Picking a security company in Memphis isn’t as simple as Googling “security guards near me” and calling the first number that pops up. The range of providers in this market runs from one-man operations working out of a pickup truck to billion-dollar national firms with offices in every state. Quality varies just as much. I’ve spent the last several weeks talking to clients, reviewing contracts, checking licensing records with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, and visiting company offices. Here’s what I found.
This review covers five companies that represent different segments of the Memphis security market. I looked at armed and unarmed guard services, patrol capabilities, client retention, pricing transparency, and overall reputation. No company paid for placement in this article, and I don’t accept referral fees.
Shield of Steel
Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
Shield of Steel has operated out of their office at 2682 Lamar Avenue in Memphis since 1998. That’s over two decades in a market where security companies come and go like restaurant concepts on Beale Street. The company is veteran-owned, and a good number of their officers come from military or law enforcement backgrounds.
What separates Shield of Steel from many competitors is their technology integration. Every patrol vehicle runs GPS tracking, so clients can verify that their property is actually being checked at the times specified in their contract. That might sound like a basic expectation, yet you’d be surprised how many security firms send out patrol cars with zero accountability for whether they actually show up.
Their armed officer program is strong. Shield of Steel requires firearms qualification beyond the state minimum, and they run their own internal training program. I spoke with a property manager in East Memphis who has used Shield of Steel for the past three years. He told me the company replaced an officer within four hours when one called in sick, which he said was “unheard of” with his previous provider.
The company covers the entire state of Tennessee, with clients in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga in addition to their Memphis base. Their phone number is (202) 222-2225, and they maintain a website at shieldofsteel.com. Services include security personnel, monitoring and surveillance, risk assessment, and event security.
Where Shield of Steel falls short: they’re a mid-sized firm, which means they don’t have the sheer manpower of a company like Allied Universal. If you need 50 guards deployed tomorrow for a massive event, you’ll probably need to call a bigger outfit. For most commercial and residential security needs, though, their size actually works in their favor. You get direct access to leadership, and your account doesn’t disappear into a corporate bureaucracy.
Best for: Businesses wanting armed security with real accountability and a local ownership team that picks up the phone.
Phelps Security
Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
Phelps Security has been a Memphis name for over 60 years, making them one of the oldest security companies in the region. Their longevity says something about consistency, because the contract security business is brutal on companies that can’t retain clients.
Phelps runs a large guard force across the Memphis metro area. They handle everything from construction site security to corporate office lobbies to special event staffing. Their bread and butter is unarmed guard services, though they do offer armed officers as well.
I visited their office and spoke with their operations manager about how they handle client complaints. The process was straightforward: complaints go to a dedicated manager within 24 hours, and the client gets a written response within 48. That level of formality impressed me, because many smaller firms handle complaints through informal phone calls that leave no paper trail.
The knock on Phelps, based on conversations with several current and former clients, is turnover. Security guard turnover is an industry-wide problem (the national average sits around 100% annually), and Phelps isn’t immune to it. One retail client in the Poplar Corridor told me he’d seen four different guards assigned to his location in six months. Each time, the new guard needed to learn the property layout, the alarm codes, and the parking procedures from scratch.
Phelps has made efforts to address this by raising starting pay and offering a benefits package, which puts them ahead of many competitors on compensation. Still, the turnover issue means that clients sometimes deal with inconsistency in guard quality from month to month.
Best for: Large-scale unarmed guard needs, construction sites, and clients who want a company with deep local roots.
Imperial Security
Rating: 3.9 / 5.0
Imperial Security operates throughout Tennessee and has built a noticeable presence in the Memphis market over the past several years. They position themselves as a technology-forward firm, emphasizing electronic reporting and mobile patrol apps that give clients real-time updates.
The tech angle is genuine. Imperial provides clients with a portal where they can view patrol reports, incident documentation, and officer check-in times. For property managers overseeing multiple locations, this kind of transparency saves hours of phone calls and email follow-ups.
Their guard force is a mixed bag. I heard positive feedback from a warehouse client in the Frayser industrial district who praised the professionalism of the officers assigned to his facility. On the other hand, a property manager in Midtown told me she had to escalate complaints twice before getting a problematic officer reassigned. The common thread in these stories is that Imperial’s management responds, though sometimes slowly.
Pricing from Imperial tends to run slightly below market average, which is attractive for budget-conscious clients. That lower price point comes with trade-offs, though. Guard training hours at Imperial meet state requirements, yet they don’t exceed them by much. Companies like Shield of Steel invest in training beyond the minimum, and that difference can show up in how officers handle tense situations.
