Key Vanguard Professionals

Nationwide, over 100 professional Vanguard staff members are focused on serving customers and all their fire and security needs. Lead by our Executive Management Team, Vanguard is structured to be responsive to industry trends and customer requirements. While key staff are highlighted here, please know that all 100 plus members of the Vanguard Team make valuable contributions to our customers each and every day.

Executive Management Team

	Darrell Thomas *President* Darrell owns Vanguard Fire & Security Systems, Inc. and has been with the company for over 40 years. Darrell leads the strategic planning of Vanguard.		Rick Knipp *General Manager* Rick directs the daily operations of Vanguard Fire & Security Systems, Inc. and is a 29 year veteran of the company. All Sales Staff, as well as Service and Install Managers, report directly to Rick.

Tim Callahan

Chief Financial Officer

With 13 years experience in Finance, Tim directs all Accounting, Credit and Collections activities of the company. He also is in charge of all Human Resources activities of Vanguard Fire & Security Systems, Inc.

Tate Thomas

Purchasing Manager

Tate directs all vendor relationships for Vanguard products and services. With 12 years experience, Tate manages product ordering, inventory, shop and warehouse operations.

Brett Thomas

Branch Manager - Kalamazoo

With 22 years experience, Brett directs all Vanguard Fire & Security Systems, Inc. operations within the Kalamazoo market. This includes sales, service, support, and training.

Key Vanguard Professionals

Eric Barnum, SET – Design Supervisor • 12 yrs.
Manages Design Dept. and Coordinates Specialty Projects.

Matt Batchelor – Sprinkler Install Manager • 14 yrs.
Supervises all Sprinkler Projects and Install Technicians.

Micah Dickinson – Special Hazards Sales • 11 yrs.
Provides consultation on Special Hazard Systems.

Jeff Goss – Training & Education Instructor • 29 yrs.
Conducts customer Fire and Safety Training in a variety of formats.

Kevin Grossheim – Pre-Engineered Systems • 10 yrs.
Consultations on Restaurant and Portable Extinguisher Systems.

Ted Hembroff – Field Supervisor • 31 yrs.
Supervises Large Account Projects and IT Projects.

Marc Heuser – Sprinkler Engineer/Sales • 10 yrs.
Consultation, Design, and Pricing for Sprinkler Systems.

Kurt Hofstra – Service Dispatcher/Scheduler • 7 yrs.
Coordinates Vanguard response to Service Requests.

Nick Lesinski – Engineer • 8 yrs.
Designs Special Hazard Systems and Custom Systems.

Jason Manthei – New Projects Coordinator • 12 yrs.
Develops & Maintains Contractor Relationships for new Projects.

Mark Matheis – Electronic Installation Manager • 31 yrs.
Consultation to Customers on Electronic Systems Installations.

Scott Newhall – Service Sales Manager • 18 yrs.
Coordinates Customer Inspection and Maintenance Services.

Brian Organek – Oil, Gas, and Chemical Sales • 19 yrs.
Provides consultation on Oil, Gas and Chemical Industry protection.

Vince Regan, CPP, PSP – Business Development Mgr. • 20 yrs.
Creates Customer Solutions through Partnerships and Planning.

Jessica Richardson – Service Administrative Manager • 9 yrs.
Manages Service Staff who handle Customer Service & Billing.

Stacie Smith – Engineer • 7 yrs.
Designs Kitchen Suppression and Fire Alarm Systems.

Craig Zimmerman – Restaurant Systems Manager • 15 yrs.
Consultation on all Restaurant Special Hazard Systems.

Randy Wieland – Engineer • 13 yrs.
Designs Fire Sprinkler Systems and Fire Pumps.

Service Sales Staff – Jason Czech, Jim Cox, Toni Lentner
Provide consultation on Vanguard inspection, maintenance, monitoring, and additional services.

Vanguard Specialties

Key Resources

Executive Management Team

Key Vanguard Professionals

For your convenience we have prepared an Adobe PDF File of this information, which may be downloaded here.