History
Following the end of World War II, demand for proprietary security services began to grow, particularly in the aerospace and defense industries. At that time, security meant employing a static “night watchman” — an often-unskilled person who simply provided “presence” and qualified companies for discounted insurance rates. The typical security guard was passive, untrained, and in many cases unnecessarily armed.
In the early 1960s, a young Ira Lipman witnessed firsthand the need for high-quality security service while selling the investigative services of his father, Mark Lipman. At the age of 21, Ira Lipman created the concept of Guardsmark: a name that combined the nature of the business (protection services) with “mark,” which not only honored his father, but also carried the connotation of quality and excellence.
In July 1963, Mr. Lipman turned his dream of a professional security service company based on quality and ethics into a reality. Ira Lipman started Guardsmark with limited assets — a small amount of borrowed money, and his entrepreneurial energy and vision — but it was enough to launch one of the great success stories in American business.
