Mr. Henry Clyde Harrison

Henry Clyde Harrison is a native of Sans Souci and grew up on a "Mill Hill".He graduated from Parker High School in 1950 and went to work at Milliken Company's Judson Mill.At age 21, Harrison joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol and spent the next 20 years serving his Home State on the force.In 1975, Mr. Harrison and his late partner, Sam Boan, founded American Security of Greenville, Inc. which later became the multi million dollar American Services, Inc.
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Over the years Mr. Harrison has contributed much of his time and energy to the growth Of Greenville, South Carolina.He has served on many boards in the Upstate area.

Henry Harrison, Chairman and CEO of American Services, Inc. currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.He is a man of honor, integrity and loyalty.He is a true southern gentleman with unimaginable success, dedication to his family, and passion for his friends all over the Country.We are honored and fortunate to call Mr. Harrison our friend.

Additional contributions may be made to: The Henry Clyde Harrison Scholarship Fund, c/o Albini DeLuca, 155 Weeping Willow Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579.

Henry Clyde Harrison is a native of Sans Souci and grew up on a "Mill Hill". He graduated from Parker High School in 1950 and went to work at Milliken Company's Judson Mill. At age 21, Harrison joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol and spent the next 20 years serving his Home State on the force. In 1975, Mr. Harrison and his late partner, Sam Boan, founded American Security of Greenville, Inc. which later became the multi million dollar American Services, Inc.
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Over the years Mr. Harrison has contributed much of his time and energy to the growth Of Greenville, South Carolina. He has served on many boards in the Upstate area.

Henry Harrison, Chairman and CEO of American Services, Inc. currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina. He is a man of honor, integrity and loyalty. He is a true southern gentleman with unimaginable success, dedication to his family, and passion for his friends all over the Country. We are honored and fortunate to call Mr. Harrison our friend.

Henry C. Harrison - CEO

Greenville-based American Services, founded by Henry Harrison, front, provides security for companies across the Southeast.
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But Henry C. Harrison, chairman and chief executive officer of Greenville-based American Services Inc., is riding high, with sales of approximately $50 million and growing.

Harrison, 72, oversees a privately held company that offers security, janitorial and staffing services and has about 2,700 employees.Its largest division is American Security, which handles day-to-day security programs for small and large businesses.

Since 1996, the parent company's sales and employment have more than quadrupled as it has grown and diversified.Its security division's client base alone runs 24 pages, including some of the Upstate's largest textile, grocery, hospital, automotive and trucking businesses.

"No sir, never dreamed it would be," Harrison says when asked if had any idea his company would become like it is.

Its success was born out of a modest dream by a former state Highway Patrol officer, a native of Sans Souci who grew up on a "mill hill," where he became impressed with the uniformed patrolmen.

He graduated from Parker High School in 1950 and went to work at Milliken & Co.'s Judson Mill, eventually becoming a supervisor over the cloth room.

At age 21, Harrison joined the state Highway Patrol and worked eight years in Cherokee County, four in Blacksburg and four in Gaffney.He later transferred to Greenville County, where he began to make contacts - "not on taxpayers' time" - with textile industry leaders.He also was reunited with childhood friends who had moved up the corporate ranks.

After 20 years with the patrol, he left and a short time later he found investors and started his security guard business.

"I thought I would have a good many accounts in Greenville County by finishing Parker High School and Greenville County being a textile community," Harrison said.
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I don't need to be going there," Harrison said.
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We didn't have too much of that," Harrison says."The vandalism was the big picture that they wanted to zero in on - looking after their employees' cars and their welfare."

His concerns today have shifted dramatically.

"The biggest concern today is drugs," Harrison says.
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Modernization, automation, changes in equipment and different types of manufacturing operations place different demands on his security people, Harrison says.

"It's a different ball game," he says."Each location is different.Each location requires different skills.It's like when I come to see you and you say, 'Henry, I need a security officer,' the first thing we're going to talk about is what that officer's going to be required to do, his responsibility - if it's to answer the telephone, to go check equipment and so forth, or if it's just to lock people in and out."

Many work alone, and Harrison says, "We try to have good supervision to check on these people every few hours and make sure they're OK.But that's my biggest worry is the employees getting hurt."

He battles turnover, sometimes as high as 50 percent, but is convinced of one thing.

"We have dedicated people," Harrison says."In order to be dedicated, you have to be dedicated to them.You just have to be like one big family.You have to have time to listen to them and listen to their problems.And they'll stay with you."

His dedication, Harrison says, includes more than an open-door management policy.

"They can call me at 4 o'clock in the morning and I'll get up and go to them," he says."They can walk in this door anytime they need to see me."

About two thirds, or 65-68 percent, of American Services' revenues come from security contracts, Harrison says.About 25 percent comes from its staffing business and the remainder, 10 percent, comes from its janitorial services, he says.
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The growth of his companies was one reason Harrison said he withdrew his bid to be reappointed as chairman of the Memorial Auditorium board of trustees in 1995.He was named to the board in 1989 and stepped down in 1995 after serving three years as chairman.

His tenure was marked by the unveiling of plans to build a $59 million sports-entertainment arena in downtown Greenville and by allegations of financial improprieties at the facility that led to the resignation of the auditorium's executive director.

He looks back with a sense of forlornness and another of humor.

His hard work cost him time with his family."I've never taken but one week's vacation.That was just five days," he says.

But also he recalls his regular par-3 golf outings with a top aide for the late Sen.
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After one particular ace, Harrison jokingly told him a newspaper reporter was on the way to interview him about his achievement.

" 'Lord, you better not have called them,' " Harrison says the aide responded.