Dale Bass, CEO/President, Bass Security Services
Take us on the journey of your career path. How did you end up where you are?
Born an “entrepreneur,” I launched Bass Security Services as my first real job and jumped in with both feet. Tenacity, curiosity and a winning attitude resulted in business growth year over year. But success emerged in the 1990s, when a national office supply company provided me with an opportunity that arose from the customer service and partnership demonstrated in
my local Cleveland market. The evolution to a national provider of services presented me with new challenges and reignited my competitive nature to succeed — ultimately leading to where we are today, servicing several Fortune 500 retailers.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out in FM?
Take full advantage of the learning opportunities within your organization and don’t hesitate to challenge the status quo. Learning and creativity often emerge from not accepting “that’s how we’ve always done it.”
If you could describe the industry in a few sentences, what would you say?
The industry covers an immense breadth of services that have gone through improvements in technology to improve everyone’s experience at the brick-and-mortar level. With improved data today, I think the FM industry has helped protect the bottom line of many organizations.
Favorite sports team?
University of Michigan football!