Mark Lehman founded Power Access Control in 2019 without venture capital or private equity, driven by frustration with the security industry's poor service standards. "I couldn't stand watching clients suffer through delayed service calls, unreturned phone calls, and indifferent customer care," Lehman said. "In commercial access control, a broken gate or failed entry system isn't just an inconvenience—it's a massive security vulnerability and an operational nightmare for a business." That client-first frustration became the foundation for a company now projecting $8 million to $10 million in annual revenue for 2027.
The company's growth hinged on a decision Lehman made early: Power Access Control would spend zero dollars on advertising. Instead of paid leads, Lehman relied on over-delivering on every contract. "When you don't rely on ad money to feed your business, your work has to be flawless," he said. "Every project had to be our best billboard. If a client had a critical issue, we didn't put them on a two-week queue—we showed up, took ownership, and fixed it." That approach stands in contrast to competitors who pour thousands into paid funnels, and it suggests that in high-stakes commercial security, proven reliability can outperform marketing spend.
Lehman also narrowed the firm's focus exclusively to the commercial sector, stepping away from residential work to concentrate on high-security, high-throughput infrastructure. That specialization led to the launch of Atlanta Turnstiles, a division handling turnstile security, optical speed gates, biometric access, and perimeter security integration. The move positioned Power Access Control to serve complex, large-scale facilities rather than one-off residential jobs.
The strategy attracted major clients across the Southeast without a single paid ad. The company's portfolio includes Choate Construction, Tyler Perry Studios, Peachtree-DeKalb Airport (PDK), and Fortune-Johnson. Securing high-profile media facilities and active aviation operations demonstrates that reputation-driven referrals can open doors to enterprise accounts typically pursued through aggressive sales funnels. For general contractors and facility managers, the appeal lies in problem-solving and on-time, on-budget delivery—qualities that Lehman says became the company's calling card.
The implications extend beyond one firm's success. In an industry where marketing budgets often determine visibility, Power Access Control's trajectory offers a case study in organic growth. As metro Atlanta's commercial landscape expands, the company's model suggests that operational excellence and client retention can serve as scalable alternatives to paid acquisition. Lehman frames the milestone as validation of his original philosophy: "We proved that you don't need a slick advertising budget to build a multi-million dollar business. You just need to trust the process, treat every customer like your only customer, and never settle for anything less than excellence." More information is available at https://poweraccesscontrol.com.
