Memphis recorded 342 homicides in 2021, breaking the previous year’s record of 332. Aggravated assaults were up. Carjackings were up. Property crime remained stubbornly high across Shelby County. If you manage commercial real estate, run a retail operation, or oversee security at a distribution center anywhere in the metro area, the company you hire to protect your property and your people is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make this year.
The Memphis market has dozens of licensed security providers, from one-person operations to global corporations with hundreds of thousands of employees. Not all of them are equal. I’ve spent the last two months talking to property managers, security directors, guards themselves, and industry contacts to put together this list: five companies that deserve your attention in 2022, along with honest assessments of where each one excels and where they fall short.
This isn’t a ranking. It’s a field guide.
1. Phelps Security
Founded: 1953 Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee Employees: Approximately 400 Specialties: Commercial real estate, distribution facilities, special events, higher education, healthcare, residential communities
E.L. Phelps Sr. started Phelps Patrol and Guard Service in 1953 after serving in World War II. His son Lloyd and daughter-in-law Patti bought the company in 1982 and rebranded it as Phelps Security, Inc. The firm has operated from Memphis ever since, making it one of the oldest continuously running security companies in the region.
What sets Phelps apart is stability. In an industry plagued by constant turnover and fly-by-night operators, Phelps has been around for nearly seven decades. Their client list includes commercial properties across the metro area, distribution centers in the warehouse districts near the airport, and several higher education and healthcare campuses. They require employees to have five years of verifiable employment history, which is stricter than most competitors.
Strengths: Deep local knowledge. Longevity that inspires confidence with long-term clients. Training standards that exceed the state minimum. A management team that has been running security in Memphis since before many competitors existed.
Weaknesses: Employee reviews on job boards paint a mixed picture. Multiple current and former guards have complained about low pay relative to the workload, limited benefits, and rigid scheduling. In a market where guards can jump to a competitor or leave the industry entirely for warehouse work at FedEx or Amazon, retention is a concern for any company. Phelps is not immune. The company also operates primarily within the Memphis area, so if you need statewide coverage across Tennessee, you’ll need a different provider for your Nashville or Knoxville properties.
Best fit for: Memphis-area commercial property managers who value a local, family-owned firm with decades of operational history. If you want a company where you can call the owner’s office and get someone who actually knows the city, Phelps delivers that.
2. Imperial Security
Founded: 1968 Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee Specialties: Transportation, distribution, logistics, manufacturing, petrochemical, hospitality, healthcare
Imperial Security came out of the same era as Phelps — a Memphis-founded firm that grew up alongside the city’s transformation into a national logistics hub. The company has carved a specific niche in distribution, transportation, and logistics security. Given that Memphis is home to FedEx’s superhub, Nike’s distribution center in Frayser, and dozens of third-party logistics operations along the I-55 and I-40 corridors, that niche is a smart one.
Imperial’s website lists an impressive range of industries they serve: petrochemical facilities, high-technology manufacturing, commercial real estate, hospitality, and healthcare. Their core competency, though, remains logistics. If you run a warehouse or distribution center in the Memphis area and need guards who understand manifest verification, access control at loading docks, and cargo security protocols, Imperial has more experience than most.
Strengths: Industry specialization in logistics and distribution gives them an edge over generalist firms. Guards assigned to warehouse posts tend to have relevant experience rather than being rotated in from retail or residential contracts. Memphis-based management understands the local logistics market.
Weaknesses: Imperial is smaller than the national firms on this list, which can limit their capacity during sudden demand spikes. If you need 30 additional guards for a holiday season surge at a distribution center, a company with 800,000 employees nationwide has a deeper bench to pull from. Imperial’s brand recognition outside of logistics circles is also lower than Phelps or the national competitors, which means less due diligence material is publicly available for prospective clients.
Best fit for: Distribution centers, warehouses, and logistics operations in the greater Memphis area. If your security needs revolve around freight, cargo, and 24-hour facility access control, Imperial should be on your short list.
3. Allied Universal
Founded: 2016 (through merger of AlliedBarton Security Services and Universal Services of America; predecessor companies date back decades) Headquarters: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Memphis presence: Local office with regional management Employees: Approximately 800,000 worldwide Revenue: Approximately $18 billion (2021, post-G4S acquisition) Specialties: Everything
Allied Universal is the largest security services company in the world. Full stop. After acquiring G4S in April 2021 for $5.3 billion, the combined entity employs roughly 800,000 people and generates about $18 billion in annual revenue. They operate in every major metro area in the United States, and Memphis is no exception.
Having Allied Universal on this list is a bit like putting Walmart on a list of grocery stores. They’re everywhere, they can do anything, and they’ll underbid most competitors on large-scale contracts because their overhead is spread across a global operation. If you need 200 guards across 15 properties by next month, Allied Universal can probably deliver.
Strengths: Scale. If you operate in multiple states or need to staff dozens of sites quickly, no company in the world matches their capacity. Their technology platform includes workforce management software, real-time incident reporting, and analytics that smaller firms can’t replicate. They carry insurance coverage that makes even the most cautious risk manager comfortable. And their brand name on a proposal reassures corporate boards who want to hire a firm they’ve heard of.
