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Melvin Dewitt opted to open his own security firm in 2011 because it’s what he knew best.

The Darlington native spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, working in security and logistics, and then went to work for an outside security firm after he retired from the military in 2004.

“While I was in the military I did security work on my own time,” said Dewitt, whose jobs included working security at New York’s Kennedy International Airport and providing protection for a law firm. 

Today, Dewitt runs G&I Security Co. in Columbia. G&I provides armed and unarmed security, and employees handle both foot and vehicle patrols for clients. His employees provide protection for an array of sites, including factories, apartment complexes, and malls.

G&I serves the Midlands and beyond. Among previous jobs, G&I Security was employed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, for several years, providing security at disaster sites such as the 2015 Columbia flood. The company also provides event security and serves legal documents.

Dewitt joined the Army at 19 and rose to the rank of sergeant first class. Among his responsibilities  was logistics management and transportation, he said.

“I ordered everything from beans and bullets to guns and tanks. Anything the Army needed, I ordered,” Dewitt said.

The military has long been an important part of life in South Carolina, and the state has a significant population of veterans. There were more than 63,000 military retirees living in the state as of 2022, the eighth most in the nation, according to a June 2022 study prepared for the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

“Veterans are highly sought after for their technical skills, security clearances, work ethic, integrity, and attention to detail,” the report stated.

In the U.S., South Carolina regularly ranks among states with the highest share of veteran-owned businesses, with more than 12 percent of businesses owned by a military vet, according to a 2022 report by the Small Business Administration. In all, the state had nearly 7,800 veteran-owned businesses employing more than 50,000 workers.

G&I Security focuses on the recruitment of veterans and empowering them through:           

·        Giving veterans preference during hiring

·        Working with state agencies such as the state department of veterans’ affairs to recruit veterans

·        Providing SLED-certified security training for employees. 

Among the benefits of Dewitt’s time in the service was the emphasis on honesty and responsibility, he said.

“Being in the Army helped me a lot,” Dewitt said. “Look at what you have to do when you’ve involved with logistics, for example. Anything you order has to be secured so that nothing happens to it, such as it being lost or stolen. This was especially important when I was working with weapons.”

It was ideal preparation for what he’s doing now, Dewitt added.

Dewitt, 63, anticipates running G&I for another five years, then turning it over to his son and his nephew.

For now, he’ll continue working to serve customers in Columbia and the rest of the Midlands.

“My philosophy is pretty simple: Tell the truth, be on time, be honest, and be respectful to the public,” he said.