President, IP Security Reps, Brighton
Employees: 13 Revenue: $45 million Education: Texas State University
Launching a startup in Brighton in 2010, Rob Lydic has steered his company into rapid-growth mode, recording $45 million in revenue last year. The firm, IP Security Reps, provides an array of surveillance and security systems for large corporations, federal and local law enforcement agencies, and schools.
“I came into the marketplace at a time when the technology was emerging to meet the growing demand for safety and security,” says Lydic, president of IP Security Reps. Over the last two years, the company has installed numerous software and hardware upgrades in downtown Detroit, including some 2,000 cameras, and helped to equip a central command center.
“We work in 17 states throughout the Midwest and in the mid-Atlantic region,” says Lydic, who attributes part of his success to his teenage years, when he launched a lawn-cutting business. “I learned about the cost of goods and services, how to manage the business, and how to treat customers and employees in a very professional manner.”
The entrepreneur launched his second business right after college, a data communication sales firm that he sold in December 2009. “The biggest factor I see in building up a company is to have a top-notch sales staff,” he says. “If the staff is well-trained, provides excellent customer service, and looks for new opportunities for growth, everything else will take care of itself.”
