Osyter outlook under review
September 12, 2012
Allen Courteau Sr.
September 12, 2012
The professionals at Southern Guard Service are serious about their purpose. These are not stereotypical mall cops watching teenagers wandering retail establishments on weekends. Neither are they bumbling, pretend-police portrayed in motion picture comedies.
SGS security guards are highly skilled professionals representing a company that for 40 years has dedicated itself to serving client interests – particularly in a region where heavy industry and proprietary information are common elements of the business community.
“I think we got beyond that negative image many people had of security guards after [the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on America],” SGS Trainer and Supervisor Harold Dufrene said. “People see our guards as having authority and they respect them.”
SGS owner Peggy Terrebonne said maintaining a respectful attitude both toward her 120 employees and the security company’s more than 30 regular clients has always been an essential part of their operation.
It was 1972 when Terrebonne’s parents, Gilbert and Ethel Gautreaux, founded the Larose-based company that now services a variety of clients beyond the Tri-parish region and throughout southern Louisiana.
Terrebonne and her sister, Renella Chouest were raised in the security business. Their parents made sure these sisters gained first-hand experience in all aspects of the family business before they secured dual ownership in 2001. Terrebonne bought out her sibling in 2011.
Today, the SGS client base includes petroleum and marine companies, hospitals, office complexes and other businesses. Terrebonne declined to reveal names so as to avoid having her clients or employees become identified targets.
“We hire a lot of retired military and law enforcement personnel,” Terrebonne said.
“Our employees go through state board training and safety orientation,” Dufrene said. “Then we go through onsite training as required. All of our guards [also] go through maritime security training even if they are not going to be at a maritime location.”
SGS employees are required to meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations, undergo firearms training, and accomplish Safe Gulf verification. Security officers then receive on-site training to meet the specific requirements of clients with whom they are assigned to work.
In addition to classroom and field training, SGS officers undergo background checks and random drug screening.
From working entrance gates to walking patrols with monitored checkpoints, these professionals undergo regular skills assessments and are checked-on by field supervisors.
“I think we provide a more personalized and individualized service to our clients [than other security companies],” Terrebonne said. “When they call we respond in a short period of time. If somebody needs added security we are available.”
Dufrene added, as an example, that SGS did not wait for their clients to contact them following Hurricane Isaac. “We called them right away to check on them,” he said. “Our clients also have our personal numbers so they can call us when needed.”
Terrebonne resisted quoting costs associated with hiring security guard services, but said her company’s reputation for quality personnel, plus a record of longevity among employees offers a hint of the value involved.
“A lot of our employees have been with us many years,” Dufrene said. “Because of that they have been able to receive awards, bonuses and recognition for their work. When our clients like what we do we like to reward our guards.”
Terrebonne admitted that owning a security guard business differs greatly from many commercial ventures. The common ground to success, however, is having positive relationships with employees as well as customers.
“As an owner, I get close to the employees,” Terrebonne said. “I want them and the public to understand that at the businesses [we serve] the security guard is the first person people see when they enter a facility. [Guards] need to be respectful and protect what the client wants, but the public needs to realize they have authority as representatives of that client.”
Terrebonne said she not only expects her employees to show respect, but expects that respect to be given to them by the public and clients SGS serves.
Dufrene said changes in the security industry, and added federal regulations during the past decade have benefited the image of those working in this profession. “People take this more seriously now and appreciate the work more,” he said.
Dufrene added that as increased numbers of individuals with military and law enforcement backgrounds have become part of the security business, the profession has been elevated from past public perceptions of being “rent-a-cop” individuals.
At SGS security officers are professionals with a purpose.
Southern Guard Service officer Ronald Pitre and Trainer Supervisor Harold Dufrene stand to provide complete security service for area industry.
