The Robust Look at SecurAmerica

By Carol Brzozowski

When it comes to running his business, SecurAmerica Executive Vice President John Adams is intent on details.

That includes the uniforms his employees wear.

One of our key tenets is paying attention to detail, and a lot of companies dont pay attention to the uniform its just a necessary evil, he says. We absolutely pay attention to it. Ive seen where the employees uniform isnt pressed properly and Ive sent him home and told him he needs to iron his clothes.

Youve got to look crisp and fresh all the time. The uniform is the first thing that is representative of our company and our brand. We place a lot of emphasis on that. The public may not know me or our chairman, and the only way they know our company is through that employee and that uniform, so we absolutely want to make sure that they look robust all the time.

Based in Atlanta, Ga., SecurAmerica is a privately-held company providing contract security services. The company has 500 employees in the security sector for whom uniforms are provided.

SecurAmericas roots date back to 1979, when Frank Argenbright invested $500 in a fledgling security company. The company became known as AHL Services and grew into a multinational operation servicing Fortune 500 companies worldwide. It broadened to include other types of services in the marketing, aviation, facility and operational support sectors.

In 2000, AHL sold off the security branch, Argenbright Security, to London-based Securicor. In 2005, Argenbright founded SecurAmerica, with the goal of providing the highest level of customer service, according to Adams. SecurAmerica managers say the level of customer service from other security providers is at an all-time low and they instead aim to achieve the pinnacle of customer service.

SecurAmerica also has a sister company, Air Serv Corporation, with more than 4,300 employees. That company provides aviation support services and transportation services. Together, the companies have 29 locations nationwide serving several hundred customers.

One of the first orders of business for the young SecurAmerica was to create a uniform program for its employees that reflected the companys image.

SecurAmerica is maniacal about attention to details as it relates to taking care of our employees and our customers, Adams says. Everyone says that, but the reality is that in this business especially with large conglomerates and European-based companies your employees are really a commodity.

Our benefit plans are better than anyone in the industry, and as such, we believe that if we take care of our employees and do the right things for them, it gives us the ability to attract better candidates and retain them longer, and happy security officers will take care of the customers. Placing an emphasis on employees is one of the biggest things we do.

SecurAmerica employees were included in the final uniform selection process.

We got samples of the uniforms and let our employees wear them for a day, Adams says. We used those uniforms for a photo shoot for our brochure, our website and our marketing pieces. We asked our employees what they wanted. We asked, would this command your respect? Does it look professional?

Adams says the initial decisions on SecurAmericas uniform program design were a joint effort between him and Argenbright.

As we were starting to build our brand, we decided what look, what image, what uniform would support that brand that we were trying to build based on the segments on the market we are focusing on, Adams says.

For instance, in the classic commercial high-rise sector, most employees wear suit-type uniforms the soft look in security.

We really wanted something that would be business-like, professional something that would fit into that Class-A setting, Adams says. Whats more traditional than people in a suit?

That particular employee has a robust look with a white shirt and gold and blue tie, Adams notes.

Fabric is important as well.

We wanted a high-quality fabric, something that didnt have that polyester look, Adams says. We went with a blended type of fabric, a poly/wool blend.

Another soft look for SecurAmerica is short-sleeved shirts, which are used by employees in the warmer states such as Florida.

Some of our clients are requiring more of a golf or country club look, says Adams. Weve identified a few polo-type shirts that look good. The campaign hats, for example, look very attractive, very official. However, they are a bit warm, so we are looking at different types of hats that would be cooler for our officers during the summer.

For officers who work in the industrial, warehouse and distribution sectors, Adams and Argenbright went with a more military style, or hard look, but they also wanted the uniforms to have classic overtones.

We clearly wanted a more rigid, law enforcement-type of look but something that also commanded attention and respect, Adams says. Thats why we went with the traditional blue-on-blue, the campaign or trooper hat, a gold whistle and a chain. That was done to support our brand and our image and what we are achieving in the marketplace.