Weaknesses: Scale cuts both ways. Allied Universal’s Memphis operations are managed as part of a regional structure that extends well beyond Shelby County. Property managers who want to pick up the phone and talk to someone who personally knows their building will often get routed through call centers or regional dispatchers instead. Guard quality can be inconsistent. Some posts get excellent officers who stay for years. Others become revolving doors of new hires who disappear after a few weeks. The company’s online employee reviews from Memphis locations frequently mention low starting pay, inconsistent scheduling, and a feeling of being a number rather than a person.
Best fit for: Large commercial operations, national retailers with multiple Tennessee locations, and organizations that need to check a “name brand” box for compliance or board-level reporting. If personal relationships and local accountability matter more than scale, look at the other four companies on this list.
4. Walden Security
Founded: 1990 Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee (100 East 10th Street) Offices: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, Orlando, Richmond Specialties: Commercial and government contracts Licensed in: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia
Walden Security is the largest Tennessee-based security company that isn’t a Memphis native. Headquartered in downtown Chattanooga, Walden has grown steadily over three decades by winning a mix of commercial and government contracts across the Southeast. Their Memphis office handles regional accounts in the western part of the state.
What makes Walden interesting is their government contract portfolio. The company provides security services for federal buildings, courthouses, and other government facilities through contracts that demand higher training standards and more rigorous background checks than typical commercial work. That government discipline tends to filter into their commercial operations, which several property managers I spoke with described favorably.
Strengths: Tennessee roots with statewide coverage. Government contracts signal a higher bar for vetting and training. Multi-state licensing in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia makes them useful for companies with operations across the Southeast. Chattanooga-based management gives them a Tennessee identity that national firms lack.
Weaknesses: Walden’s Memphis office is a branch, not the headquarters. Decision-making flows through Chattanooga, which can slow responses to local issues. Their Memphis presence is smaller than Phelps or Imperial, and they don’t have the same depth of relationships with local law enforcement and property management networks. If you need a company that knows the difference between the Hickory Hill Kroger and the Poplar Avenue Kroger at a gut level, Walden isn’t there yet.
Best fit for: Companies with properties across multiple Tennessee cities who want a single provider licensed statewide. Particularly strong for clients who value the discipline that comes from government-contract experience. A solid choice for Nashville-Memphis corridor operations.
5. GardaWorld
Founded: 1995 Headquarters: Montreal, Canada Memphis presence: Local office Global employees: Approximately 132,000 Specialties: Physical security, cash services, risk consulting
GardaWorld is the dark horse on this list. Most Memphians don’t know the name, because the company is headquartered in Montreal and doesn’t advertise heavily in local markets. They’re the fourth-largest security company in the world, though, and they’ve been steadily building their Memphis presence through both organic growth and acquisitions.
GardaWorld’s Memphis office handles physical security contracts as well as cash services — armored car transport, ATM servicing, and cash vault operations. The dual capability is unusual. Most guard companies don’t run armored cars, and most armored car companies don’t provide standing guard service. GardaWorld does both, which creates efficiencies for clients who need both services.
Guard pay at GardaWorld’s Memphis operation hovers around $18 per hour based on recent job postings, which is above the local market average for unarmed officers. Higher pay generally means better retention and more experienced guards, though individual results vary by post and supervisor.
Strengths: Global resources with a local office. Cash services capability that most competitors lack. Above-average guard pay suggests a focus on quality over volume. Risk consulting services for clients who need threat assessments and security planning in addition to guard hours.
Weaknesses: Brand recognition in Memphis is low. When a property manager asks colleagues for security company recommendations, GardaWorld rarely comes up in conversation, even if the company is perfectly capable. Their Memphis footprint is still growing, which means fewer local references and a thinner roster of guards with deep Memphis experience. Employee reviews from the Memphis and Nashville branch offices are mixed, with some guards praising the pay while others cite management issues and inconsistent communication.
Best fit for: Companies that need both physical security and cash services from a single provider. Also worth considering for organizations with international operations or overseas assets, since GardaWorld’s global footprint extends to areas most domestic firms can’t reach.
Who Else Is Out There
These five companies aren’t the only options in Memphis. The TDCI licenses hundreds of security firms across Tennessee, and the Memphis market includes numerous smaller operators that serve specific neighborhoods, industries, or client types. Some of these firms are excellent. A few veteran-owned operations on Lamar Avenue have built strong reputations through word of mouth and repeat business with property managers who prefer working with companies run by people who served in the military or law enforcement.
The right security company for your property depends on your specific needs: budget, location, hours of coverage, armed versus unarmed, and how much you value local relationships versus national scale. Talk to multiple providers. Ask for references from properties similar to yours. Check their TDCI license status on the state website. And pay attention to how they treat the conversation — a company that listens to your concerns and asks questions about your property is usually a better partner than one that jumps straight to a price quote.
Memphis’s crime reality in 2022 makes this decision more consequential than it’s been in a long time. Pick carefully.