Interesting article on Dan Seman

[Security Leader]

Although it can be overdone, photo and name recognition are an integral part of advertising your business. I often use my photo on materials, like this website, my own website, magazine articles and professional brochures. It's all part of putting a face with a name.

Nothing wrong as long as it's tastefully done.

I disagree, the goal should be to try to build a company and a brand, not be based on a person like Seman.

An example from Las Vegas:

2 partners start a show based on their personalities and talents. Their fan base continues to grow and they employee 100's of people. People from all over come to see them. Business is good. Then one day one of the partners is injured. The show can no longer go on and 100's of people are out of work: Siegfried and Roy.

4 friends start as a street show and decide that they will not reveal who they really are. They continue to grow and increase their fan base. Because no one knows who they are they are able to hire more people to participate in the show and take nights off. They can have more shows per week. They continue to hire and teach others and expand by opening shows all around the world. The original friends are no longer part of the show they now just manage the global operations and continue to make large profits: The Blue Man Group

[Badge714]

Although it can be overdone, photo and name recognition are an integral part of advertising your business. I often use my photo on materials, like this website, my own website, magazine articles and professional brochures. It's all part of putting a face with a name.
Nothing wrong as long as it's tastefully done.

I don't think there is anything wrong with pictures on business cards, brochures, etc. for one-man operations like real estate agents, insurance salesmen, consultants, etc.
But it seems kinda cornball for a contract security service. IMHO.

[N. A. Corbier]

He seems to be basing his marketing campaign on: I am Dan Seaman and I will protect you (by proxy).

[Minneapolis Security]

More Craigslist postings on Avalon. This time talking about a class action lawsuit.

avalon sucks

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Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2008-02-29, 3:45PM CST


they are a very bad company, there checks bounce . no health or dental,very low pay, and cindy in hr is very rude, and they make you pay for your own uniform. and if you have ever worked for them and had a hard time I am getting people to start a class action case, i all ready have a lawyer, also i have about 8 people allready to start the case.
dont work from kenny





Location: minneapolis
Compensation: nothing
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

[Minneapolis Security]

It would seem there is some contridictions in what Dan says, and what the City of Minneapolis bid says: City of Minneapolis Bid

Forty hours = 16 hours
Living wage = $10.75

Avalon’s thorough employee screening includes routine credit checks in addition to background
investigations.

I bet they don't do the credit checks, and if they do, do they ever disqualify anyone?

Excellent employee retention, they have a substantially low 28% turn-over rate. Many security
companies run 60-200%.

Then why the hell are they advertising on Craigslist every day?

Doesn't anyone check facts anymore?????

[Minneapolis Security]

No laws apply to him either??? The Minnesota Daily



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November 16, 2007


security


Dome security firm in violation of state law
By Jake Grovum
hey've been called security guards and rent-a-cops, but now a different word could describe them: underqualified.

At all home Gopher football games, Avalon Fortress Security Corporation handles security operations in conjunction with local police departments.

The St. Peter, Minn.-based Gustavus Adolphus College baseball team works at the Metrodome to assist Avalon.

While the baseball players receive three to four hours of training before their work begins, any individual who participates in security operations must take part in a 12-hour training session, according to Minnesota Statute 326.3361. Without providing the full training session, Avalon is in violation of state law.

Much of the baseball team's work involves ushering and ticket scanning, but when there is a large rush of fans at the gate, they might be called to do bag checks and pat-down inspections, Avalon's owner Dan Seman said.

But the second the first baseball player checks a purse or pats down a fan, he becomes a security officer, executive director of the State of Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services Marie Ohman said.

Gustavus baseball players have only performed as security guards at one game this season, but Ohman said that is irrelevant.

"If they start performing security functions, we don't care if it's 1 percent of someone's job description or 100 percent," she said. "If they are performing security functions, they fall under the statutory requirements."

As for their other responsibilities, there is no such 12-hour training requirement.

Gustavus baseball head coach Mike Carroll said he was unaware there were any issues with what his players were

doing.

"That's (Avalon's) problem, and if we knew there was an issue with that, we'd stop doing that immediately," he said. "I'll pull those kids out of there today."

The players work at the games to raise money for the team and told Avalon they only wanted to usher, Carroll said.

The program was also unaware any additional training was needed, Carroll added.

The board handles licensing and compliance issues with security agencies in Minnesota. It continuously monitors a company's compliance, Ohman said.

While he agrees the team should participate in the 12-hour training session, Seman said he disagrees with the statute.

"These people are not enforcing what we call rules or enforcing state statute," he said. "They are simply providing a public safety-type service."

Despite his recognition of its importance, Seman said he would be willing to fight the statute if it "came to blows."

"I would challenge that in a court of law; I would challenge that under any kind of statute," he said. "If worse came to worst, I would attempt to change that statute with the Legislature."

Associate athletics director for facilities and events Scott Ellison said to his knowledge the Gustavus group only ushers at the Metrodome.

"Avalon knows they need to provide trained staff for pat downs," he said. "It's a legal liability issue."

American Security, another local security firm, provides its services at a number of events, but does not use employees on a temporary basis, executive vice president Richard Kohl said.

"It's very difficult to use temporary people that way," he said. "You'd never get them cleared in time to the state agencies."

Aside from the lack of training, Kohl said accountability is another issue with Avalon's practices.

"You get so far removed from any accountability as to the person's status," he said. "As a license holder, the presumption is you will do all the things necessary to ensure the individuals perform in a manner that's good for the public safety."

Ultimately, Kohl said it is not until something goes wrong that attention is brought to an issue like this.

"It's only when something goes terrible that people make the action," he said. "When there's an incident, that's often what sparks a change."


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[Caribou]

Regarding the Twin Cities Mag "interview" with Dan: I was employed by Avalon at the time that article was published and know just how wrong it was. The president noticed the raised eyebrows and said it was considered advertising, not journalism.

The 40 hours of training Dan mentioned are pure fabrication, unless he meant some sort of on the job training. New hires got the minimum of 12, and were lucky to have a room at the National Sport Center with an actual instructor; a far cry from Avalon's previous practice, which was to stuff them in a cramped room just off the lobby and leave with a television and a VCR full of training tapes.

But, to be fair, they were in other states, for a time. Avalon provided service in California and Arizona. They lasted less than a year in each state; poor management and out of control overtime left them with no choice but to close shop.

And as far as I know, they've never run any sort of credit check on any employee. They do run names through the BCA website and send prints to the FBI, but that's it.

Finally, about the article in the Daily…frankly, I’m surprised news of this sort hasn’t come out before.

[Deputy Dawg]

More Craigslist postings on Avalon. This time talking about a class action lawsuit.

avalon sucks

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2008-02-29, 3:45PM CST


they are a very bad company, there checks bounce . no health or dental,very low pay, and cindy in hr is very rude, and they make you pay for your own uniform. and if you have ever worked for them and had a hard time I am getting people to start a class action case, i all ready have a lawyer, also i have about 8 people allready to start the case.
dont work from kenny





Location: minneapolis
Compensation: nothing
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

"This posting has been flagged for removal
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Interesting heheh.

It really is amazing how much smoke someone will blow up everyone's butts just to make themselves look good in terms of this guys security company.