Who is Jason Rector?

Started with a connection and a part-time job sweeping floors, this story traces a path of steady work, learning, and growth—shaping both a career and a company through consistency, adaptability, and pride in doing the job right.

From Warehouse Floors to Building the ISP Program

There are people who set out with a plan, and there are people who step through a door and figure it out from there.

This story starts with connection- two folks who knew each other, a conversation, and a chance. What followed wasn’t a straight line. It was years of showing up, learning from the people around him, and taking on whatever needed to be done.

From sweeping floors in a near-empty warehouse to helping build out a certified ISP program, his path reflects something consistent: do the work in front of you, do it well, and keep moving forward.

What you get isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a body of work built over time.

What was your path to working at Safe?

My wife and Al’s wife knew each other because they were hygienists, and I was looking for a job. And Manny said, “Hey, Jason’s looking for something.” So I came into Safe sweeping the floors back in 2006 as part time, and in late 2006 that evolved into working on MSA air packs when Nick got sick.

From there, I’ve done just about everything in this business other than upstairs in accounting payables. I was doing ordering, traveled, doing sales, Globe Champion for a long time. So for probably out of the nineteen years I’ve been here, I’ve been about sixteen years in some form doing Globe orders, Globe demos- anything to do with Globe turnout gear- and then started to do the ISP (Independent Service Provider- certified third-party organizations that specialize in the advanced cleaning, inspection, repair, and decontamination of firefighter turnout gear to meet NFPA 1851 standards).

So how long have you been doing the ISP Program?

So we started getting training, doing the research in 2024. It took us about a year to get to the point where we could get verified. And now we’ve been verified about a year- so it was a year last month.

What other jobs did you hold growing up?

Mostly warehousing. I was a team leader at Michelin at one point for seven years. We pulled orders in a warehouse in Laurens, which is not there anymore.

The reason I’m probably here is because they sold it to TNT Logistics, which is a third-party logistics company, and gave us a week and a half notice that we no longer worked for Michelin.

Do you remember what your first day at Safe was like?

Yeah, I do. When I walked into the little ten-thousand-square-foot warehouse in Piedmont, there was one set of racks with nothing on them and some Lifetime tables made into like a horseshoe with some product on it. That was it- the rest of the place was empty.

We saw every pair of gloves that came in and went out. I remember walking through the door, and Leo Hayes was the first one I saw. He’ll tell you the story about how I looked like I didn’t have a clue what was going on- which I didn’t. But I’ve learned. That was my first day at Safe.

Who showed you the ropes?

When Nick came back, I learned a lot from him. And of course, Rick Roach- the grandfather of the company- I’d say I learned most everything from him. A lot from Nick and Rick.

How would you describe the growth of the company since then?

Nineteen years ago, I would have never guessed we’d be in as many states as we are now- I don’t even know how many. I learn something new every day about what we’re doing. It still surprises me.

When I was hired, there were eight employees. Now we’re at around three hundred. It’s amazing.

What’s your favorite part about working here?

It’s different every day. It’s rewarding. The people you’re around- the group you work with- is great. We’ve got a great crew.

Even though we deal with the public sector in the fire service, it’s a brotherhood. It’s not the same as working somewhere like Best Buy. There’s never a dull moment.

Any memories that stand out?

When I got hired, Al flew me out to San Jose, California. That was the first airplane I had ever been on, and I had to go by myself. TSA wasn’t as big back then, so it was scary, but it was fun.

For someone who grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, getting to experience what I’ve experienced with this company has been amazing. You couldn’t get it back.

Has there been a difficult season?

COVID was probably the most difficult. I moved up to Tennessee to help Al, and as soon as I got settled in February 2020, they shut the country down.

I had a job to do but couldn’t go out and do it. For about two and a half years, I was thinking, “Is he going to let me go? Am I even useful up here?” But it worked out. I helped sales guys with demos and moved product. It was interesting, and we enjoyed our time there- my wife did too.

What keeps you coming in every day?

I don’t really think about it. Getting up in the morning doesn’t bother me. Working a little extra doesn’t bother me. The job is just rewarding. It doesn’t feel like a job.

What advice would you give younger people?

Talk less, listen more. Find what you like to do and give it one hundred and ten percent. Do what’s right, and it’ll pay off.

Any projects you’re especially proud of?

Getting the ISP program going. I had some help, but I handled a lot of it on my own- reaching out to the right people, getting good advice, and having strong guidance and leadership.

I’m proud of that. We’ve got a little way to go to build it out, but it’s going well. Customers are happy- we haven’t had negative reports. We’ve gotten really good feedback on turnaround time and quality.

How many sets of turnout gear have you handled?

That’s hard to say. Safe sells about two thousand sets of gear a year, but that’s not counting what we handle moving through the building. Some years we’ve been close to three thousand sets, plus boots and other PPE.

On the ISP side, we’re still growing, but we’re capable of doing thirty to forty sets a day with the current setup- maybe more with a couple extra people.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Right now, it’s mostly ISP. I also handle Globe ordering- reviewing acknowledgements, making sure everything is built correctly, checking orders before they go out, and then reviewing them again when they come back. It’s a lot of tracking and making sure things are right.

Where do you think Safe is headed?

I think it’ll be a nationwide company. Watching how things are moving now, it feels like that’s where we’re going.