ranking balances those two considerations. To do so, it employs a simple but effective algorithm that balanced those two factors and here’s why we did it this way: If we ranked companies purely on revenue growth, it would tend to favor larger companies. Think of it this way. Let’s set up two non-existent companies: ABCDEF Security and GHIJKL Protection. ABCDEF Security is a $400 million company and has $4 million in average growth, while GHIJKL Protection is a $200,000 company that saw average growth of $125,000. On a purely revenue growth comparison, GHIJKL’s $125,000 growth pales in comparison to ABCDEF’s $4 million growth. Conversely, if we ranked the companies purely on percentage growth, it would tend to only favor smaller companies that can see early explosive growth. In that case, GHIJKL Protection’s 62.5 percent growth well outshines the 1 percent growth of ABCDEF Security. And that’s why we balance it.

We also balance the equation by studying two years of financial change. By using two years, we also ensure that high-growth companies aren’t just “flash in the pan” types of businesses, but are able to sustain themselves. It also balances ups and downs. For example, a company on our list could have had negative growth in its first year but then achieved such strong growth in year two that the average was powerfully in the positive.

To begin with, companies confidentially report to us there most recent fiscal years worth of gross revenues. Using those numbers, we compute the revenue growth and percentage growth for each of their two most recent fiscal years. We average the two years of growth numbers to generate an average revenue growth for the company, and we do the same for the company to create an average percentage growth. Companies are then ranked based on their average revenue growth over the last two fiscal years, and we also rank them by percentage growth during that same time period. We publish those lists in addition to the overall ranking. We compute the overall ranking by averaging their position on each of those lists and then ordering the companies by their average overall ranking. Last year, if there was a tie in the overall ranking, we let average revenue growth be the tie-breaker. This year, we allowed for ties, and these resulted simply because of the formula average of the revenue and percentage ranks; it was a product of one being higher for dollar increase and one being higher in percentage increase. And that’s how we come up with the list of the SD&I’s Fast50 Fastest Growing Systems Integrators in North America.

In addition to financial data, we also request additional data (markets served, growth verticals, public versus private), and we use that data to give you a more holistic view of these fast growing companies, so you can understand what’s driving growth for these dealers and integrators.

Companies may enter as long as one of their key business efforts is the installation of security solutions (e.g., video, intrusion, access control, perimeter detection, biometrics, etc.). It doesn’t have to be your sole business effort, but it does need to be a definitive part of your firm. The program accepts entries between Dec. 1 and early into the new year, so if you missed out this year, mark your calendar to get with your CFO and get that data to us. If you’re growing FAST, we want to recognize you!

Top ranked company: Securityhunter

America’s Fastest Growing Systems Integrator for 2013 was Securityhunter, led by Mike Rogers PSP, CPP and chief executive officer. The Baltimore, Md., company has been in the industry since 1988 but it is only in the most recent several years that Rogers has seen the results of lots of late nights and customer hand-holding: some very significant government contracts that skyrocketed the company’s revenues.

Securityhunter has been recognized by the federal government as a best value provider of both physical and logical access control solutions. The company was awarded a $500mm blanket purchase agreement to provide these services both nationwide and overseas. Currently, hundreds of federal facilities are being secured by Securityhunter. Projections for 2012 growth were expected to be in excess of 200 percent as the company leveraged its strategic market position.

Best practices for growth

As part of its Fast50 coverage, SD&I magazine asked ranked companies to assess what they attribute their growth to. For Mike Rogers, he attributed the company’s continued growth in the marketplace to having an understanding of federal procurement practices as well as having a reputation as being a credible, reliable, high-touch organization. “I am personally involved on every sale which is very unique for a company of our size,” said Rogers. “Over the last year, we spent more time focusing on keeping a very close working relationship with our distinguished subcontractors and earning their respect and trust which has opened other opportunities.”

Rogers said that as CEO, he is spending more time in business development which allows him more time to touch the majority of Securityhunter’s clients by way of visits or phone calls.  “Much of our growth has been from our understanding of how to use our BPA for federal contracting. We’re now moving towards multiple award contracts as a means to sustain rapid growth. We met our sales objectives last year and this strategy should sustain us for an anticipated 50 percent growth rate,” Rogers said.

No. 2 spot: Tech Systems

Tech Systems Inc., located in Duluth, Ga., and with some 170 employees, was our number 2 company in the overall Fast50 ranking. Tech Systems has been in business since 1987 and has grown organically and not from any mergers or acquisitions in the past three years. The privately owned company is lead by Darryl Keeler owner and president and the firm’s focus is on the commercial market.

