Arthur C Davis, August 10th, 2022

Arthur C Davis, August 10th, 2022

In this interview, Arthur C Davis talks about his security business Security a Work of Art Executive Protection.

Detroit Historical Society

Detroit Historical Society

en-US

Arthur C Davis

Arthur C Davis was born and raised in Detroit. He went through the public school system, graduated from Cass Tech, and went on to start his own business.

Lily Chen

Detroit, MI

8/10/2022

23:08

Taylor Claybrook

Lily Chen [00:00:01] Testing. All right. Hi, everyone. Today is Wednesday, August 10th at 10 a.m.. And this is Lily Chen completing an interview for the Hustle Project. We are so excited to be interviewing our nominees. And, yeah, do you want to go ahead and introduce [yourself]. Tell us your name and go ahead and spell it out and then go from there.

Arthur Davis [00:00:33] Good morning. My name is Arthur C. Davis. Do I need to spell it out?

Lily [00:00:39] Mm hmm.

Arthur [00:00:39] A r t h u r c davis.

Lily [00:00:44] Awesome. Okay. And, Arthur, what is the name of your business?

Arthur [00:00:48] The name of my business is security. A Work of Art—Executive Protection.

Lily [00:00:52] Okay, awesome. And it is obviously in Detroit. Do you have a brick and mortar or are you, is it just, uh, the security business?

Arthur [00:01:05] Just a security business I have in Detroit. And basically I work out of different venues, so I use my home as my address.

Lily [00:01:15] Okay, cool. All right. So before we get into the business, I'm going to ask you just about a little bit about yourself. So what year you were born and where you were born? And tell us a little bit about growing up.

Arthur [00:01:29] Okay. I was born in Detroit. How many years ago?

Lily [00:01:33] Many.

Arthur [00:01:34] Many years ago. Raised on the west side of Detroit. And I grew up attended all Detroit public schools. I graduated from Cass Tech.

Lily [00:01:45] Oh, wow.

Arthur [00:01:45] And then I attended the Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where I earned my bachelor's and master's degree.

Lily [00:01:53] Okay. So you went to the best high school in Detroit?

Arthur [00:01:56] Yes, I did. Okay, let's take the best high school in Detroit.

Lily [00:01:59] That's awesome. Um, just checking our volume levels. Okay. And so you said you're from the West Side. Are you still on the west side right now?

Arthur [00:02:09] Oh, currently I'm living in the Southfield area.

Lily [00:02:14] Okay, cool. And what was it like growing up in Detroit?

Arthur [00:02:19] Uh, in those days, it was great. We knew everybody in the neighborhood. You knew all your neighbors. We played in the streets. I don't know what kids are doing today, but we played in the streets. And yeah, I attended schools. The schools was a fun place to be, you know, and staying outside until the lights went out. That was the best part of it.

Lily [00:02:38] Yeah, well, you must've been... You must have had a lot of fun and then also clearly studied hard. And you ended up at Cass Tech.

Arthur 00:02:45] Yes.

Lily [00:02:46] Yeah. Um. All right, well, let's get into the business, so go ahead and tell me, like the public elevator pitch version. So if you were introducing the business to somebody who had never heard of it before, what would you say?

Arthur [00:03:03] What I would say is you have to start somewhere. So I started off basically at Oakland University as a security for a dorm. And from that, that led me to. Training in the martial arts that we had at the school at that time. And because of that, we were hired by Pine Knob because I didn't have security when I first opened in. I think it was 1972.
Lily [00:03:30] Oh, wow. So the resort.

Arthur [00:03:32] The Pine Knob amphitheater.

Lily [00:03:34] Oh, okay. Okay. Oh, cool.

Arthur [00:03:37] So from there, you know, because of my I'm only 5’9 weigh like 150, I was not impressive. So I decided I've got to learn some martial arts, you know. So from that point I started training for different arts and learn how to protect myself. Defend myself. And again. Because of my small size. I just kept training and training and training.

Lily [00:04:08] Yeah.

