10 Years of MSI: The Future of MSI
Following a decade of service, MSI has positioned itself as both a premier provider of security services and a competitive employer within the security industry. Noting the team that surrounds him, Jeff Nesbitt, MSI Security Founder and Owner, stated, “Our success truly lies with our team. Each person complements the others, and we work together toward accomplishing our mission.” And the importance of this team remains paramount as MSI looks toward the future while keeping its mission at the forefront.
Assembling MSI’s Leadership
The assembly of MSI’s leadership team has been incremental, growing through internal promotions and external hires alike. These additions included essential early roles such as operational leaders and sales representatives. However, one of the most notable additions came entirely by chance.
On a spring morning in 2021, Megan Bentley found herself at Marshall Arms gun shop obtaining fingerprints for her CCW. While conversing about the security side of the business, Jeff offered Megan a part-time role in business development while she completed her studies at Indiana University. Today, Megan serves as MSI’s Chief Executive Officer.
Over the past five years, Megan has found success at MSI by employing creative “people solutions” — a mindset that encourages leaders to solve problems and pursue new objectives using the tools and team at their disposal.
In those early years, I recognized Jeff’s creativity. MSI had the processes in place, but it needed support to scale.
Fast forward half a decade, MSI has grown to 90 employees and 12 leadership members. In the last 18 months alone, MSI added a Director of Operations, Director of Marketing and Research, a Bloomington Area Manager, an Operations Coordinator, and various supervisor roles. This expansion of leadership has significantly increased MSI’s long-term trajectory and capacity to serve—and has enabled the company to pursue initiatives that had long been on the horizon.
MSI’s Future: One Mission, Many Initiatives
With a core mission centered on serving its customers and communities, MSI subsequently places a high priority on promoting the longevity of its employees’ careers.
The nature of the industry has made security a ‘bus stop’ job. We want to change that. When this is all said and done, I want our officers to be able to look back on their work with pride and say the job helped them accomplish their own missions.
To achieve this, MSI has already deployed a range of tactics to develop and retain its employees. From implementing employee benefits to expanding training programs, MSI’s in-house efforts have increasingly focused on equipping officers with the tools they need to succeed.
These efforts also extend to the caliber of work MSI is able to undertake, such as armed security. Given the elevated nature of this work, its preparation and qualification requirements are held to a much higher standard. To that end, MSI deployed its own in-house firearms certification course in partnership with the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. The course offers employees the opportunity to advance into a higher tier of the security workforce, earning official certification, higher wages, and greater career advancement.
MSI’s growing footprint has also allowed its services to reach new industries, resulting not only in new jobs, but in jobs that offer stability and further opportunities for advancement within the company. To illustrate this: in the last two years, half of MSI’s leadership members have been elevated in ranking through internal promotion — all as a result of the company’s growth.
As MSI continues to press onward, it looks forward to the many opportunities ahead for the company, the individuals who comprise it, and those it serves.
As we look toward our next milestone, we remain committed to reinforcing and growing what we have built with our partners and communities, and to serving you with the same commitment and integrity that have defined our first ten years.
Check out MSI’s prior 10 Year articles: MSI’s Origin Story and MSI’s Community Impact. Follow MSI’s journey through its Facebook and LinkedIn pages.