Corporate History

As a young man in in the Kingdom of Laos, Sam Boutchantharaj witnessed the horrors of communism up close. Family and friends suffered and died by the hands of the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese.

The prospect of an oppressed life drove Sam to join the Royal Lao Army in 1968 where he quickly rose to the rank of Lieutenant. His regiment was a proxy extension of the highly classified, multi-service U.S. Special Operations Group which was later renamed as the more innocuous Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) .

These elite soldiers executed clandestine operations for the CIA and Special Forces that were never officially acknowledged. While they appreciated the backing of the U.S. military, that support often amounted to little more than parceled intelligence, planning assistance and an intent to avoid shooting the conscripts.

Beyond that, mere survival required tough and resourceful combat under conditions few of us can imagine. For eight long years these men fought the communists’ incursions while protecting their communities and American comrades from continuous attempts at ambush and sabotage.

By 1975 Sam’s courage and valor had earned him the rank of Brigadier Commander as well as the silent respect and gratitude of some of the U.S. military’s most senior officials. Later in life, President George W. Bush would quietly award Sam a Reference of Distinction for his valiant support of our troops. But at the time, nearly a decade of war had garnered Sam some unwanted attention as well.

Now a marked man with a Vietcong price on his head, Sam bowed to the insistent tears of his Mother and hid with his wife in a Thai refugee camp for the next four years. It was there that he and Chiengkham started a family.

The years of war not only honed Sam’s martial prowess, they also furthered his understanding of the precepts and ideals that made the United States so great. The concept of a nation built by learned scholars who cherry-picked the best of the world’s governing styles and rejected those that limited liberty and justice had enormous appeal.

In 1980, now with a young son, the Boutchantharajs arrived in California with nothing more than the clothes they wore and a thirst for opportunity. Grateful for the kind support of their sponsors, the new arrivals toiled long hours with few breaks.

Besides working multiple jobs to support his family, Sam also poured himself into studies of the tenets upon which this country was founded. He carried his English dictionaries everywhere he went. When presented with the opportunity, Sam jumped at a chance to apply his soldierly skills as an armored guard. In fact, he was so eager to return to protective operations that he obtained concurrent security jobs which kept him busy seven days a week.

Upon the advice of friends and with an eye further into the heartland, Sam Boutchantharaj brought his growing family to Texas. It was there that he started DFW Security Protective Force in 2002.

Like any start-up, the small but dedicated patrol struggled for two years before winning their first City contract and soon after regional and State contracts. By 2006 they had grown the venture to over $100,000 in annual sales.

And they expanded their operations throughout Texas. With significant emphasis on training and certification that continues to this day, they were designated as a certified Texas Department of Public Safety Private security Training School. That designation evolved to approval to instruct at all levels of Private Security by 2006.

Later that year annual revenues had grown to over $1M, their fleet numbered more than 20 vehicles and their field of operations expanded outside of Texas. They became regionally certified by the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency in 2008.

By 2012 DFW Security Protective Force had ballooned to over 100 guards and had garnered both SBA 8(a) and HUB designations. That year also brought especially rewarding recognition to them when Inc. Magazine determined that they were one of the 5,000 fastest growing corporations with a 44% increase in revenues. They soared up the ranks of that club with 168% growth the following year. And they were named as one of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce's 50 fastest growing Asian American businesses.

Success like that doesn’t just come from hard work and determination. It requires unwavering customer satisfaction and burgeoning requests from new clients.

Just as important as their remarkable business achievements, Texas Mutual Insurance bestowed their Top Safe Working Environment award upon DFW Security Protective Force in 2014. By then they had opened offices in Washington D.C. and New York.

Although Sam Boutchantharaj has turned the reins over to his more than capable sons, his ethics and principals remain a cornerstone of the business. Resolute commitments to performance, employee retention, safety and superior management processes continue to keep their growing customer base happy. You can easily be a happy DFW Security Protective Force customer too.