Photo of Mark Ein Mark Ein CEO Venturehouse, LLC In the 02/01/2007 edition of ExecutiveBiz we had a chance to catch up with Mark Ein, CEO of Venturehouse, LLC. Well known venture capitalist Mark Ein recently bought Kastle Systems International, the Washington area's largest building and office security company. In an exclusive interview, we discuss the purchase, his role moving forward, and how the deal came about.

ExecutiveBiz: Why did you purchase Kastle Systems? Mark Ein: This is an extraordinarily rare opportunity to acquire a company that has such a long history with a solid business and an attractive business model, yet also with so much opportunity to grow. The company serves a gigantic market and Kastle has been a great success, but it has really only scratched the surface to date. Obviously security is on the top of everyone’s mind, so the market is incredibly attractive in both its size and growth rate. Whether it’s protecting property or the people in the property – that’s the business Kastle is in. I think we have an unbelievable future ahead of us. ExecutiveBiz: How did the deal come about? Mark Ein: I was introduced by a friend of one of the company’s top executives who then introduced me to Gene Samburg, Kastle’s founder. I very quickly developed great admiration and respect for Gene, and I also think it was important to him, as someone who has owned the business for 34 years and cares deeply about his employees, to find someone that he felt comfortable with. This was a deal that chemistry had a lot to do with, and we spent a lot of time together from the onset. The relationship that we quickly developed is what enabled this to happen, and also to happen in an incredibly short time frame. ExecutiveBiz: What will your role be, moving forward? Mark Ein: I’m going to do what I do – which is to be an active owner. I will help where I can help, but stay out of the way when I need to. This is a company that has grown at 20% over 34 years, so it’s got a lot of wind at its back. There are some new things that I’ve been able to do with some of our other companies to really accelerate growth once we’ve gotten involved. I think we’re going to be able to bring some of those ideas to Kastle as well. ExecutiveBiz: What will the company look like in 5 years? Mark Ein: At its core, the culture, business model and philosophy will be the same. We will have introduced new products and services for our existing clients, and we will be serving new clients in a good number of new geographies around the United States, as well as internationally. I believe the company’s revenues and employee base will be significantly higher in five years than they are today through this growth. ExecutiveBiz: What’s your general approach at making a successful integration? Mark Ein: Well, I think every situation is different. In this one, the key is to maintain as much continuity as possible while layering in new things to grow the business even faster than it already has. ExecutiveBiz: What are some things people don’t know about Kastle Systems? Mark Ein: There are over 1.8 million people in the United States and Australia that carry a Kastle card. We expect that number to expand. ExecutiveBiz: What is something most people don’t know about you? Mark Ein: That I am a first generation American. One of the many reasons that I love this country is for the opportunity that it has provided to my family and so many people from around the world. For more information about Venturehouse, LLC, visit www.venturehousegroup.com. To read a detailed biography, please click here. Interview with Mark Ein conducted by JD Kathuria. Enjoy this interview? Digg It! Check out more Executive Spotlights ...