Tragedy strengthened her commitment to family firm

LEAVE IT TO THE PROS: Jane Casey, president of Professional Security Services, speaks with Louis Ranieri, the company’s executive vice president and director of security. / PBN PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD
LEAVE IT TO THE PROS: Jane Casey, president of Professional Security Services, speaks with Louis Ranieri, the company’s executive vice president and director of security. / PBN PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD

Titles never meant much to Jane Casey.
Professional Security Services has been a solidly successful family business since her husband, Richard Casey, started it 30 years ago. Her son, Richard Casey Jr., and her son-in-law, Louis Ranieri, also held up a lion’s share of the business for many years.
Jane Casey has worked full time at the family’s Cranston-based company for more than 20 years, working mostly in operations. Now she has a position and a title she never planned on – president.
She’s leading 150 employees in a 24/7 business that offers security officers, armed guards and mobile patrols. The company also operates shuttle services for housing communities, a hospital, a state agency and two colleges.
Casey took on the president’s role in May 2011 after life dealt her a double tragedy with the death of her husband, followed shortly afterward by the death of her son, Richard Casey Jr., at age 52 from swine flu. Then in August 2012, a third loss struck – the death of her sister, Judy O’Neill. All three of them had been with the family business for 30 years.
“I want to keep the business going because I feel it honors their hard work for 30 years. That’s what gets me up in the morning,” said Casey. “I want people to know Professional Security is alive and well.”
“Our reputation for 30 years is impeccable and I want to keep it that way,” Casey said. “It evolves from the respect we pay to our employees. That transfers to excellent service to our customers and that creates customer loyalty.”
The owner of Hallmark Properties, Inc., Joe DiBattista, can vouch for Professional Security’s impeccable service.
“Everything they’ve done has always been just right. They’re excellent people to work with and they take good care of our properties,” said DiBattista, who manages commercial-office buildings, a parking garage and a parking lot in Providence. DiBattista uses several security guards at his properties and is one of Professional Security’s many loyal customers.
“The main thing with them is that everything keeps on track and the track doesn’t change,” DiBattista said.
One thing that doesn’t change from day to day is the company’s commitment to making its staff available in person.
“There are no long telephone waits, no menus to choose from,” Casey said. “We don’t have an answering service.”
For the shuttle services, a fast, personal response means people don’t end up standing on the sidewalk in the cold or the dark.
“How far away is anything in Rhode Island? If someone calls, we can have a driver there in 15 minutes,” Casey said. “We have supervisors who leave their homes, in the snow, and go out if they’re needed. That’s the way we run our business. We all pitch in.”
In a 24/7 service organization with potential danger as part of the reason customers request unarmed or armed guards, Casey said she only rarely gets a request from a client who “wants to talk to a man who knows more about the security business.”
“That’s when my son-in-law and I talk, and then he gets on the phone,” she said. “We chuckle. We work as a team.”
Casey and her son-in-law have worked together in operations most of the time, while her husband and son worked mostly in finance and administration.
Casey’s daughter, Erin Casey, is the company attorney. Jane Casey said with five children, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, she knows some of the younger family members are willing to help out when needed.
It’s all in the family, but then, again, many of the employees tend to become part of an extended family. It’s the way the family runs the business. “We know who has a baby. We know whose wife is sick. We send food baskets, cards and spiritual bouquets,” Casey said. “We have a lot of part-timers who work another job and we work around their schedules.”
Some employees have been with Professional Security for many years, while younger ones, including some in their 20s who meet the strict requirements for maturity, responsibility and worth ethic, continue to join company.
She said training is a priority, particularly on-the-job training, because it’s critical for the employees and the customers.
“We never lose an account because of service – ever,” Casey said. “If we lose an account, it’s because of the dollar value they put on it.”
While reputation, well-trained guards and personalized service have resulted in Professional Security keeping clients for many years, Casey said sometimes big companies want guards over a wider territory. Larger security companies may be able to offer broader geographical coverage and under-bid a smaller company like Professional Security Services, which focuses its business in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, she said. The company has a satellite office in Fall River.
“It’s the same as any of the big stores competing with small, local businesses,” said Casey. “We keep our prices as low as we can and we know we give the best service.”
For now, Casey continues to expand her skills, especially in the financial aspects of the business, to meet the demands of her role as president. It’s a role that helps her focus the memory of her beloved family members into a dynamic testament to their hard work – a successful security company that carries on their legacy.
“I just want people to know Professional Security is solid,” she said. •

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