Kurt Eimer’s 37-year Experience Shows Colleagues the Way
When Kurt Eimer watches new employees undergoing New Hire Training at GardaWorld, he feels a strong sense of satisfaction and pride. He knows from long experience that proper training is what keeps GardaWorld’s employees secure on the job and gets them back to their families safe and sound each evening.
 
“I’m passionate about training because when I was starting out as an armored car driver back in 1976 it didn’t exist,” Kurt says, remembering his first days as a part-time driver in the Orange Branch in Southern California. “I showed up on my first day. They gave me a key and a gun and said ‘good luck.’ Training was all done ‘on the job.’ If you were fortunate enough to be partnered with an experienced veteran who was willing to teach, you were all set. Otherwise you were on your own,” Kurt recalls.
 
“I constantly emphasize to our employees that the best way we can keep them safe out there is to train them properly,” Kurt says, speaking from direct experience he received as a Training Crew Leader for Orange Country. “I saw the positive impact that good training had on people so when I had the opportunity to build a training function for GardaWorld, I jumped at the chance.”
 
Seizing opportunities has been instrumental to Kurt’s success at GardaWorld. He was working in the construction industry when a slowdown in business, coupled with his recent marriage engagement, caused him to seek a better job.
 
“My dad was a firefighter and worked part-time as an Armored Car Driver,” Kurt recalls. “He suggested I give it a try and two weeks later I was a part-time driver.” He enjoyed the work, remembering a favorite route along the Pacific Coast Highway and the beaches.
 
After seven years “on the trucks,” a Branch Manager suggested he consider a management position as Nighttime Cash Vault Supervisor. Kurt was nervous at the prospect of that major change but after his wife encouraged him to give it a try, he took the plunge.
 
What followed was a steady progression of promotions – from Assistant Branch Manager to Branch Manager in Orange County to District Manager for the Los Angeles Basin before being promoted to Vice President of Operations for Southern California, overseeing 25 branch offices. With each new position, Kurt applied the same approach, to learn as much as possible, not only about his specific position, but about everything he could.
 
When GardaWorld acquired the company in 2006, Kurt was named Executive Vice President for Western Operations and his role further expanded to managing the Midwest Region and the Training Department, and most recently being promoted to Senior Vice President, Co-Head US South.
 
“Growing with GardaWorld has been an awesome experience for me,” Kurt states. “For a guy with a high school education to get the opportunity to go from a part-time driver to a senior executive position shows what a unique and open-minded company GardaWorld is. I was able to learn the business from the bottom up. One advantage that gives me as a manager is that I’ve worked in every position my folks are in so I know what the experience is like. No one can say ‘you don’t know what it’s like.’ And when it comes to doing the job, they can’t fool me either,” he notes with a chuckle.
 
“I encourage people to learn as much as possible, not just about the position they are in, but about everything in the business so they can understand the big picture and know how their role fits into the larger scheme of things,” Kurt emphasizes. When opportunities come along, grab them; don’t be afraid to try something new. This is a good company. People at GardaWorld will help you to achieve your goals.”
 
The strong growth that GardaWorld Cash Services has enjoyed has created tremendous opportunities for employees everywhere in the organization, Kurt points out. People can work almost anywhere and new opportunities are constantly arising.
 
“People at GardaWorld are really special,” Kurt stresses. “The company is full of people who are dedicated to making GardaWorld the number one company in our industry.” Kurt especially treasures the personal relationships he has built with co-workers and with customers over the years. During his career he has won numerous awards, including one from Bank of America. He has more than 30 commendations from law enforcement agencies for the assistance he has provided in investigations and in supporting their organizations.
 
“If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Kurt concludes. “I have never had a day where I didn’t love what I was doing. Every day brings new things, new challenges. The road isn’t always smooth but if you believe in yourself and in what you’re doing, this is an awesome job.”