Outsources continued to be a major presence at the IEC Con, which was held October 26 – 29, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas at the San Antonio Convention Center & Marriott Riverwalk. This year’s “Conduit to Profit” Expo brought together over 1,300 electrical professionals from around the country and once again proved to be an excellent opportunity for manufacturers, distributors, and service providers to showcase their products and services to IEC members.

IEC Con 2016 delivered on a grand scale with cutting-edge education sessions, networking opportunities, and an interactive expo. As Associate Members of IEC, the company was represented by three of Outsource’s leaders in Texas (left to right in photo): Sales/Account Managers Robert Lozada (San Antonio) and Jordan Tindall (Dallas), as well as Houston Branch Manager Rocky Montoney. Rocky says, “It was great to have a solid Texas contingency at IEC Con. We really appreciate all of our clients that stopped by to say ‘hello’ and it was great to meet prospective clients who we look forward to following up with in the New Year.”

Established in 1957, IEC is a trade association representing more than 3,000 members with 51 chapters nationwide. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., IEC is the nation’s premier trade association representing America’s independent electrical and systems contractors. IEC National aggressively works with the industry to establish a competitive environment for the merit shop – a philosophy that promotes the concept of free enterprise, open competition, and economic opportunity for all.
The 2017 IEC Con will be held October 25 – 28, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Outsource is proud to announce that Jake Durkee, Andrew Scarano, and Blaine Monteau have all recently celebrated their five-year anniversaries with the company. These milestones are not only a testament to their individual achievements and commitment to Outsource, but they also demonstrate the solid foundation the company has built over the years.

“It feels great,” Jake says, “and the time has really flown by. I started out as ‘the young kid’ in the company and it’s been very fulfilling to grow into a senior leadership position in the organization. This doesn’t happen organically at most companies.”

Jake was the first fully dedicated Inside Sales Rep at Outsource and later became the first pure Business Development Manager in the company before being promoted to National Sales Manager in December 2014. During his tenure, the company’s market presence has grown at an annual rate of 30%.

During Andrew’s career here, he has worked at both Outsource and our sister company Skyhawk, but today he is entirely focused on running Outsource’s largest cabling division as an Account Manager in Los Angeles. He initially started in our Phoenix office as a Recruiter, accepting the position because of “the potential to move up quickly within the organization.”

Andrew says, “I’ve made great friends working here and have really grown a lot professionally. I’ve learned how to effectively manage people and to handle highly stressful situations with composure. It’s been a great experience and I feel like I’ve found a home at Outsource.”

Blaine also started his career at Outsource as a Recruiter, working in the Houston office where he successfully started and developed the cabling and electrical market before moving to the Los Angeles where he now serves as an Account Manager in our largest and most profitable market. He accepted a position at Outsource because he wanted “the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the company at such an early part of my career.”

Blaine also recognizes the importance of the support provided by a tight network of colleagues: “Teamwork is ingrained in the culture at Outsource. No one is able to achieve successful all on his or her own. You are only as good as the people around you. Everyone here works extremely hard and we get along really well as a team. It’s a combination that breeds success.”

These guys have contributed greatly to the company’s expansion across the country and we’re grateful for their continued dedication. To commemorate their five-year milestone, Blaine, Andrew, and Jake each received a TAG Heuer watch. Jake says, “It’s a great gesture that John doesn’t have to do, but he does because he cares about his people. He wants them to be here for the long run.”

The holiday corporate luncheon started innocently enough in May with a piñata for Cinco de Mayo and a costume contest for 4th of July, but quickly morphed into something else in celebration of Labor Day. Because the weekend traditionally marks the end of the season to wear white, we decided to have a hold a Best All-White Costume contest to go with some Britt’s BBQ, Cornhole, and Giant Jenga. Cameron Virjee brought his A-game, sporting a white bandana and white leather hi-tops (along with some stylish moves on the Outsource ‘runway’) to win top prize and a crisp $100 bill for his effort.

In Smita Abraham’s November 2015 employee profile, when asked why she decided to work at Outsource, she said, “Outsource is a growing company. I knew it was a good opportunity and that I would have a chance to make an impact.” She added, “The people at Outsource try to recognize your strengths so that you can best utilize your talents. They put the best people in the right position to succeed.”

Smita was recently promoted to Regional Manager of the East Coast offices and serves as a perfect example of what can be achieved at Outsource when you mix talent, drive, experience, and opportunity. After four years in Chicago, where she grew the integration business and handled some of the company’s most important national accounts, Smita will be relocating to Washington, D.C. where she will oversee our offices in Atlanta, Tampa, New York, and D.C.

President Steve Ebenhack, who was one of her early mentors, says, “Smita exhibits the core cultural values of Outsource and she has made an impact on the company. She helped establish us as a player in the Midwest and we’re confident in her ability to leverage this experience to further advance the company on the East Coast.”

