Family-owned and operated, Palmer’s Security Solutions (PSS) distributes, manufactures, and installs a full range of high-security door systems, supporting the client throughout the entire process from pre-construction and logistics to operations and support. At PSS, innovation and customer service are always at the forefront, ensuring that clients receive door systems carefully engineered for top performance.
Based near Washington, D.C. in Manassas, Virginia, the rapidly growing business is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Before co-founding PSS, husband and wife team Scott and Trish Palmer already owned and operated Palmer’s Contracting Group, which dedicated itself to designing, building, and consulting for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF), Special Access Program Facilities (SAPFs), and tenant construction throughout the country.
Scott and Trish’s son, Matt Palmer, started working at PCG right after graduating high school and worked there for several years learning the nuances of the physical security industry. “I started working alongside the door installers that we had at this time and learned the installation process, and became proficient at the installations, and I thought, ‘Why aren’t we doing this ourselves?’ and that blossomed into the idea to start PSS.” The launch of a related business was a natural next step for the Palmer team. Matt quickly proved pivotal in the decision to extend the family’s knowledge and expertise into door security.
The family built this new sister company slowly, from the ground up. “We started supplying and installing all of our doors in-house,” says Palmer. “In those early days, it was just the family and one carpenter, with the company doing a couple hundred thousand a year [in revenue],” he recalls. “To expand, we hired a business development manager, and we quickly moved into a multimillion dollar company.” Matt moved into the Vice President role and quickly excelled at pushing the business to new heights.
The business continued to grow at a rapid pace over the next few years. “We are now pushing 40-plus staff members and are nearing $30 million in revenue for 2024,” says Palmer.
The company specializes in a variety of door solutions that are resistant to hazards including sound transmission class (STC), radio frequency (RF), blast, ballistic, forced entry, and multi-threat. Accredited by the United States Government for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF), PSS doors boast RF shielding attenuation ratings from 40 decibels to 60 decibels.
Third-party laboratory testing conducted by Keystone Compliance ensures that the company’s doors meet or exceed IEEE-299-V.6 and other policy documents. All PSS doors come in a range of sizes and finishes, from painted standard hollow metal to high-end custom veneer finishes, including for historical sites.
In addition to providing its own line of specially engineered STC/RF door systems, the company is a door distributor for Overly Door Company, Stafford Bridge, Metal Products Inc., and many more. In addition to providing doors, PSS supplies high-security hardware through Lockmasters Inc., Surelock McGill, KABA Mas, Sargeant & Greenleaf, and other top manufacturers.
PSS has been at the forefront of the industry since its inception. In 2017, the team partnered with Stafford Bridge, a UK-based door company, to deliver a superior forced entry and ballistic resistant solution. In 2019, PSS tested a range of door systems and vision panels by Oregon Ballistics Laboratories meeting the Department of State standard testing requirements US DOS STD-01.01, Revision G. As a result, PSS can offer wood core forced entry and ballistic resistant door systems that will resist 15 to 60 minutes of attack.
The team identified another gap in the market and worked closely with Overly Door Company to improve what had been a standard acoustical solution. “For years, there have been RF mitigations in the walls for these secure spaces,” Palmer explains. “But no one really took a look at the doors.” In turn, PSS “partnered with Overly Door Company, a globally recognized leader in the STC door manufacturer industry, and we redesigned their frame, added innovatively designed seals and other enhancements to specifically mitigate radio frequency signals, and patented it with Overly’s approval. We were successful in creating our own STC/RF door system to protect from RF shielding loss at the openings that were never really addressed at the time. We saw this as an imperative need to prepare for the U.S. Government’s TEMPEST countermeasures sweeping across the industry.”
These efforts put the company ahead of the curve, where it remains to this day. “Our door is one of the fastest to the market,” says Palmer. “Our cost is extremely competitive, and the installation process is equivalent to the original acoustic doors that most [companies] are very familiar with, therefore training and installation is much easier than with a lot of our competitors.”
The company continues to roll out new and improved products. “We have our STC/RF door,” Palmer states. “It’s patented, and it’s an STC 52 with an RF rating of 60.” The team has also recently added a solution that is UL 10C fire rated. “And then we also can reinforce the door and the frame to meet UL 752 Level 3 ballistic rating,” he adds.
PSS has grown substantially over the last decade, but the positive company culture remains the same as the day it was founded. “Our company is very young,” Palmer says. “Our staff is also generally very young,” and their youth brings a healthy level of enthusiasm to the company and the work that they produce. “I think our clients will concur and resonate with that.” This enthusiasm helps the company stand out from the competition. “We really strive to improve the industry standard,” says Palmer. “We strive to provide a great product and a seamless installation process for our clients, and remain at the top of the industry standards.”
The company is confident in its products and backs them up with a promise that they will meet all required ratings. “As long as the surrounding structure is built correctly, we guarantee our openings,” Palmer says.
Presently, the team is studying the market and planning to continue evolving along with the industry. “RF ratings and acoustical ratings will never go away, so that will always remain a focus. The team also foresees an increased focus on forced entry and ballistic resistant doors,” says Palmer.
“The United States has never looked at physical attack as a real threat until recently,” he points out. Many European countries have already taken this into consideration when it comes to secure doors, and the United States is beginning to follow suit. “They have more terrorism activity over in Europe, but now the [U.S.] Government is starting to realize that physical threats are potential and door openings need to be reinforced,” he says.
The company is eager to continue its mission to meet customers’ secure door needs, through contracted research and development for door opening solutions with multiple customers. “Looking onward and upward, we’re going to come out with a lot more products to better serve our clients, be able to supply them with exactly what they need, whenever they need it, and continue pushing forward.”
