The U.S. Department of Labor statistics claims that there are over 1.1 million private security officers in the U.S. compared to some 670,000 police officers. One would think by the sheer numbers, this would equate to many diverse and deeply resourced security firms competing for the work. However, in truth, the private security industry is currently dominated by just three national publicly-owned companies. Allied/Universal, Securitas, and G4S have roughly 65% of all the contract security work in the United States, and combined generate over $13 billion in annual revenue. While few companies of over 1,000 employees have been able to avoid being priced out of the marketplace, much less surrender to the pressures of acquisition, Top Guard has managed to increase its regional market share in each of the last 22 years.
Owned and operated by Nicole and Chris Stuart, with offices serving all of Hampton Roads and Greater Richmond, Top Guard Security strives each day to provide the finest private security services available. Top Guard’s homegrown philosophy allows it to provide comprehensive support to its team, something that is difficult for national companies with satellite offices throughout the United States. Our size affords our team the opportunity to focus on each customer’s individual markets and needs, and apply our core principles; hiring, training and retaining the best team members, exceeding expectations, and maintaining streamlined, efficient operations. Unlike our national competitors, Top Guard has fewer layers of management, helping to avoid the pratfalls of a time consuming bureaucracy. Critical decisions come quickly, allowing much needed flexibility and adaptability. Under private ownership, Top Guard owners remain in sole control of their business and its operations. A publicly-owned company must answer to the company’s shareholders and board of directors. This is another time consuming process, that is often profit driven, and disregards quality. Top Guard has crafted genuine relationships with its customers and embraced the values of the local communities we serve. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards in all that we do and foster an environment where those around us make their best effort to do the same. We actively listen, seeking to understand all points of view. We are genuine; communicating the truth with reverence and doing what we say we will do. Service excellence is more than what we provide. It’s how we think and act. It’s more than just resolving an issue; it is prompt responses, consistent communication, quality information, and a focus on providing a superior customer experience.
“We instill in our employees a family-like atmosphere, where we hold high expectations, we reward good performance, and we value and respect everyone’s contributions.”
— Nicole Stuart, President