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34 Security Dealer & Integrator / www.SecurityInfoWatch.com April 2017 America's Fastest Growing Security Dealers and Systems Integrators "We are really focused on offering specialized products for the mar- kets we serve. We don't want to be spread over too large a group of customers." anks to its foundation and past experience with major clients in the petrochemical and oil and gas industries, it wasn't difficult for NextGen to hit the ground running. "We built a real solid reputation at SST, and once peo- ple realized that expertise was at NextGen, the business followed," Loughin says. "It doesn't take long in what I would consider a small circle for people to start hearing about us. It's the Kevin Costner theory: Build it and they will come." Today, NextGen has risen to more than 80 employees, has a Houston regional office in addition to its new Exton, Pa., home office, and provides services in 20 states. Building Through Culture Like any successful company, NextGen is built on a corporate philosophy of customer service. Brewer knows that everybody says they provide superior customer service – proving it, however, is oen difficult. His corporate culture centers on five key stakeholders: 1) Customers: "If you treat a cus- tomer they way you would like to be treated as a customer, that's a win, even if you make a mistake," Brewer says. "at means you fix the mistake, you don't run from problems, and you get things done in a timely manner. e customer is the obvious one." 2) Employees: "We've all been one, and if you treat your employees how you would like to be treated as an employee, you are going to do well," Brewer explains. "at means you are going to attract and keep good people." 3) Suppliers: "If you treat your suppliers the way you want to be treated – you pay your bills on time, you do what you say you are going to do, if they give you a lead, you follow up – they are going to work really hard for you," Brewer says. 4) Shareholders: You must be accountable to the people who own the business, Brewer stresses. 5) Community: Brewer calls NextGen a philanthropic com- pany, and it gives a percentage of its yearly profits to different causes based on employee vote. "If you do all of those things, it is almost impossible to fail," Brewer says. Adds Loughin: "In doing all those things, you create a culture within the company that really turns into the fuel that powers all the growth." While fast growth has been a for- tunate byproduct of Brewer's philoso- phy, he is careful to avoid growing too quickly. "I'd love to have a $100 million year, but I'm not willing to get there at the cost of changing our culture or the service that we provide our custom- ers or our employees," Brewer says. "I don't believe in growth for the sake of growth. You see these companies that buy five or 10 competitors in a very short amount of time and roll them into one – it rarely works." For NextGen, that means sticking to the organic growth that has worked over four extremely successful years. "In the time it took to build up a great reputation, it takes half the time to build up a bad one," Loughin says. "Our goal is to maintain that reputa- tion and do it the right way." ■ » To learn more about SD&I;'s sixth annual Fast50 and read about this year's and previous rankings and market research, please visit www.securityinfowatch.com/sdifast50. CEO Frank Brewer calls NextGen a philanthropic company. It gives a percentage of its yearly profits to different charitable causes based on employee vote. NextGen's new headquarters facilities features an extensive product demo area for customers.