RapidFire Safety & Security has appointed Ken Obermeyer as its new Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 32 years of CFO experience in the security and life safety industry to the growing company. Obermeyer's extensive background includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of Interface Security Systems for 27 years from 1998 to 2025, where he provided strategic financial leadership for one of the industry's leading security and life safety companies. His career also includes serving as VP of Finance at Centennial Security Systems and as Controller of the Ohio-based security business that became the platform for Centennial Security Systems.
Mike McLeod, CEO and Founder of RapidFire Safety & Security, expressed enthusiasm about the appointment, noting his previous 18-year working relationship with Obermeyer. McLeod stated that after spending 18 years working with Obermeyer executing a successful growth strategy together that included more than 40 acquisitions, he is very excited to be reunited with him as they move into the next phase of their growth strategy at RapidFire. McLeod emphasized that this is a big deal for the company, and the fact that Obermeyer chose to join their team speaks volumes about their vision and the team they're building.
Obermeyer's appointment supports RapidFire's ambitious growth strategy and enhances the company's capabilities to support its expanding branch operations. The company's multi-regional 'Buy & Build' strategy is driving the development of a world-class platform throughout the Midwest, Southwest and Western United States. Adam Lucas of Concentric Equity Partners, which partners with RapidFire, emphasized the significance of Obermeyer's hiring, noting that his decades of experience building fire and life safety businesses and financial leadership will make him a valued member of the team as RapidFire continues to execute upon its strategic growth plans.
RapidFire Safety & Security offers comprehensive expertise in fire, life safety, and electronic security services to the commercial sector. For more information about the company's services and operations, visit https://www.rapidfiress.com. The appointment comes as RapidFire continues to seek entrepreneurs and owners in the fire, life safety, and security industries who want to extend their legacy and community impact with people-focused leadership. Obermeyer's extensive experience in managing financial operations through multiple acquisitions positions him well to support RapidFire's expansion initiatives and strategic objectives in the competitive safety and security market.
For HR vendors serving the safety and security industry, this appointment signals RapidFire's serious commitment to aggressive growth through acquisition. Obermeyer's track record of managing over 40 acquisitions during his previous tenure suggests that RapidFire is positioning itself for significant market consolidation activity. This could create new partnership opportunities for HR technology and service providers as the company expands its operations across multiple regions. The emphasis on people-focused leadership in their acquisition strategy indicates that human capital management will be a critical component of their growth, potentially driving demand for HR solutions that support integration of acquired companies and talent retention during expansion phases.
The appointment also reflects broader trends in the safety and security industry where experienced financial leadership is becoming increasingly valuable as companies pursue consolidation strategies. For vendors in the HR space, understanding these industry dynamics can help identify emerging opportunities with growing companies like RapidFire that are actively building platforms through acquisition. Obermeyer's specific experience in the security and life safety sector gives him unique insights into the financial and operational challenges of scaling businesses in this specialized field, which could influence how RapidFire approaches talent management and organizational development as they execute their growth strategy.
