In an industry where marketing budgets often dictate market share, Power Access Control's founder Mark Lehman has proven that reputation can be a more powerful growth engine than paid advertising. Since its founding in 2019, the Atlanta-based commercial security firm has operated with zero advertising dollars, relying instead on word-of-mouth and a customer-first approach. The company is now projecting annual revenue of $8 million to $10 million for 2027, a trajectory that underscores the viability of organic growth in a sector dominated by aggressive sales funnels.
Lehman's decision to eschew advertising was rooted in his frustration with the status quo at his previous employer. "I couldn't stand watching clients suffer through delayed service calls, unreturned phone calls, and indifferent customer care," he recalls. "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 insight led him to build a company where responsiveness and quality would be non-negotiable, even if it meant sacrificing the visibility that ad spend typically buys.
The strategy required operational discipline from the start. In the early days, Lehman handled everything from site surveys to late-night wiring, competing against well-entrenched players without the cushion of venture capital or private equity. He made a strict operational decision that many considered reckless: Power Access Control would spend nothing on advertising. Instead, he staked everything on over-delivering on every contract. "When you don't rely on ad money to feed your business, your work has to be flawless," Lehman says. "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 philosophy helped the company pivot exclusively to heavy commercial work, stepping away from residential jobs to focus on high-security, high-throughput infrastructure. The move paid off as word spread through Atlanta's general contracting and facility management circles. Sub-contractors and property managers came to see Power Access Control not just as an installer but as a problem solver that delivered on time and on budget. The reputation led to the launch of Atlanta Turnstiles, a specialized division for complex turnstile security, optical speed gates, biometric access, and perimeter integration.
Without a single paid ad, the company began landing prestigious accounts across the Southeast, including Choate Construction, Tyler Perry Studios, Peachtree-DeKalb Airport (PDK), and Fortune-Johnson. These clients entrusted Power Access Control with high-profile and high-security projects, from active aviation operations to major commercial security infrastructure. The portfolio reflects a level of trust that advertising alone rarely secures, especially for a firm that started as a one-man mission.
As Power Access Control gears up for 2027, the projected $8 million to $10 million in annual revenue validates Lehman's core philosophy. "We proved that you don't need a slick advertising budget to build a multi-million dollar business," he says. "You just need to trust the process, treat every customer like your only customer, and never settle for anything less than excellence." For an industry often fixated on paid acquisition, the company's rise suggests that in high-stakes commercial security, a flawless track record and a phone that gets answered may be the most effective marketing of all. More information is available at https://poweraccesscontrol.com.
