'20 under 40' 2012- Nick Perry

Nick Perry, 28
Director of business development
Security Networks
West Palm Beach, Fla.

How did you get into the security industry?

When I was about 17 years old, my father (Rich Perry) was starting up Security Networks and I needed a summer job, so I was recruited to be an installer. We were a commercial fire alarm company and I was installing commercial fire and camera systems, and I've worked here ever since. I've been involved with a lot of the different sides of the business. I went to school in Orlando at the University of Central Florida and we happen to have been buying a central station right at the time, so throughout college I worked in our central station as an operator and also as an installer on the side. After that, I moved back to West Palm Beach on the business development side, growing our dealer program. I like the industry and I saw it had a lot to offer.

What can be done to attract more young people to the industry?

The industry is changing. It's more of a high-paced, direct-sales type of business, where in the past it may have been more traditional mom-and-pop companies. If you look at the fast-growing door-to-door companies … they've really built a lot of awareness with young people and there are fewer barriers to entry now. Young people can start up with a program like the Security Networks program and get the funding they need to get a business off the ground quickly. … So, to attract them, you need to show them it's something you can get into easily from the ground floor.

Who in the industry has helped you most in your security career?

My father. He's the one who gave me the opportunity to get into the industry and who has mentored me over the past 10 years.