“Tech Systems’ growth can be directly attributed to our fanatical approach to customer service,” said Keeler. “As a privately held company, Tech Systems’ only priority is to ensure that all client expectations are exceeded with our FOCUS (For Our Clients Ultimate Satisfaction) philosophy, versus generating a return on investment to shareholders such as our many publicly traded competitors must provide,” he said.

For the past 26 years Tech Systems has quietly and consistently grown from what was a local, to a regional, and now a national service provider, according to Keeler. “The majority of our clients are earned through the referral of a satisfied client or the recommendation of a manufacturer who is in need of a competent service provider to adopt a system/client orphaned by another Integrator. Many clients have referred to us as the security industry’s best-kept secret,” he said.

Public company Kratos PSS, no. 3 position

There were several, larger, public companies in our final overall ranking and Kratos Public Safety & Security Solutions placed in the number 3 position. Kratos is based in San Diego, Calif., and has some 600 full-time employees.

Kratos Public Safety & Security Solutions Inc. (Kratos PSS) has grown both organically and through acquisition, according to Jack Turley, vice president of Strategic Development.

“Our acquisitions have broadened our perspective and helped us observe the best practices of many different organizations, taking the ‘best of the best’ and applying them to our organization with an expectation of flawless execution. Our organic growth is among the best in the industry and is enabled by our core culture focused on embracing a no-nonsense, do-the-right-thing, entrepreneurial spirit.”

In addition, Kratos PSS has not standardized on a single product offering, but instead works with its clients to choose a combination of systems that can be integrated into a solution that meets their current and future needs.

Kratos PSS spent 2012 upgrading its management team, sales staff and technicians with some of the industry’s best.“While 2012 had enviable growth within our 32 branch offices, we expect 2013 to accelerate our national accounts business, fulfilling an expressed need by our national clients to help them implement their security programs within North America, and ultimately, throughout the world. Kratos PSS will spend over $2,000,000 on training alone to ensure that we deliver on another core culture commitment to having the best-trained staff in the industry. We believe that all of these traits have helped us grow dramatically and will ensure that we continue that growth,” Turley said.

No. 4 spot: American Integrated Security Group

American Integrated Security Group (AISG), College Point, N.Y., has been able to exceed its growth objectives due to its focus on service and its ability to bring innovative security and IT technologies to a variety of markets, according to Levy Acs, president and chief technology officer. “Our team is comprised of seasoned professionals with global business expertise and we pride ourselves on exceeding customer expectations through efficient project delivery, a high-level of customer support and a keen understanding of today’s security and environmental challenges.”

Acs said that AISG takes the time to learn about each customer’s specific goals and challenges to provide customized, technology solutions that solve real-world problems.

“We also specialize in specific market segments, such as retail and energy companies,” he continued. “Solar energy facilities have become a major vertical focus for us and due to our success in that sector, we are expanding our solar work to nuclear facilities, which are often owned by the same energy companies we already count as customers. We also focus on government, education, healthcare and gaming, and offer a virtual doorman service, which has grown quickly in the New York City area.”

“Our mission is to grow AISG to be one of the largest independent integrators in North America, but we can’t reach that goal without surrounding ourselves with outstanding employees, partners and customers. We employ seasoned technicians who work diligently to ensure jobs are completed correctly the first time and our entire team helps solidify the AISG brand as a leader in the surveillance and security industry. With good support and organization, you can run multiple projects simultaneously and achieve great results,” Acs concluded.

Vision Security checks in at No. 5

Since its inception, Vision Security has used a direct sales strategy to market new customer accounts through company personnel, according to Rob Harris, chief executive officer. “Company sales representatives are hired from both inside and outside the industry and trained by the company in its own sales program and sales management is developed from within. Vision Security’s direct sales strategy has required a disciplined and focused approach that management has refined through experience gained over the past six years. We strive to offer our customers the newest in technology and exceptional customer service,” Harris said.

Harris added that Vision intends to continue internal growth through expansion and further penetration in existing markets and by opening new markets as experienced sales and technical teams are properly trained. “We have implemented a training program that accomplishes the development of internal sales management and offers the opportunity for advancement and increased compensation to productive sales employees. We will continue to offer the most cutting edge technology to our customers while not compromising protection, service or value,” he said.