“Chicago was a great learning experience,” she says. “The people in the office are like a family to me so it’s very hard to leave. But I’m thankful for the opportunity to take the next step both personally and professionally. Our people in D.C. have been very welcoming and very helpful. They’re really awesome and there’s a great vibe in the office.”

She added, “Outsource is great in that the company is very frank about having conversations with its employees about where they see their careers in the future and where they see themselves in the company. For me, the timing was right, the opportunity presented itself, and I had the skill set and the experience to fill a need. Sam Jarvis personally came out and was really helpful with the transition. He gave me some training, coaching, and a sense of what the new job should look and feel like. He was a huge help and I really appreciate his support.”

Given her experience with national clients, she will provide East Coast sales managers with a 1000-foot view of our clients and their needs and fine-tune the process in a way that will ultimately improve things for our customers and our employees. Smita already has a firm grasp of what she wants to accomplish in her new position. “I want to focus on growth in the region. All four offices are in great markets and there is a lot of demand for what we do. I want to leverage our Account Managers, Recruiters, and back office support to their full effect so that we can become the biggest player in the markets. I want to dominate in D.C., Tampa, New York, and Atlanta.”

In addition to the Foundation Training course held at corporate headquarters in Los Angeles last month, the Dallas office also hosted a three-day training session focused on Inside Sales. Four Recruiters from offices around the country, Ryan Stab (Atlanta), Andrew Grant (Denver), David Molina (Phoenix), and Trey Brady (Houston) who were recently promoted to Inside Sales Representatives, convened in Dallas to take advantage of the flagship hub’s large training area.

From left to right
Andy Grant, Ben Weimer, David Molina, Ryan Stab, Trey Brady, and Sam Jarvis.

The session ran April 25th through April 27th and was led by Recruitment Operations Manager Jennifer Warriach and included other members of Outsource’s leadership team like Vice President of Operations Sam Jarvis, Regional Manager Jenny Zhao, East Coast Regional Manager Ben Weimer, as well as one of the company’s leading salespeople, Business Development Manager Brian McShane. The team led the trainees through intense role-playing sessions, recreated sales scenarios, and instructed them how to hunt, qualify leads, identify potential clients, set meetings for Account Managers, and introduced them to advanced technical aspects of eRecruit.

The session was a huge success, according to Ben Weimer. “It was energetic, we had a lot of fun, covered a lot of material and just had a great time with it. I’m very excited to have this group on our sales team. They’re a well-oiled machine and will help drive Outsource to our goal of $200 million in revenue.”

Congratulations to Outsource’s new Inside Sales Reps!

In April, Outsource hosted a Foundation Training class for new employees who participated in a four-day training course held at corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The class, run by Recruitment Operations Manager Jennifer Warriach, included the opportunity for new team members to interface with and learn from Senior Leadership Team members President Steve Ebenhack, VP of Operations Sam Jarvis, and CEO John Lowell. The 10 recruiters represented offices in Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, San Diego, Atlanta, and included two from the Skyhawk team.

The session began April 18th and consisted of role-playing challenges as well as classroom instruction, with an overall goal of helping trainees understand Outsource as an organization and advanced recruiting techniques. They’re taught how to effectively maximize the database and job boards, manage technicians, mitigate risk/safety and pitch new candidates for Outsource opportunities.

Aaron Real, a trainee from our Chicago office, was awarded Outsource’s inaugural ”ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) Award,” which was presented by Sam Jarvis and Steve Ebenhack. Aaron was voted by his peers and supervisors to receive the award, which consisted of a company certificate and a prize.

During the evenings, trainees were able to together and explore the Los Angeles nightlife and also enjoyed a group dinner with Jennifer, Steve, and Sam at North Italia. Here is a list of the new Recruiters, their office, and the date they started with the company:

Congratulations to all of our new Recruiters and welcome to Outsource!

The International Security Conference & Exposition – also known as ISC West – is the largest event in the U.S. for the physical security industry, covering Access Control, Alarms & Monitoring, Biometrics, IP Security, Video Surveillance / CCTV, Networked Security Products and more. Outsource has consistently maintained a strong presence at ISC West, which stands as the premiere event for Outsource to showcase why it is the leading wired systems staffing firm in the United States.

Outsource was represented by President Steve Ebenhack, Vice President of Sales Shawn Dale, National Sales Manager Jake Durkee, Territory Sales Manager Dustin McMullen, Account Managers Garrett Reid, and Business Development Manager Brian McShane, providing Outsource with a national presence at the event.

The 2016 edition of ISC West attracted the largest attendance and hosted the largest number and square feet of exhibits in the long history of ISC West. In a statement released by Ed Several, the senior vice president at ISC Events, said, “ISC West has become a barometer of what is in store for the business end of the security industry in the coming year, and based on what we saw at ISC West, I’d say the industry is poised for a great year.”

Outsource’s took full advantage of the record-breaking year during the four-day event. “This is the best trade show the organization has seen as far as breaking new clients is concerned,” says Shawn Dale.

