Blackstone Security has 3 New Divisions, I New Satellite
Phoenix – Blackstone Security Services, Inc. one of the premier security companies in the Southwest, has opened three additional divisions in Arizona and Texas, and a new satellite office in New Mexico.
The expansion is part of a pattern of steady growth during the past decade that landed Blackstone among Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 of the country’s fastest-growing private companies for 2013. The new locations are Divisions 33 in Yuma, Ariz.; Division 54 in Houston and Division 56 in Dallas. Yuma is formally a satellite of the Tucson Division 34 Office. Blackstone’s new operation in Gallup, N.M. is a satellite of the Division 42 Office in Albuquerque. Blackstone’s Division 52 Office is in El Paso, Texas, and its corporate headquarters and Division 32 office are in Phoenix, Ariz.
Dan Swindall, Blackstone’s founding president & CEO, started Blackstone 21 years ago on his kitchen table with $500. His favorite saying is, “if you’re not growing you’re dying.” The security guru said opening the new divisions is directly in line with the company’s planned expansion throughout the Southwest.
“The moves are logical for us,” Swindall said. “These locations are representative of the types of healthy, competitive markets that Blackstone thrives in serving.”
Swindall said the offices are strategically positioned to serve the entire state where they are located. Company representatives are also active in professional associations and community organizations in all the communities Blackstone serves. “We plan to continue our practice of corporate responsibility by supporting the communities that support us and our clients,” Swindall said. “Participation in security related associations only improves the industry.”
Blackstone Executive Vice President Jeanne Croft, who leads the company’s sales force, said each new division is an opportunity to extend the quality customer service to new communities and create jobs for local residents. “We pride ourselves in delivering excellent customer service to our clients,” Croft said. “We are looking forward to continuing that tradition in our newest communities, and we’re looking for self-starters to join us.”
Kerry Childers, a 20-year veteran in law enforcement and security will continue to lead the Yuma division. Tony Browe, a veteran of 28 years in the security industry, moves from his duties as regional director of Blackstone’s Tucson office to assume duties as regional director in Houston. Ron Skyrm takes over as operations director in Tucson.
Bobby Holley moved from his position as assistant director of operations in Phoenix to head the Dallas division. Newcomer Scott Clark, a 15-year veteran of law enforcement operations and aviation security will lead the satellite office in Gallup as area manager.
“It seems appropriate for one of the nation’s fastest growing companies to be drawn to these vibrant metropolitan areas,” Croft said. “We are looking forward to contributing to their safety and economic growth.”
Swindall said being recognized by Inc. Magazine is humbling and rewarding. “I’ve always been a fan of Inc. Magazine so this is a very special honor and one I do not take lightly,” Swindall said. I share this national recognition with every employee at Blackstone.”
The recognition comes one year after Blackstone became the first and only security company to win the Arizona Better Business Bureau’s coveted 2012 Business Ethics Award. Blackstone delivered an encore that same year when it became the first security company to reach semifinalist status for the prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award given by the Spirit of Enterprise Center in Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. Blackstone was also a semifinalist in the 2013 Spirit of Enterprise competition.
Swindall said the awards and recognitions were made all the more special because they came from outside the security community from organizations that recognize and reward excellence in business ethics and entrepreneurial skill.
“Excellence is a journey, not a destination,” Swindall said. “These (awards) are sign posts along the way that tell us we are on the right road making the right choices. This is a very exciting time for Blackstone.”
