Countrywide Signs Security Services Deal

Nationwide mortgage company extends contract with Andrews International

Calabasas, Calif. (July 2005)—Mortgage services firm Countrywide Financial Corp. signed on with security firm Andrews International for coverage at the firm's corporate locations and at more than 2,000 branch facilities nationwide.

The three-year contract, which took effect in March, will encompass security officer staffing, executive protection and security consulting services for Countrywide, augmenting the role of the company's internal corporate security staff, according to Cheryl Alatorre, 1st vice president, security and safety for Countrywide Financial Corp.

The agreement between Countrywide and Andrews is an extension of an existing relationship, where Andrews has provided uniformed security for Countrywide's corporate headquarters here for the past five years, Alatorre said. That track record with the company, along with the corporate security experience of Ty Richmond, a senior vice president of Andrews, was behind the awarding of the national contract, she said. Richmond formerly led the corporate security department at Hewlett-Packard spin-off Agilent Technologies prior to joining Andrews in 2004.

Now, Andrews is also providing uniformed security for Countrywide's larger corporate offices in Tempe and Chandler, Arizona, as well as in Plano, Fort Worth, and Richardson, Texas, and on an as-needed basis for the 2,000 smaller branch sales offices around the country. Services include executive protection, security consulting and investigations, and workplace and employee-related issues, working in tandem with Countrywide's internal security management staff of 19.

"We complement their team and provide some subject matter expertise and resource capabilities," Richmond said.

One area where Andrews has provided consultation recently is in Countrywide's international call center operations in locations such as the United Kingdom. "Part of our primary focus (overseas) was to be involved in security and asset protection and integrating with the business continuity planners function," Richmond said. Countrywide uses its overseas call centers for loan processing and other customer care functions.

Andrews will service Countrywide locations from locations in states such as southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas and New York.

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