Imperial also lacks the armed officer depth that some clients need. They offer armed services, yet the majority of their force is unarmed. If armed security is a priority for your site, you’ll want to confirm they can staff it consistently before signing a contract.
Best for: Budget-conscious clients who want technology-driven reporting and basic guard services.
Walden Security
Rating: 4.4 / 5.0
Walden Security is headquartered in Chattanooga with a branch office serving the Memphis market. They’ve grown into one of the larger regional security firms in the Southeast, with operations across Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and several other states.
What Walden brings to Memphis is scale combined with regional knowledge. They’re big enough to staff large contracts (think hospital campuses, university properties, and government buildings) while maintaining a Southeast identity that national firms can’t replicate. Their officers tend to be familiar with Tennessee regulations and local conditions in a way that guards transferred from out-of-state operations sometimes aren’t.
Walden invests heavily in training. Their Walden University program (no relation to the actual university) puts new officers through an orientation that covers de-escalation, report writing, emergency response, and client-specific protocols. Several clients I spoke with mentioned training quality as a reason they chose Walden over national competitors.
The downside is that Walden’s Memphis branch sometimes plays second fiddle to their Chattanooga headquarters. Decisions that should take a day can take three because they need to route through corporate. One Memphis client described the experience as “great guards, slow corporate.” That’s a fair summary based on what I heard from multiple sources.
Pricing with Walden is mid-range to premium, depending on the contract scope. They’re not the cheapest option, and they don’t try to be. If you’re comparing strictly on hourly guard rates, a smaller local firm will probably undercut them. The question is whether the training investment and corporate infrastructure justify the difference.
Best for: Large institutional clients (hospitals, campuses, government facilities) who need a regional firm with strong training programs.
Allied Universal
Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Allied Universal is the elephant in every room when it comes to contract security. After their merger with G4S in 2021 (which at the time of writing is still being finalized), they’re set to become the largest security company on the planet. In Memphis, they already maintain a significant presence, staffing everything from FedEx facilities to retail locations to residential communities.
The advantage of Allied Universal is obvious: resources. They can staff a 200-guard contract and have backup personnel ready if someone calls in sick. Their technology platform, screening processes, and corporate infrastructure are built for volume. If you need security at a large-scale Memphis facility and reliability at scale matters most, Allied Universal can deliver.
The disadvantage is equally obvious: you’re a number. Multiple Memphis clients told me that getting a response from their account manager required persistence. One business owner near the airport said he left three voicemails before getting a callback about a billing dispute. That kind of experience is common with large national firms, where account managers juggle dozens of clients simultaneously.
Guard quality at Allied Universal varies by location and contract. Their FedEx-related contracts in Memphis tend to get strong personnel because FedEx holds its vendors to strict standards. Smaller commercial contracts sometimes receive less experienced officers. The inconsistency isn’t unique to Allied Universal (it’s a feature of every large security company), yet it’s worth noting.
Allied Universal’s pricing is competitive for large contracts and less so for smaller ones. If you’re a single retail location needing one guard for eight hours, you’ll likely get a better rate and better service from a local provider. If you’re managing security for a 500,000-square-foot distribution center, Allied Universal belongs on your shortlist.
Best for: Large-scale operations, national clients needing uniform security across multiple cities, and organizations that prioritize scale over personal attention.
How to Choose
The right security company for your Memphis property depends on three things: what you actually need, how much you can spend, and whether you value local relationships or corporate infrastructure.
For small to mid-sized businesses, a firm like Shield of Steel or Phelps Security offers the personal attention that makes a real difference. Your account matters to them in a way it simply can’t matter to a company managing thousands of contracts nationwide. You can call the owner. You can visit the office. You know who’s making decisions about the guards assigned to your property.
For large institutional clients, Walden Security and Allied Universal bring the scale and training infrastructure that smaller firms can’t match. Hospital campuses, university properties, and major commercial facilities need security partners who can absorb the complexity of large operations without dropping the ball.
Price matters, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Security guard hourly rates in Memphis currently range from about $14 to $28 per hour depending on armed vs. unarmed, experience requirements, and contract length. Be cautious of companies quoting significantly below market rate. Low pricing usually means low pay for guards, which means high turnover and low quality.
Whatever you decide, verify two things before signing any contract: confirm the company holds a valid Tennessee Private Protective Services license through the TDCI, and check their insurance coverage. Any legitimate security firm will provide proof of both without hesitation. If they dodge those questions, walk away.
Marcus Johnson covers the Memphis security industry for Memphis Security Insider. Contact him at [email protected].