NEWS

This content was originally published in Alaska Business Magazine, by writer Vanessa Orr.

Guarding the lobby of an office building. Watching the entrance gates at a conference venue. Patrolling a fairground, head on a swivel. Responding in the dark of night to a burglar alarm. Monitoring camera feeds from a remote panopticon. Private security takes many forms, and providers have many tools to protect clients’ assets. According to Gitnux Market Data, more than 1 million security guards were employed nationwide in 2020, and revenues from contract security services totaled around $41 billion.

Demand for these services is projected to reach nearly $46.2 billion in North America by 2024. In Alaska, demand is growing as well.

“What’s happening in the country in general—with active shootings, defunding police activism, and more—has increased interest in the demand for private security as a result,” says Denali Universal Services (DUS) President and CEO Maria Bourne. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in activity due to larger social changes.”

Read the full article online at Alaska Business Magazine »

Denali Universal Services (DUS) is announcing that Bob Kean, who has spent the last 20 years with DUS, is retiring effective December 31, 2020 after a long and esteemed career of both public and private service. Mr. Kean has made significant contributions to the growth of DUS during his tenure and will continue to serve DUS and Sodexo in an advisory role. DUS wishes Mr. Kean well in his retirement and thanks him for his many contributions.

Following Mr. Keans’ departure, DUS is pleased to announce that Maria Bourne has been promoted to President, effective January 1, 2021. Over the past five years as Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer, Maria has been responsible for DUS’s financial management. Her responsibilities included supervising operational execution, assisting in company growth, facilitating development, and supervising internal management. Along with her BBA in Accounting from the University of Alaska, Maria is a Certified Public Accountant and has spent over a decade in Senior Financial Management positions. Prior to DUS, she worked at KPMG, where her work focused on auditing, advisory, and valuation services.

“I am grateful to have spent twenty years with this company, and am very proud of what the DUS team has accomplished together,” said Mr. Kean. “As the future unfolds, I have great confidence that DUS is in terrific hands for future success. Maria Bourne has been preparing for this and the timing is right for her to transition into the role as President of DUS.”

How remote workers ‘fuel up’ while on site
By Amy Newman

It takes a lot to keep Alaska’s remote worksites running smoothly. Whether it’s transporting goods and materials, maintaining operating equipment, or managing camp quarters, support service companies play an integral role in keeping the mining, oil and gas, and other critical industries open for business.

Perhaps the most vital of these services? Food. Catering camps provide the fuel for a workforce that spends 12-hour days hundreds of miles from home, weeks at a time. Good, hearty food–and lots of it–is what keeps them going.

Read the full article here »

Denali Universal Services (DUS) is pleased to announce that ConstructSecure has awarded DUS with their Gold Safety Award. ConstructSecure is an independent safety assessment program that reviews a company’s historic safety performance and current safety management systems. It is widely used in the commercial construction business, of whom we are proud to partner with in the protection of assets. 

The DUS Security Division strengths highlighted by Construct Secure in their assessment as “better than industry average” include: 

• Days away case and restricted cases 
• Recordable cases 
• EMR 
• No fatalities in the past 
• Safety Management Systems 
• Safety Program elements 
• Special elements 

“The professionals who work in our Security Division and Safety Teams are committed to safety every day, at work and at home. It is my pleasure to congratulate our team for their relentless commitment to our safety performance and the values that are part of the DUS culture,” said Bob Kean, President and CEO for Denali Universal Services. 

Texas Security Division Recognized For Year Of Superior Safety Performance

Denali Universal Services Security Division is honored to announce that the security division at the Chevron Phillips Chemical sites in Texas has been awarded the  Contractor Safety Excellence Award, a Safety Award for outstanding safety accomplishments.

The award is presented annually to contractor companies that achieve superior safety performance while working for Chevron Phillips Chemical during the award year.  There are several eligibility requirements to include cumulative hours worked and meeting Chevron Phillips Chemical total recordable incidence rate safety target.

“On behalf of our leadership team, I congratulate the security division at the Chevron Phillips Chemical sites for their commitment to high standards of safety every day,” said Corey Parrent, Director of Health Safety and Environment for Denali Universal Services.  “We’re proud to receive this award because it shows our commitment to safety performance and honored to have been selected as a recipient two years in a row.”

On January 31, 2017 Sodexo acquired 100% of Doyon Universal Services (DUS), previously a Limited Liability Company between Sodexo and Doyon Limited.

Effective February 1st, DUS will continue to serve its clients as a 100% Sodexo-owned business, focusing as always on supporting Alaskan Native outreach and employment as well as quality of life and safety for its employees and consumers.