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Franchise of the Month: Big-Time Business, a Small-Town Feel

Business is a family affair at Signal of Greenville-Spartanburg. Andrew Crisp, owner, and his twin brother, Adam, the Director of Operations have seen exceptional success in their community. In 2020, Andrew, a former Sheriff’s Deputy, launched his franchise and quickly realized being proactive was going to be the best way to find success in his market.

“Like any franchise owner at the very beginning,” he said, “your head is spinning. I’ve got to do this and this and the sales cycle says I need to go after apartments, so we went after 50 or 100 apartments but only got two yeses. After that, we were like okay, we really need to figure this out. What are we able to go and get outside of apartments? That really broke our entire franchise open.”

Andrew took a meeting with an assistant superintendent of an area school district about working football games, a service the franchise hadn’t tackled yet.

“We always give a yes, absolutely, we can do that,” said Andrew, “They asked for six people for the game, and I was like six? At the time we had one employee, one vehicle, only two contracts. But I said yes, so we just had to start pulling everything together. I called family and friends and said, ‘This is going to be big for us.’ We showed up that night and rocked it out.”

The school district asked for Andrew’s franchise to work the game again the next week, then for the rest of the season. Andrew started hiring more staff and the rest is history.

“It just snowballed,” he said, “We started training our staff on metal detectors and wands for the football games, then brought those into the schools. We came with the metal detectors and started staffing for the schools. But it all began with a yes.”

In the end, Andrew’s franchise began contracts at elementary schools, middle schools, a freshman academy and the local high school. In November 2022, the franchise was also awarded a contract at Clemson University, putting Signal’s presence in schools at every level in the area. The team’s dedication to their community and incredible growth over the last year are just two of the reasons Signal of Greenville-Spartanburg is Signal’s Franchise of the Month for March 2023.

Andrew, who’s lived in this community for years, said that while relationships may help you get to the table, sustaining his success has been a matter of hard work and commitment to his community.

“The relationships and the partnerships that you nurture and gather through the years, they’re only one piece of the pie. If you don’t actually deliver and uphold what you say you will do, then those relationships don’t mean anything.”

At the heart of the Crisp’s franchise is the people. As much as they’ve grown, Andrew said they’ve never lost that small-town feel.

“We have people beating down the door to come in, not to leave,” Andrew said, “and that’s culture. That’s the environment that our executive staff has created. We want that small-town feel even though we’re getting big-time contracts. We want everyone to know that they can contact us, they can always call us. We pay a good living wage, but you don’t have to pay an outrageous amount to get your people to stick around. You just have to care about them.”

The small-town family feel doesn’t stop with the employees. Andrew and his team make sure to maintain and grow the relationships they’ve built in the community.

“We’re here to make a difference,” he said, “to give back to our community and share our blessings. The money is nice but that’s not what we’re in it for. If you’re in it for that you won’t be able to sustain your success. No amount of money will be enough, you’ll be chasing your tail. But if you do it for the right reasons because you want to give back to your community, you want to show your kids how a business is supposed to be run, how to treat people, you’ll gain the world.”

For Barb Alekna and Greg Pencosky, building Signal of West Virginia has always been about more than growing a security business. It’s about creating an organization where people can build meaningful careers, develop into leaders, and make a lasting impact in the communities they serve.

Since launching Signal of West Virginia in September 2024, that vision has guided the team’s approach to growth. From earning their first client to developing their first leaders, Barb and Greg have focused on building the business one relationship, one employee, and one client at a time.

That commitment to people, consistency, and continuous improvement is helping Signal of West Virginia establish a reputation for professionalism and dependable service across the state.

Building a Culture People Can Grow In

When Barb and Greg reflect on what makes them most proud, their answer comes back to their team. From the beginning, they wanted to create more than a successful security company. They wanted to build a career culture where employees could grow, take pride in their work, and become leaders.

“We strive to create an environment where each security officer and team member understands they’re not simply filling a security post,” they explain. “They’re protecting people, building relationships, solving problems, and representing the Signal brand with professionalism and integrity.”

That philosophy shapes how the team approaches every client and every assignment. Whether supporting apartment communities, healthcare facilities, major retailers, or special events, officers are expected to bring more than security expertise to the job.

