Chicago-based Monterrey Security celebrates its Latino heritage, 25 years of business

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago-based Monterrey Security is celebrating 25 years in business.

The company started with an idea in a basement and it turned into the largest minority-owned security firm in the country.

The homegrown security team, whose crews protect people at places like Soldier Field and Allstate Arena, is very proud of its Latino heritage.

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Monterrey Security has been seen in some of the Midwest's most iconic places including Soldier Field, the Field Museum and Notre Dame University for the last two and a half decades.

After a 10-year career with Chicago police, Monterrey founder and CEO Juan Gaytan Jr. started the company out of the basement his Garfield Ridge home, hoping to honor his Mexican heritage and his parents Juan and Esthella.

"We can provide a safe environment differently and have people that look like me, sound like me, and do a really good job," Gaytan said.

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Monterrey Security now occupies 20,000 square feet of office and training space in Pilsen. The company has some 4,500 full and part-time employees, including many law enforcement officers, like former state police director Hiram Grau.

"It's enjoyable," Grau said. "We get our passion from Juan. He's like the energizer bunny."

Former assistant superintendent Anthony Riccio joined the company after 34 years with Chicago police.

"He's not a person to make decisions from the top down. He wants input from people like myself," Riccio said.

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The company is also dedicated to providing opportunities to people of color, as evidenced by a training class for prospective new employees that was held Wednesday.

"I think there's a sense of pride, not only myself, but a lot of the guys and girls that work here, have coming to work every day for a minority owned company." Monterrey Security Executive VP Daniel Ramos said.

Gaytan said he believes in giving people chances. He said he employs hundreds of people who would be turned away by other companies, and his faith in them has been rewarded.

"Every single day, millions of people go through our facilities safely, and there's no news, because nothing happened," Gaytan said. "But there's a tremendous amount of resources that go into it."

Gaytan said he's always been driven by the idea of trying to make his parents proud of him . After 25 years, he believes he has accomplished that, but he's also looking ahead to where the company will be in the next 25 years.