SecurAmericas gold, blue and taupe logo is a five-point star with stripes inside of it to form the star. The logo is not on the suits as to not distract from the professional look, Adams says.

But on the hard look, its on everything shirts, jackets, sweaters, and the like, he adds.

SecurAmerica turned to Unitex Direct for its uniform needs. In providing SecurAmericas uniform needs, we are cognizant of the companys goal for a high-end, classic, traditional look, says Dan Mendelson, president. Unitex Direct was tapped to provide SecurAmericas uniforms because of its 13-year focus on outfitting security and public safety personnel.

Unitex Direct responds within minutes to every online order placed by SecurAmerica. We check all their orders for accuracy and completeness and immediately call the purchaser to discuss any issues that we see may affect prompt delivery of the order, says Nancy Clanton, Unitex general manager.

We have a close relationship with our uniform partner and supplier, Unitex Direct, says Adams. Their execution with regards logistics, inventory management and maintaining a high quality of service has been a great help to our organization.

With so many employees at multiple locations nationally, tracking uniforms and orders can be a bit tricky. Each of SecurAmericas branch offices tracks its own inventory by computer.

We get in the uniforms, then we have all of our employees sign what uniforms they have on hand, and that goes into a system, Adams says. Coupled with that, we have residual inventory we keep at each of our branches.

Unitex Direct uses the UniformMarket Store System to help manage online orders. SecurAmerica places its orders directly via the UniformMarket Store System, and Unitex Direct has a warehouse with a full complement of items dedicated to stocking all of SecurAmericas needs through just-in-time delivery, Mendelson says.

There could be up to 15 different uniform pieces for each of the 500 officers. Upon hire, each employee is issued three suits, three ties, five shirts, two belts and shoes for the soft look uniform. For the hard look, employees get five shirts, three trousers and three ties, as well as whistles, chains, one hat and a pair of shoes.

Adams came to the security industry from the health-care industry and brought with him a formulary-type system to track the uniforms.

Based on the type of account it is, [we know] what type of uniforms the officers are going to get: how many trousers, shirts, suits, ties and the like. Then we go on the Web and order that, he says. It is quite specific. We know exactly what each of our clients require and there is no deviation, which allows for tighter inventory control. Secondly, it allows for consistency of appearance for brands sake, and its actually a very effective program.

As for fitting and delivery, each new employees measurements are sent to Unitex Direct. The uniform company then ships the uniform to the branch office and the officers sign for the uniform. Unitex Direct also does alterations for SecurAmerica. The cleaning is subcontracted to local cleaning companies.

Adams doesnt know how often SecurAmerica will revamp its uniform program; he believes it will be awhile before that happens.

Its being received with such great reviews right now that well probably let it stay for a little while. Some of our clients love the soft look the suit but they would rather have our officers in some sort of golf or polo-type shirt, so client demands may spark any changes, he says. We want to maintain that brand and image, however, factoring in seasonality, such as with the Florida climate where we have a lot of officers. We are looking at variations.

Employees love the image their uniforms portray, Adams says.

Weve even had people ask permission to wear the uniform to church, he says. I was at one of our branches when an employee walked in and asked if it would be acceptable if he wore his suit to a wedding he was attending because he didnt have any other suits. I said, Of course, just take care of it. So they love [the uniforms].

Adams says employees have told management on numerous occasions that they also like the hard look uniform because it makes them feel as if theyre being taken seriously.

It makes them feel like they have some dignity, like they command some respect, he says. One of the things happening in our industry is that people are tending to go away from the traditional look, he says. The look they have is very cheap and not very attractive. Weve paid a lot of attention to the detail. Our officers feel like they stand out, they look official it gives them a lot of pride.

That respect and dignity is a key element to SecurAmericas entire company philosophy. In contrast to other companies that dot the business landscape, SecurAmerica management is a privately owned, American company. It is proud to have been created as such and considers that status important to the culture and focus of the company.

It provides our executive, management, support and account service teams with a perspective on what they are securing, the company states on its website. They are securing the assets of your company which, in turn, impacts this nations homeland defense.