Professionalism, reliability, communication, and dedication are all part of the standard.

For Barb and Greg, some of the most rewarding moments come from watching that culture take shape: seeing a new hire gain confidence, an officer advance into a leadership role, or a client recognize a team member for going above and beyond.

Earning Growth One Relationship at a Time

Launching a new franchise comes with challenges, but building Signal of West Virginia meant starting almost entirely from scratch.

Before the first contract, the organization had no established presence in the state, no existing clients, no employees, and no revenue. Barb and Greg had experience leading successful Signal operations, but they understood that success in another market wouldn’t automatically translate to West Virginia.

Instead, they relied on proven Signal processes while taking the time to understand the local market and build credibility from the ground up.

“Everything we’ve built since then has been earned one relationship, one employee, and one client at a time.”

That approach required humility, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. Not every proposal became a contract, and not every challenge had an immediate solution, but each experience became an opportunity to improve.

From securing their first client and hiring their first employee to celebrating their first promotion and major contract, each milestone represented another step toward building a reputation in West Virginia.

Continuous Improvement Drives the Team

For the Signal of West Virginia team, showing up at their best starts with a mindset of continuous improvement.

“We never want to become complacent or assume we know everything,” they explain. “Every conversation with a client, every interaction with an employee, every success, failure, and every challenge give us an opportunity to learn, improve, and become better than we were yesterday.”

That mindset extends beyond individual performance. Barb and Greg see clear communication as one of their most important responsibilities as leaders.

By staying connected with clients, supporting their team, and being proactive instead of reactive, they work to build trust and strengthen relationships.

For them, long-term growth isn’t something to chase. It’s something to earn through consistent effort, strong relationships, and exceptional service.

Redefining Professional Security

As Signal of West Virginia continues to grow, Barb and Greg want the community to see private security as more than simply placing officers at a post.

Their goal is to build long-term partnerships, invest in the communities they serve, and create a career culture where employees are empowered to make a positive difference.

“We’re here for the long-term, and we genuinely care about making West Virginia a safer place to live, work, and do business.”

That commitment is supported by the combination of Signal’s global resources and local, owner-led leadership.

The team benefits from Signal’s technology, innovation, experienced leadership, and proven operating model while maintaining a local presence built around responsiveness, accountability, and lasting relationships.

For Signal of West Virginia, that means officers aren’t simply providing security. They’re becoming an extension of their clients’ teams—protecting people, safeguarding property, assisting employees and visitors, and representing both the client and Signal with professionalism.

The goal is to become a trusted partner that helps reduce risk, strengthen operations, and provide lasting peace of mind.

Developing People and Leaders

For Barb and Greg, one of the most rewarding parts of ownership is watching people grow.

Whether it’s mentoring an officer into a leadership role, helping an employee build a long-term career, or developing a client relationship into a trusted partnership, those moments represent the impact they hope to create.

They also recognize that growth doesn’t happen in isolation.

The Signal network has provided opportunities to learn from experienced security leaders, including Paul Alekna and the team at Signal of Canton-Youngstown. Their mentorship and willingness to share experiences have played an important role in the growth of Signal of West Virginia.

That collaboration reflects another strength of the Signal network: franchises supporting one another and sharing knowledge to help each other succeed.

Building What Comes Next

For Barb and Greg, the most exciting part of the journey is knowing they’re still building.

“Every new team member we develop, every client relationship we earn, and every opportunity to strengthen our team is another chance to make a lasting impact.”

Their focus remains straightforward: invest in their people, serve clients with excellence, and build an organization that employees, clients, and the community can be proud of.

Being named Franchise of the Month for May 2026 is an important milestone, but the recognition is viewed as motivation rather than a finish line.

Barb and Greg credit their entire team for the franchise’s success and remain focused on creating a career culture where great people can grow, delivering exceptional service, and making a lasting impact throughout West Virginia.

Congratulations to Barb Alekna, Greg Pencosky, and the entire Signal of West Virginia team on being named May Franchise of the Month in 2026. Their commitment to developing people, serving their communities, and growing with purpose is a powerful example of what’s possible across the Signal network.

 

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