Cleveland Plain Dealer Safeguard Weatherhead 100 Centurion Award

The following article from The Cleveland Plain Dealer discusses Safeguard Properties’ recent recognition as being a Weatherhead 100 Centurion winner.

SageQuest Inc. wins top Weatherhead 100 award for 2009 as fastest-growing company in Northeast Ohio

By Marcia Pledger, The Plain Dealer

December 03, 2009, 9:30PM

SageQuest Inc., a Solon company that markets GPS tracking software, saw its revenue grow faster than any other company in Northeast Ohio over the past five years – an indication that small technology companies are increasingly successful here.

SageQuest snagged the top Weatherhead 100 award for 2009, based on sales growth of 1,474 percent.

The Council of Smaller Enterprises, the small-business arm of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, and the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University jointly announced the Weatherhead 100 winners Thursday night to about 800 people at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven.

Winners were based on sales growth from 2004 through 2008. Even the No. 100 company experienced 20 percent sales growth the past five years.

Besides the 100 fastest growing companies, Weatherhead recognizes 44 more businesses in two categories: smaller firms with less than $1 million in sales and larger firms with more than $100 million in sales.

“We’re seeing a trend of more up and coming technology businesses reach success faster,” said Randy Carpenter, director of marketing and public relations at COSE. “Unlike manufacturing that needs physical space and lots of employees, three people can go into a small office and start a business with the right idea and limited resources.”

This year, a third of the 144 companies honored were started after 1999. A third of all of the firms also were new to the ranking.

“These are companies that still are thriving in the face of the recession,” Carpenter said.

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SageQuest develops information systems to track mobile workers and fleets in real-time. The company placed fourth in the Weatherhead 100 last year.

For the second year in a row, Turning Technologies in Youngstown finished second. E-merging Technologies Group of Cleveland placed third.

These were the top companies by category:

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  • Centurions, the fastest-growing companies in the larger, $100 million-plus sales category: Dealer Tire of Cleveland, which placed second last year, reported a 229 percent sales growth; Safeguard Properties, 211 percent sales growth: and the Federal Metal Co., 193 percent sales growth.

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  • Upstarts, smaller companies with less than $1 million in sales and 15 or fewer employees: For the second year in a row, MMI Textiles Inc. of Rocky River won the top spot – this time with a 1,372 percent increase in sales growth, compared with 1,762 percent sales growth from 2003 to 2007. Hannah Electric LLC won second place in the upstart category, while Lakeside Produce Distribution, Inc. placed third.
  • To view the online article, please click here.

    ??About Safeguard
    Safeguard Properties is the largest privately held field services company in the country. Located in Cleveland, Ohio and founded in 1990 by Robert Klein, Safeguard has grown from a regional preservation company with a few employees and a handful of contractors performing services in the Midwest, to a national company with over 700 employees. Safeguard is supported by a nationwide network of subcontractors able to perform any requested superintendence, preservation, and maintenance functions, as well as numerous ancillary services in the U.S., the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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    CEO

    Alan Jaffa

    Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

    Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

    Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

    In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

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    Esq., General Counsel and EVP

    Linda Erkkila

    Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

    Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

    Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

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    COO

    Michael Greenbaum

    Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

    A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

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    CFO

    Joe Iafigliola

    Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

    Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

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    Business Development

    Carrie Tackett

    Business Development Safeguard Properties