United Protective Services

What United Protective Services does

United Protective Services is a privately held contract security guard provider founded in 1999 by Eddy Allen and headquartered in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The company delivers uniformed security officer services to commercial real estate, healthcare, industrial, retail, and residential clients, with a service mix that includes static post guarding, mobile drive-by patrol, criminal-activity deterrence patrols, a proprietary Key Management Responsiveness Program, and custom security plans. Customer logos are concentrated in institutional commercial real estate, including CBRE, Hilton, Hines, Lincoln Property, Midway, Madison Marquette, McKnight, Stream Realty, Transwestern, Worth Ross, Parkway Property Investments, and M-M Properties, alongside specialty accounts such as the Dallas Cowboys.

The business is structured as a regional, founder-operated platform: Eddy Allen remains CEO/Owner and Andy Allen (joined 2003) serves as President/Owner, supported by 2,000+ employees deployed across 7 branch offices spanning Texas and Oklahoma, with satellite coverage in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Tulsa. The go-to-market is enterprise-focused, with relationship tenures commonly cited at 8–23+ years, indicating a high-touch, account-based sales motion rather than transactional SMB acquisition. Revenue is reported at over $60 million in 2023, and the firm has been recognized as a Top 25 security guard company in North America by Security Letter for four consecutive years through 2022 and as a Dallas 100 honoree in 2022 and 2023.

The revenue model is fundamentally labor-based: billable officer hours, contract value, and bill rate per post drive top-line, while officer wage inflation and supervisor-to-officer ratios govern margin. The company does not disclose technology platform, AI, or proprietary software capabilities in the available material, positioning it as a traditional services business whose competitive advantages are regional density, account tenure, and owner-led operational discipline. The hiring of Craig A. Knecht as Director of Sales & Marketing suggests a deliberate move to professionalize the enterprise sales motion and target adjacent verticals such as petrochemical.

Name

United Protective Services

Legal name

United Protective Services, Inc.

Website

https://united-protective.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Security Services

NAICS

Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612), Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Manned Guarding & Patrol Services (IMAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Manned Guarding & Site Security (Static Guards) (BPABAMAA), Healthcare Facility Guarding (Hospitals, Clinics) (BPAKAAAH), Residential & Community Guarding (HOAs, Gated Communities) (BPAKAAAE)

Keywords

• Contract security services
• Security guard services
• Mobile patrol services
• Commercial property security
• On-site security officers

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract Security Guard Services: Providing trained security officers for on-site protection, mobile patrol services, and criminal activity deterrence. Revenue generated through contractual agreements with commercial and residential property clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United Protective Services provides contract security guard services, supplying trained on-site security officers and mobile drive-by patrol coverage to commercial real estate, corporate campuses, healthcare facilities, industrial properties, residential communities, and retail shopping centers across Texas and Oklahoma. Each client receives a customized security plan tailored to the property's specific needs, supported by the company's Key Management Responsiveness Program that provides direct management accessibility, regular client meetings, personnel audits, and after-hours support.

Product overview

United Protective Services is an owner-operated security services company offering a unified suite of contract security guard services. The core offering is Security Guard Services, supplemented by Mobile Drive-by Patrol and Criminal Activity Deterrence Patrols. The company differentiates through its Key Management Responsiveness Program, which provides clients with direct management access and quality assurance, and Custom Security Plans that tailor services to each client's specific needs. The company operates throughout Texas and Oklahoma with seven branch offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On-site Security Guard Services
• Mobile Drive-by Patrol
• Custom Security Plans

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Parkway Property InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2023New client partnership at Greenway Plaza, Houston's premier city center business district spanning 52 acres, 11 buildings, and nearly 5 million square feet.
• M-M PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022New partnership at TC Energy Center (56-story tower) and Marathon Oil Tower (5555 San Felipe, 41-story, 1.2 million SF trophy office tower in Houston's Uptown/Galleria submarket).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GardaWorld Security Services: One of the largest security guard providers globally, including significant U.S. operations focused on commercial and industrial guarding. Competes with UPS in Texas and nationally; differentiated by larger scale, broader geographic reach, and integrated cash solutions.
• Allied Universal: The largest contract security services provider in North America with a national footprint and broad vertical coverage including CRE, healthcare, and industrial. Directly competes with UPS for enterprise RFPs across Texas and Oklahoma, but operates at vastly greater scale and offers integrated security technology alongside guard services.
• G4S (now part of Allied Universal): Former global guarding heavyweight with U.S. contract security operations across commercial, healthcare, and government verticals. Comparable in core manned-guarding services to UPS, though at national/international scale and with broader service portfolio including secure transportation.
• Securitas USA: Global security services leader with deep U.S. presence in manned guarding, mobile patrol, and remote monitoring. Overlaps with UPS's core service offering and CRE/hospitality verticals; competes for the same large national account contracts that UPS serves via its enterprise field sales motion.

Direct peers

• St. Moritz Security Services: Privately held contract security guard provider with similar mid-market orientation, multi-state U.S. footprint, and CRE/industrial/clientele mix. Closely comparable to UPS in service offering (uniformed guards, mobile patrol, account-managed contracts) and competitive position against nationals.
• National Security & Protective Services: Texas-headquartered contract security guard company serving commercial, residential, and industrial clients in the Southwest. Direct regional competitor to UPS with overlapping geographic coverage and similar service portfolio including static guards and mobile patrol.
• Akai Secure (formerly Andrews International): Mid-sized U.S. contract security firm with national capabilities across CRE, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial verticals. Directly comparable service mix to UPS (on-site officers, mobile patrol, customized security plans) and competes for similar enterprise customer segments.

Regional players

• DFW Security: Smaller regional security guard provider focused on the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Direct head-to-head competitor for CRE, residential, and HOA accounts in UPS's home market, with comparable owner-operated service model.
• Texas Security & Investigations: Texas-based regional security services firm offering uniformed guards, patrol, and investigative services. Operates in the same geography as UPS with overlapping CRE and industrial customer segments at smaller scale.

Others

• AXIS Insurance (security/aviation): While not a direct competitor, AXIS and specialty insurers support security firms via professional liability, EPLI, and cyber coverage required to operate a 2,000+ guard workforce. Enables UPS's enterprise contracting at scale as a critical vendor partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/unitedprotectve
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UnitedProtective
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedprotectiveservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-protective-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Protective Services