Others chime in on best practices          

Our who’s who of America’s Fastest Growing Systems Integrators is quite a selective list, and others who made the top 50 shared some of their best practices to growth. Here is a selection of those practices from the Fast50:

Security Networks (no.8)—Security Networks has developed and executed an innovative business model that is highly efficient and focused and allows for expansion nationally and beyond, according to Rich Perry, chief executive officer. “Providing our affiliates with quality products on the leading edge of technology to keep up with the demand of the tech-savvy customer has allowed for a broader customer base. Our relationship with our affiliates and the spirit of partnership we have developed with them has continued to attract more quality affiliates and is the main component to our growth. Along with our commitment to customer service and exceeding customer expectations, we have sustained such growth since the inception of our affiliate funding program.”

X7 (no. 9)—X7 considers itself to be the “special forces of security integration,” said Derek Radoski, CPP and vice president. “Our team is highly trained, tightly knit, lightning fast and well versed on the systems that we are deploying. X7 operates in a land of battle ships that are too slow and cumbersome to turn their attention and resources to a customer’s needs or project. X7 agility allows us man to man to have better account representative, project managers, engineers and technicians than any large organization. The large organizations have become the clumsy dinosaurs of the industry and X7 is a meteor of change that will force the evolution of the security industry.”

Netronix Integration (no. 10)—The San Jose-based company attributed its growth and success to its employees, hiring excellent team members with a singular goal of customer satisfaction. This ‘can do’ attitude sets us apart from most of our competition, said Steve Piechota, vice president. “Training is critical,” he continued. “Netronix believes that our people will be most efficient if they know what they are doing. To that end, we provide ongoing training and certification classes to both field and office personnel.” In addition, Piechota said that the company supports “best of breed” in access control, IP video, intercom, intrusion and integration products. “This means we have minimum issues with our installations, less downtime for our clients and thus satisfied customers. We don’t carry every brand, just the best for every application,” he said.

American Defense Systems (no. 11)—“We attribute our fast growth to the value we place in our customer service, as well as our team members,” said Curtis Kindred, chief executive officer of the Dallas based company. “We strive each day to deliver the best possible service level by investing in our people, our processes and our product knowledge. Focusing on these three core values is the key to showing our commitment to excellence every day,” Kindred said.

Iron Sky (no. 13)—“We attribute our fast growth to our exclusive focus on municipal clients,” said Keith Drummond, president and chief executive officer. “Law enforcement agencies are tasked with enormous responsibilities and limited resources and physical security manufacturers and integrators have not given them solutions that address their unique challenges. Iron Sky was built from the ground up to design and deploy video surveillance, license plate recognition and wireless solutions specific to the law enforcement market and our clients constantly refer us to their peers,” he said.

G4S Technology (no. 14)—G4S Technology, based in Omaha, Neb., formerly Adesta, integrates some of the most complex security and communications systems in the industry today, according to Bob Sommerfeld, president. “We believe the fast growth of our company, including substantial increases in gross revenues, employee headcount and new projects, can be attributed to our strategy of providing every customer with a total solution for all their security and technology convergence needs. We offer a unique combination of personnel, project management, risk management, financing and technology solutions that makes G4S a very unique partner in the industry today.”

Sommerfeld said that in 2012 G4S captured a significant amount of work with new customers in the port, mass transit and utility industries, while establishing a new regional presence in the Pacific Northwest. “We also generated a large amount of new work with current customers,” he continued. “In addition, we continue to concentrate on developing a strong recurring revenue stream by offering maintenance and professional services and capturing a rich and diversified mix of business.”

Compass Tech Systems (no. 18)—Dave Sims, vice president of the Jacksonville, Fla., summed up the company’s growth to two words: Customer service. “When we established Compass Tech Systems in 2011, we became just another security dealer in northeast Florida. With security products being very similar these days there are limited areas to differentiate your company from all the others. The thing that seems to be the most lacking in our industry is customer service. We all do a great job selling our company, our abilities, products lines, warranty period, etc. in effort to win a customer’s trust. What happens once you’ve cashed their check and moved onto the next project? What priority do you place correcting problems for the customer you worked so hard to gain in the first place? If it’s not right up at the top, the chance of repeat business and word of mouth advertising will be slim to none. Take care of your customers; they’re the best sales force you’ll ever have,” Sims said.

Rapid Security Solutions (no. 19)—“We are able to maintain our growth by remaining dedicated to a focused strategy of providing best-in-class solutions to our clients,” said Steven Paley, president of the Sarasota, Fla., company. “We integrate technologically advanced products and systems and support our clients with the absolutely finest team of individuals a company could have. We believe our team members are our most important asset and continually train and support them to ensure they are the best they can be.”