Garret Reid added, “Some of the accounts we broke will include business for Outsource in verticals outside of traditional physical security systems. Overall, the companies that attended ISC West are across the board busy and the only complaint we heard is that they’re having trouble “finding manpower,” which gives us great leverage. It was a slam dunk.”

Outsource hosted numerous client dinners during ISC West as well as a happy hour at The Bourbon Room in The Venetian. According to Reid, “It was such a success last year, that we decided to do it again and the turnout was fantastic. We had twice the number of clients attend this year.”
Congratulations to our 2016 ISC West Team for another fantastic event!

Q1 of 2016 saw the company off to a tremendous start and featured notable events like the annual Rewards Trip to Cancun and a fundraiser in support of the American Heart Association where Outsource helped raise over $3,000.00.

Also, the Los Angeles office got together and pulled off an electro-cool bowling night down at the funky, retro lanes of Bowlero in Mar Vista. Competition was fierce and pins were flying as teams like ‘We Don’t Give a Split’, ‘Livin’ on a Spare’, ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gutter’, and ‘10 Pin Mafia’ battled it out, with We Don’t Give A Split emerging victorious. The evening seemed to be right up everyone’s alley and was framed nicely with good food, drinks, and plenty of fun to spare…because that’s how we roll at Outsource.

February was an especially busy month for the company as it kicked off with the annual Rewards Trip to Cancun. Often referred to as Outsource’s “family reunion,” the trip offers top performers from offices around the country to reconnect with old friends, build new relationships within the company, and celebrate the past year’s successes. It’s also an excellent great chance for new team members who qualify to meet mentors, corporate leaders, and learn what the company and its culture are all about.

Company leaders use the relaxed setting to strategize, exchange ideas, and plan for the year ahead. Given Outsource’s reputation for exemplifying the “work hard/play hard” ethos, it was an especially successful trip for Outsource CEO John Lowell, who noted, “To take over 100 people on a long weekend event to a place like Cancun and walk away with absolutely no interactions with any state or federal Mexican police officers was a real high-water moment for the organization.”

On a healthier note, February was also National Heart Month, and in support of the organization, John’s sons Jake and Luke Lowell participated in the national Jump Rope For Heart fundraising event, sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). This national event engages elementary and middle school students with jumping rope while empowering them to improve their own health and help other kids with heart-health issues.

The Outsource team pitched in to support Jake and Luke, with the company matching dollar for dollar each employee donation made on the boys’ behalf. Lowell said, “I was incredibly impressed with how many people at Outsource contributed to both of my son’s Heart Foundation campaigns.”

With the help of Outsource and the team members who supported the event, both boys reached and exceeded their donation goals for the American Heart Association. In fact, thanks to those who contributed, and for the boys’ skills with a jump rope, Jake and Luke raised the most money out of all the students in their school, with Luke raising $1,520.00 and Jake raising $1,634.00, for a combined total of $3,154.00.

Lowell added, “I can’t tell you how surprised I was at their Monday morning assembly when Jake won the 1st Place award for raising the most money in the whole school and Luke had come in second. “

Those who donated $10 or more were entered into a drawing for a $150 Visa gift card, which was won by Sam Goodspeed in Dallas. Congratulations Luke and Jake and a special thank you to everyone who contributed!

Let us know if your branch puts together any office events and don’t forget to take pictures!

Lorraine Sepulveda has been at Outsource for over five years and she truly loves it. She began as a temp, but her ability to lead and improve the process has translated into her current role of Payroll Manager for all Outsource, Crewforce, and Skyhawk employees. She is always open to new ideas, stays positive, motivated and is always willing to help others.

Lorraine says, “Initially, I was referred by a friend for a position was only supposed to last for a month or two. But I’ve always been driven, so I took it as an opportunity to show Outsource why they should hire me fulltime.”

Her hard work and initiative did not go unnoticed. When a role for a Payroll Specialist opened up, the company gave her the opportunity to win the position–and she did. Before long, she was promoted to the role of Field Coordinator. Today, she has a leadership role in the company.

“I take a lot of pride in being part of Outsource and feel fortunate to be a part of such a special organization—one that gave me an opportunity to succeed. I worked very hard, people recognized my drive and my talents, and I’ve been able to advance with the company as it has grown.”

The company has seen significant growth over the past five years and Lorraine has been at the forefront of it. “It’s been exciting working here. The company has opened new offices, new departments, and we continue to evolve and grow. That’s what you get when you have a company that works together as a team and when people are willing to step up and get the job done.”

When asked what she looks for in a new hire, Lorraine says, “Confidence.” She adds, “Customer service is a big part of our job and we want to give our techs clear, precise answers if they come to us with questions. I’ve found that bright, lively people who will contribute to the culture at Outsource tend to make the best hires.”

Lorraine was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and comes from an enormous Mexican-American family, where being loud is the only way to be heard. When she’s not at work, making sure everyone is paid on time and correctly, she enjoys spending time with her friends and basking in the beautiful California weather. Lorraine and partner Richard are extremely excited about expecting their first child, Lukas Michael Mercado this coming April!