CORPORATE CULTURE DRIVES DOUBLE-DIGIT, ORGANIC GROWTH and STELLAR CLIENT RETENTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RALEIGH, N.C., September 11, 2014—Sunstates Security debuted at #25 in the Security Letter’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest security services firms, issued in June 2014. Edited by Dr. Robert McCrie, Professor of Security Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, the emi-monthly publication has been a leading source of industry information since 1970.
In an industry known for consolidation, Raleigh, N.C.,-based Sunstates has bucked the trend of mergers and acquisitions with an organic annual growth rate that averages 28% over the past three years. This growth, combined with a client retention rate that exceeds 95%, has doubled the firm’s size during this same period.
President Glenn Burrell attributes the company’s success to its core values of honesty, integrity, and trust, embodied in its mission statement. “We want every interaction with Sunstates to create a positive impression,” says Burrell, who joined Sunstates Security after serving 20 years in Scotland Yard. “This philosophy applies to our dealings with everyone, from clients and employees to vendors and visitors.”
These guiding principles propel the company’s ongoing investments in employee benefits and innovation, two other areas of the stark contrast in a sector with razor-thin margins. Sunstates recently increased contributions and eligibility for its education assistance program and implemented a new 401(k) program. Other recent initiatives include the following:
- Creation of the Sunstates Mutual Aid Rapid Response Team (SMARRT) , a specially trained group of employees for deployment in emergency situations
- Implementation of an electronic onboarding process that frees managers to spend more time on client service, less time on administration
Even though Sunstates is emerging onto the national scene as a key player, the company remains true to its regional roots. Senior management, including Burrell, spends a lot of time visiting client sites. “We stay in touch with what employees need,” says Burrell. “If a branch manager isn’t on a first-name basis with everyone at a site, we’ve got a problem.”
About Sunstates Security
Based in Raleigh, N.C., Sunstates Security provides uniformed security personnel and security consulting services to clients throughout the Southeast, as well as in the Northeast and Southwest regions. The company is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Greater Business Women’s Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).