Dowley Security Systems (no. 20)—“Reputation in the security industry is something that must be earned,” said Jeff Fields, PSP, CHS III and general manager. “Through dedication and perseverance of everyone on the Dowley team, we continue to achieve positive, proven results that make us a best-in-class service provider to those we serve. We are of a mindset that there are no problems without solutions. Our best work comes from assembling a team of ‘like thinkers’ to resolve conflict or create value through continuous improvement. The essence of Dowley success is the team approach. This is validated through the proven hard work by dedicated employees that put the customer first”.

Advance Technology (no. 27)—“A couple of years ago, Advance Technology went on a visionary mission to find the latest and greatest solutions to help better support our customers and provide them with the best technology on the market,” said Rob Simopoulos, vice president. “After our international search, we developed our unique offering of Remote Support Services, Managed Services and Cloud-Based Solutions. Today, our in-house engineers and Help Desk are repairing customers systems remotely, often without needing to send a technician onsite. We are providing our customers systems without the need for them to make an investment in servers, storage and software service agreements.” 

In addition to expanding the solutions and support systems it offers to its customers, Advance Technology has also focused on improving its brand and marketing strategy. “After months of brainstorming and design, we were able to develop a new image to help market and showcase our services to businesses in New England.  We purchased a new fleet of vehicles which were branded with our new graphics, designed new print materials and brochures for marketing and proposal presentations, did a complete revision to our website and developed a new social media strategy. Our new technologies and focus have gained us a huge number of referrals and customer growth,” Simopoulos said.

GO Security Solutions (no. 27)—Headquartered in Ashland, Mass., GO Security Solutions recruited several key personnel to the company in 2012, bolstering sales, service and installation teams, according to Mike Kotwicki, managing partner. “These new employees helped us build upon the growth of 2011 enabling GO Security Solutions to secure more business while maintaining a high level of service to our clients. In addition, with all of the recent consolidation and acquisitions within the security integrator space, this has created opportunities for regional security integration firms such as ourselves who can service the client at the highest level. National/larger security integration firms seem to struggle with consistency —from quality installations to service. Clients don’t just want service they want exceptional service and this is what we provide. And last, we frequently say thank you to our customers.”

Southeastern Security Professionals (no. 30)—“We have great technology and manufacturing partners,” said Chao Chen, chief executive officer. “But mostly we would attribute our growth to a well trained and technically versed staff with a ‘never quit’ attitude and an unrivaled will and ability to provide great customer service. Our primary focus is on providing the best service and technology available to our existing and new customers.”

Life Safety Engineered Systems (no. 34)—Life Safety puts a great deal of importance on its client’s ‘customer experience,’ according to Robert Vezina, president. “In order to achieve 100 percent satisfaction we constantly seek new ways to better serve our clients. As an example we are currently undergoing a new customized software solution that we anticipate will speed our work order process throughout our entire organization through enhanced automation and processes. The biggest contributor to our success has been our happy check program. We call every single client after we perform a service to make sure they are satisfied before we invoice them. We correct any deficiencies until they are satisfied. This program has many benefits in addition to happy customers.”

Dakota Security Systems (no. 37)—Dakota Security System’s growth and success can be attributed to our employees and their commitment to carry out our mission: Understand our client’s security problems, solve those problems and support the solution no matter what it takes, according to Eric Yunag, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls, S.D., company. “This approach relies heavily on each of our employees having our client’s security outcomes as their top priority. This differs greatly from simply selling security equipment and requires significant commitment from employees at every level of Dakota Security. Their tireless dedication to these outcomes is what builds long-term partnerships with our clients. Applying this approach to new markets has built a reputation for solving difficult security problems wherever those challenges lie.”

GC&E Systems Group (no. 39)—GC&E Systems Group (GC&E) attributes its strong year-over-year security sales growth to dedicated employees that strive to exceed its customer’s expectations. “GC&E invests heavily in R&D and training to stay ahead of the ever-changing technologies that encompass the security market,” said Dan O’Sullivan, chief executive officer. “The GC&E business model is unique in the security marketplace. We are a true single source contractor employing cable technicians, electricians, CCTV technicians, Access Control & ID technicians, Project Managers, Network Administrators (MCSE & Cisco) and Design Engineers that work together to ensure that a customer project is completed on time and on budget by controlling every aspect of the installation.”

Securadyne (no. 39)—“Securadyne’s growth has been and will continue to be both organic and acquisitive,” said Carey Boethel, president and chief executive officer. “We attribute it first and foremost to the quality of our people, their knowledge of the markets we serve and their ability to creatively solve our customers’ problems. We focus on vertical markets that treat security as mission-critical and face strict regulatory requirements where security drives compliance.”

