Integrators '20 under 40' 2016—Jay Slaughterbeck

Jay Slaughterbeck, 37

Managing partner, Strategic Security Solutions

Raleigh, N.C.

Jay Slaughterbeck, who cofounded Strategic Security Solutions back in 2002, said he has been in the security industry his entire working life.

“It is really all I have ever done,” he said. “I am from Ohio originally and went to a vocational school and my course of study was construction-electricity, including residential and commercial as well as the industrial motor-controls and relay-logic aspect of things, which really appealed to me. I was offered placement with a company straight out of high school that was getting into the security world and I became their go-to electrician, so it really blossomed from there.”

One aspect of the industry Slaughterbeck loves is the lack of redundancy in the day-to-day operations. “It seems like no two days are the same in the industry, and technology is consistently evolving, and we've got the opportunity to stay on top of that, so the dynamic and technical side really appeals to me.”

On the technology side, Slaughterbeck said that he is excited about the potential of cloud technology with the security industry.

“The biggest new thing that we have embraced is cloud-based, or cloud-hosted technology,” he explained. “We are doing a lot in that space and trying to do more. In instances where smaller customers don't have the level of IT support needed, it eliminates that requirement but still allows them to have the functionality of a true enterprise solution.”

Slaughterbeck, who was married on Oct. 1 this year, said this is not only an exciting time for him personally, but business-wise as well.

“In 2016, we are on track to have our biggest year ever—our goal is to exceed $6 million this year—and the growth is organic and sustainable,” he said. “We have been able to bring on some big customers, which is helping with that growth.”