Criterion Security
Criterion Security is a privately held Nashville-based physical security services firm founded in 2010, employing 51-100 people and offering guarding and investigations services to commercial and government clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Criterion Security does
Criterion Security is a privately held, for-profit physical security services company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2010. The company operates with 51-100 employees and positions itself around superior customer service and cost savings within the broader security services industry. Its organizational structure is led by CEO/President Robert Buchanan, with Tony Anuszewski as Chief Operating Officer, Chad Killian as Executive Vice President of Investigations, and Cindie Unger as Executive Vice President of Administration — a leadership configuration that signals a traditional guard-services operating model supplemented by an in-house investigations practice.
The company’s documented capital history consists of a single $250,000 financing closed in March 2012 from XMi High Growth Development Fund, which appears more consistent with regional growth-capital or grant funding than with venture-scale backing. No subsequent funding rounds, acquisitions, product launches, or leadership changes are recorded in the available data, leaving the post-2012 trajectory largely unobservable. The leadership team’s emphasis on a dedicated investigations function implies the company likely offers private investigative or due-diligence work alongside conventional guarding, though no detailed service catalogue or pricing model is publicly disclosed.
Commercially, Criterion Security pursues a sales-led, direct-contract GTM typical of regional physical-security providers, but specific customer logos, contract structures, vertical mix, and revenue figures are not disclosed. The absence of named customers, partnerships, certifications, or industry recognition in the data set materially limits the visibility into the company’s go-to-market depth, customer concentration, and competitive positioning relative to larger national security-services platforms.
Criterion Security firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Criterion Security
- Legal name
- PalAmerican Security
- Website
- https://criterionsecurity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Criterion Security is a privately held Nashville-based physical security services firm founded in 2010, employing 51-100 people and offering guarding and investigations services to commercial and government clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Criterion Security industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Security Services
- NAICS
- Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161), Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612)
- SIC
- Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Static Guarding (Access Control, Reception & Gatehouse) (BPAKAAAA)
Keywords
Where Criterion Security is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices36 records
Markets served
Criterion Security business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Security Guard Services: Revenue generated from providing licensed security officers (both armed and unarmed) for client facilities. Services include guard services, mobile patrol, emergency response, and event security.
- Intelligence and Risk Solutions: Revenue from specialized intelligence services including investigations, surveillance, due diligence, threat assessments, and risk mitigation services.
- Integrated Security Solutions: Comprehensive security packages combining multiple services such as remote video surveillance with on-site guarding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise security solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Criterion Security product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Criterion Security provides licensed security guard services including armed and unarmed officers, mobile patrol and emergency response, event security, and integrated guarding solutions combining on-site personnel with remote video surveillance. The company also offers intelligence and risk solutions encompassing investigations, surveillance operations, due diligence, executive protection, technical surveillance counter measures (TSCM), and business continuity planning for clients across multiple industry verticals.
Product overview
PalAmerican Security operates as a full-service security services company offering physical security personnel and risk solutions rather than a unified software platform. The core offering consists of guard services (armed and unarmed), mobile patrol operations, event security, and remote video surveillance integrated with on-site guarding. Intelligence and risk solutions are provided through affiliated brands including Paladin Risk Solutions for investigations, due diligence, surveillance, and TSCM services. Additional specialized services include parking management through Concord Parking partnership, and the company serves diverse industry verticals including healthcare, data centers, manufacturing, transit, aviation, maritime ports, and government facilities across North American locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Guard Services
Companies that use Criterion Security
Customer profileSegments12 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Criterion Security technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Criterion Security partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Paladin SecuritycorePalAmerican Security is part of the Paladin Security family of companies, which includes Canadian operations under Paladin Security (Canadian flag indicated on website). The Paladin Security group operates across North America with both U.S. and Canadian security operations. The group includes Paladin Risk Solutions and Concord Parking as related entities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights1 record
Criterion Security competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- USPA Nationwide Security: U.S. security services provider offering armed/unarmed guards, investigations, executive protection, and security consulting. Comparable to Criterion in service breadth and enterprise/government client focus.
- PalAmerican Security: U.S.-focused full-service security firm operating under the Paladin Security group, offering guard services, mobile patrol, event security, and intelligence/risk solutions across 35+ U.S. offices. Comparable to Criterion in service mix and target verticals but with materially larger scale and national footprint.
- Signal 88 Security: Franchise-based security services network providing mobile patrol, event security, and on-site guarding across U.S. markets. Relevant peer because it competes with Criterion for the same local and regional guarding contracts, particularly in secondary metros.
- Covenant Security: Mid-sized U.S. security services company offering armed/unarmed guards, investigations, and security consulting to corporate and government clients. Closely mirrors Criterion's service portfolio at a slightly larger scale.
- National Security & Protective Services: U.S. security firm specializing in armed/unarmed guarding, executive protection, and investigations. Comparable to Criterion in targeting similar mid-market enterprise clients with a bundled guarding-plus-investigations offering.
- SOS Security: Privately-held U.S. security firm providing armed/unarmed guarding, investigations, and protective services nationally. Directly comparable to Criterion in offering investigations alongside guarding, with similar mid-market contract focus.
Broad incumbents
- GardaWorld: Canadian-headquartered global security services firm with substantial U.S. presence in cash services, guarding, and investigations. Comparable to Criterion in offering both guarding and specialized risk solutions to enterprise and government clients.
- Allied Universal: The largest U.S. manned security services provider offering armed/unarmed guards, investigations, and integrated security technology across all 50 states. Directly comparable to Criterion as a competitor for the same enterprise guarding and investigations contracts, though at vastly greater scale.
- G4S (now Allied Universal): Global security and facility services provider (now part of Allied Universal) offering guarding, investigations, and risk consulting. Direct competitor for the same investigative and protective services market that Criterion targets.
- Securitas: Global security services leader providing on-site guarding, mobile patrol, and electronic security across North America. Competes with Criterion for mid-market guarding contracts and brings significantly broader geographic reach and integrated technology offerings.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Criterion Security social profiles
Digital presenceCriterion Security financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Criterion Security leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Criterion Security subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Criterion Security funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Criterion Security M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Criterion Security
What does Criterion Security do?
Criterion Security provides licensed security guard services including armed and unarmed officers, mobile patrol and emergency response, event security, and integrated guarding solutions combining on-site personnel with remote video surveillance. The company also offers intelligence and risk solutions encompassing investigations, surveillance operations, due diligence, executive protection, technical surveillance counter measures (TSCM), and business continuity planning for clients across multiple industry verticals.
Is Criterion Security a public or private company?
Criterion Security is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Criterion Security founded?
Criterion Security was founded in 1990. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Criterion Security based?
Criterion Security is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Criterion Security make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Security Guard Services are the primary driver. The others are intelligence and Risk Solutions and integrated Security Solutions.
Who are Criterion Security's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are USPA Nationwide Security, PalAmerican Security, Signal 88 Security, Covenant Security, National Security & Protective Services and SOS Security. Broad incumbents are GardaWorld, Allied Universal, G4S (now Allied Universal) and Securitas.
Does Criterion Security have an API?
No public API is recorded for Criterion Security.
What industry is Criterion Security in?
Criterion Security's product category is Security Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAAAA, Static Guarding (Access Control, Reception & Gatehouse). Its NAICS code is 56161 and its SIC code is 7381.