Intertech Security (no. 41)—Intertech Security has concentrated efforts in a few areas with a goal of serving more customers with more solutions. “We have worked diligently to retain our existing clients by striving to deliver value every day,” said Ron Petnuch, president and chief executive officer.  Our clients have rewarded us with continued business and quality referrals. We continue to meet their high standards while offering new products and services such as emergency notification and remote video surveillance. We have expanded our client base with the help of customer referrals and recommendations from strategic partners.” Intertech Security has also grown through expansion into new geographic markets.

SafeCom Security Solutions (no. 41)—Since the inception of SafeCom Security Solutions our simple business philosophy: “Always do the right thing” has been instrumental in our accelerated growth rate, said David Fuller, president and chief executive officer. “SafeCom stands behind it whether it’s taking additional time to complete an installation or making a special trip to reeducate a customer on a system. SafeCom doesn’t put time restraints on technicians, to ensure each system is installed correctly and proper customer care has been provided. SafeCom’s number one source of new business is customer referrals which is a direct result of quality customer service.”

Electronic Security Concepts (no. 43)—“We attribute our growth to customer service, product knowledge and competitive design services,” said Joseph Menke, president. “Our customer support focuses on providing accurate appraisals, fast repair response and attentive customer support. We provide real world usability expectations and recommend technologies that provide a measurable return on investment. Our response times for repairs are within 24 hours because we know that when service is needed it is important to have things up and working quickly for our customers. Equipment knowledge is an important asset to our company. We make efforts above and beyond to foster close relationships with our product manufacturers to ensure an efficient transfer of product knowledge and performance expectations from engineers to our technicians. This produces results in both our finished products and our ability to do the job right the first time.”

RFI Communications & Security Systems (no. 44)—Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Brad Wilson, CPP and president, said that by the end of 2011 the company had began to see an improvement in economic conditions which in turn led to additional growth in 2012 due to its regional West Coast presence—specifically in Silicon Valley.  “This favorable economic climate coupled with selling new solutions and services to our existing client base, requested or needed, added to our success. The third component contributing to our success was RFI’s continued penetration into the SMB space with our suite of managed and hosted solutions.”

Access Control Consultants (no. 45)—Founded in 1991, ACC is a premier provider of integrated IP-based business solutions throughout the Carolinas and Virginia. “Our experienced design and engineering team deliver unsurpassed attention to detail and product knowledge to guarantee the most technologically advanced and proven security, communications or wireless system designed to meet each customer’s specific needs,” said Larry Blumenfeld, president. “In 2010 we joined forces with Brady, which provides a diverse range of HVAC and building solutions, as well as world-class technical support. Our strategic partnership with Brady services has helped us expand to different markets and offer our services to the Brady Services Customer base. Their sales force also is good source of leads that also helps make the partnership work.”

Arcom Systems (no. 46)—Arcom Systems attributes its growth in 2012 to major wins in the healthcare vertical space in the state of Arkansas, according to Christopher Stuart, president and chief executive officer. “Arcom Systems has been a key player for many years in providing life-safety and security solutions to the hospital markets in Arkansas and as a result, has been chosen as the systems integrator of choice for several significant projects. Arcom Systems employs an outstanding team of project managers, project engineers and installation personnel who have performed brilliantly to ensure successful outcomes on key projects. We invest heavily in the ongoing training and support of all of our employees to ensure an outstanding deliverable to our clients, on-time, every time.”

Securetech (no. 47)—“We attribute our firm’s growth to our greatest asset, our dedicated professionals who share a relentless growth attitude and a passion for the value of innovation,” said Eduardo Concepcion, chief executive officer of the San Juan, PR company.

VinTech Systems (no.48)—VinTech’s success and growth is the hard work of each team member, said Mun Wong, president. “We are a small local company. Each team member of VinTech is highly involved in our client’s interests, from start to finish. From customized security solutions to personal care. We know our clients, understand their needs and truly care about them. Clients are comfortable with and trust us because of our knowledgeable staff, budget friendly security solutions and personalized service. It shows from how many clients have been gained from referrals.”

Electric Guard Dog (no. 49)—“Our growth has been driven primarily by the growth of our outside sales force,” said Nathan Leaphart III, chief financial officer. “We have seen our name recognition grow as new markets have been introduced to our company and our product, the Electric Guard Dog electric security fence system. This new source of leads has significantly increased our contract rate. In fact, we’ve made step function increases in our installation base and service base to accommodate the growth. Additionally, freight companies continue to be victimized by cargo theft, and are more driven to protect their facilities to lower their theft and reputational risk.”