How Daring to Dream Turned a Small Business into a Nationwide Franchise

It all started back in 2009 when Chris Gilbert took a chance on himself to pursue a dream. “I’m starting a company, and everybody said, thing, that experience is the thing that you’ve got to go through. If you’re not willing to give up everything to get what you want, you’re not going to ever have it” says Chris Gilbert, Founder & CEO of Security Pro’s which is soon to be a nationwide franchise. Security Pro’s, although still a small company, operates at an impressively large scale, selling the right technology for unique business operations. From advanced video surveillance, rapid response, access control, and intercom systems, Security Pro’s focuses primarily on commercial operations and providing safe communities. They tailor to clients such as parks & recreation, multifamily communities, law enforcement, and more.

Fostering A Culture of Leadership 

Many ask, how do I create a company and not simply make a career for myself? For Chris, the answer was found in the experience of leadership and trial and error. Spending several years in the industry and working in multiple facets of business operations gave Chris the opportunity to work with leaders that gave him a safe environment in which to fail. Chris took his “fail forward” experiences to heart and built a company with a supportive culture to take chances, fail, and grow. It has been instrumental in the Security Pro’s team’s success.  

Earlier this year, Security Pro’s was featured and ranked in SDM’s Top 100, which then paved the way to proudly announce their decision to franchise the business across the nation, a huge step for what once was a small company in Indiana. However, the successful trajectory the company finds itself is not only due to the dedication and passion its Founder, but the culture of leadership that is fostered within the employees and the relationships they have with their customers.  

“We knew that to build a company with strong, respectable character would be difficult. The bottom line doesn’t make the decision for us. The relationship we have with our clients and our ability to challenge their perception of our industry, and the reality of how this technology affects their business operations is key. Challenging your clients is not easy and it’s not meant to be. We are here to develop the right solutions to real business problems with people and results in mind. Technology and deployment factors are not always optimum and that is where a company’s character comes into focus. Some may cut ties and run and others will stay and resolve the issues based on their commitment to the end result, not the bottom line. We are the latter. We always try to do what is right and it has served us well.” 

Venturing Into a Franchise 

The concept of position-based leadership is a driving force behind Security Pro’s successful operations in the industry and this belief is strongly enforced within the team. Chris believes that empowering the people he works with allows them to be more confident in themselves, the company, and their personal lives. 

A huge topic of conversation within the industry has been “The Great Resignation”. However, Chris says he isn’t too worried. He firmly believes that if you create an environment in which your team can feel valued and heard, they will be emotionally connected to the company being successful.

“Culture is the center point of everything we do here. We empower people, and we empower them to be the leaders that they already are” says Chelsey Hester, Director of Operations.

Now that the company is expanding into a franchise, Chris has emphasized the importance of wanting to work with team members and partners who have a natural ability to be their own leaders. He knows that with the right leaders, Security Pro’s can develop markets throughout the country and internationally as well. “We are looking for culture focused leaders that understand that their people are the way forward. Technology can be taught but your ability to assemble the right team that puts the client first is key to a successful Security Pro’s operation.” 

Security Pro’s plans to leverage its ESA membership for finding and onboarding new talent. “A big reason we became ESA Members was that I wanted to make sure that if we brought somebody into our industry, that we are bringing quality not quantity. ESA’s National Training School has the tools I need to make sure that the education is consistent. I want all my team members to get the same experience and expectations across the board.” 

Hopes For The Future 

About this exciting new franchise journey, Chris says the following.“It will take focus, drive, and a tremendous amount of effort, but the groundwork is there for the right leaders to develop into the next generation of the electronic security industry.

“Thankfully, our story is strong, our vision is clear, and the dream is very much alive. The key to our success is to never forget where we came from, the work that got us to where we are, and the relationships that we have created along the way.”

We’re pleased to have Security Pro’s as an ESA member and look forward to the offerings they’ll bring to our network of security professionals. If you’re interested in ESA membership each out to [email protected] for more information.