Two veterans launch private security company

Asa Palagi and Josh Harris start Cascadia Global Security to provide personalized security

Cascadia Global Security (CGS) is a veteran-owned private security company that was founded by veterans Asa Palagi and Josh Harris, both of North Bend, in early 2018. The company is dedicated to providing personalized security and defense.

Prior to starting CGS, both Palagi and Harris served in the U.S. Army. Palagi enlisted in the military in 2011 where he served as an officer for the U.S. Army military police corps. He also served as a deputy sheriff in the state of Oregon. Harris enlisted in 2013 with service including a tour in the Middle East. He is experienced in intelligence and security.

After serving, the two had come up with several business ideas. Both having experience in security, they realized there was an opportunity to start a company that focused primarily on security. CGS launched in early 2018 and has been growing since.

What almost seemed impossible has become a reality for the two veterans. They say their plan to start their company might have sounded crazy to others, especially with only $18,000 saved up, but they were certain of their plan and went with it.

“Sometimes I can’t believe that this is our life right now,” Palagi said. “I never thought this would be a life that we would live. It feels surreal.”

CGS has about 20 full-time employees. Their security services range anywhere from security guard services to executive protection. CGS is not limited to but predominantly hires veterans. A part of their success is because of that veteran “brotherhood” — they all understand how to operate amongst themselves because they already have that discipline instilled, they said.

According to Harris, a lot of veterans say they miss the “brotherhood” and unity.

“We’ve tried to emulate that with our company. Everybody knows each other. It’s a big team and everybody has each other’s back,” Harris said.

Palagi says many veterans seek them out and want to be a part of the company. Some veterans prefer to work in an environment that has a similar structure to the army.

“We believe in philanthropy. We take care of veterans when they come back or when they get out of the service,” Palagi said. “They’re still using those skills that they were using in the military.”

CGS’s goal for the future is to grow exponentially. Their hope is to provide security services for state and federal contracting, as well as international contracting, private defense contracting and also intelligence contracting.

The security company is growing and both veterans look forward to hiring more veterans to their company.

To learn more about CGS, go to their website at www.cascadia-global.com.