Inspiring Conversations with George Holt of Solutions Group International

Today we’d like to introduce you to George Holt.

Hi George, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
I entered law enforcement in 1989 and began working in the Low-Income Housing Projects in Los Angeles. I worked there for 15 years, then did the last 10 years of my career working for the LAX Airport Police. I worked a variety of assignments in my 25-year career, including Patrol, Narcotics, SWAT, and K9. I retired in 2014 at the rank of Sergeant II. In 2003, Mike Duffy (one of my old police partners) and I started our company, Solutions Group International. We specialize in security and investigative services for ultra-high net-worth families, corporations, and the high-value freight industry. 

We also conduct training for law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With neither Mike nor myself having any real background in business, there was A LOT to learn. Through trial and error, we figured out how employment law works, how to line up short-term financing, etc. We also learned that traditional marketing methods don’t really work when dealing with ultra-high net worth clients. It’s all about word of mouth at that level (billionaires talk to other billionaires, and there are less than 600 of them in the U.S.), so providing a quality service is the best thing you can do for your business. Referrals have been everything, so it’s all about reputation and relationships. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We’ve developed a very robust Training Division over the last 20 years, which is what I think would be of the most interest to your readers. We train hundreds of civilian shooters each year in the fundamentals of marksmanship, safe gun handling, licensing and permitting, etc. We also present a lot of corporate team-building events, which we refer to as our Executive Warrior Experience. That program is run by Special Operations personnel from the Law Enforcement and Military communities and involves team building, leadership, and hard skills development. It’s become VERY popular post-COVID, as people are back in the office now, and management is looking to reinforce teamwork. 

We have a 16,000 sq ft training facility here in Riverside, which has classrooms, a medical training lab for CPR/AED/First Aid training, a very large and well-maintained CrossFit gym, and two state-of-the-art Police Shooting Simulators. 

People really enjoy the simulators because they provide a very immersive experience. It’s a safe place to learn judgmental shooting (Shoot/Don’t Shoot), marksmanship, and situational awareness. Not only do armed professionals come and train on our simulators, so do civilians who want to learn how to safely and properly use a firearm. 

Any big plans?
We are looking forward to continued growth each year, which we’ve usually been able to achieve each and every year. Our expansion into the High-Value Freight Security space has been a huge catalyst for growth these last few years. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.solutionsgroupinternational.com
• Instagram: @solutionsgroupinternational