Arthur [00:04:10] After that, I left Oakland University. I began work. I started working as a security guard with Singleton's security agency. And again, it was uniformed security. But I wanted more. So I figured out I better learn more about this business. And therefore, I went through the Yellow Pages figuring out what's better than a security guard. And I looked at the different options corporate security, retail security. Then it was entertainment, and it was executive protection. I said, Oh, I want to take it to the highest level. And from that point on, I started to work in different venues as a bouncer in the clubs. And because of my small size, I had to use everything I learned in martial arts to become, you know, a certain sort of set of skills that made me like the perfect weapon.

Lily [00:05:17] Wow. That's such a cool story. So from the beginning. So you, you know, you graduated high school and went to Oakland University and then directly from Oakland. Did you start doing security right away?

Arthur [00:05:36] Yes, I did. By working at Pine Knob. I was working at the Meadowbrook. Meadow Brook Hall providing security there. And I became. Like I said, a bouncer. Then I
started working different venues. Yeah. And in a city as a bouncer, like the Majestic Theater, the Warehouse nightclub, several other venues like that.

Lily [00:06:06] Yeah.

Arthur [00:06:07] And at that point, you know, I wanted to become more than just a bouncer in a club. So I went out to the premier center in Sterling Heights and started doing stage and backstage security at the Premier Center. I left there, went to the Crystal Gardens in Mount Clemens. And from that point, I met several people that hired me in to the Palace of Auburn Hills. And that's where I got started as a security guard working at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Lily [00:06:42] Wow. You've been so many places. You must have seen so many cool things.

Arthur [00:06:48] So many things. And at the Palace of Auburn Hills, as when I met working with the Pistons, I met a lot of players and met John Salley. And when I met John Salley and all of the altercations they got into at the arena, you know, at the stage or at the games, and he says, I want to hire you. I said, To do what? To be my personal security. Wow. And from that point on, he became my first client, and he was the one who pushed me into opening my own company.

Lily [00:07:27] Wow. What year did you start working for him?

Arthur [00:07:32] Probably I will say 1989. Right? Right. During the championship years.

Lily [00:07:38] Oh, wow. And how long? How long were you? His personal security guard?

Arthur [00:07:43] I work for John the entire time he was with the Detroit Pistons. I stayed at it. You know, he was only Piston that lived in Detroit, so I would live at his carriage house in back of his mansion. I provide a security for his wedding. And as again, I was his personal security. I trained him at the powerhouse gym, trained him in martial arts in his home. And we became like the best of friends. But he was the first person to suggest I start my own company. And because of him, I started a company and went back to the palace. As a company, you know, the Palace started hire my company as the first African American company to provide stage protection for artists. Wow.

Lily [00:08:35] That's amazing. What year did what year did you start the company?

Arthur [00:08:41] Probably had to be 1988, 1989, you know, because I didn't start it too, after John encouraged me to start my own company. But prior to that, you know, I was working in the clubs as a bouncer, and I had a team of people that worked with me. So once John Salley encouraged me to start a company, I felt, Oh, I gotta get some formal training. So that's when I started taking all the classes in executive protection and personal firearms. Defense tactics stick and knife fighting. And I just wanted to learn more and more about the business. So I went to every class that the executive protection offered me out there urban terrorism, airport security, hotel security. And I just learned basic stuff through the state of Michigan, like techniques and alcohol management. You know, I was part learn CPR first aid.

Lily [00:09:41] Yeah.

Arthur 00:09:42] And so by doing that, I was a loner because nobody else had those skills. Yeah. So I gather a team of 12 people and I encouraged them. Let's go as a team and learn all these skills. And again, we did it out of our own pockets. Oh, wow. We traveled to Virginia, traveled to New Orleans, traveled to Chicago. I went to Toronto for training. I went to Montreal. I became a part of the International Federation of Personal Protection Agents, you know, and that was a plus for me. So with the certification behind us and the formal training that took us out of I never wanted to be in a uniform security. I wanted to stop being a t shirt security. So now my uniform is the black suits. Yeah. People used to think of us as the men in black. No, we are a work of art.

Lily 00:10:37] Yeah, well, you're looking very dapper today. Thank you. Yeah. So you. It sounds like you learned so much over your journey.


Arthur 00:10:48] Yeah, absolutely. I learned a lot, and I'm still learning. And I met Ron Fleming. He was a former commander of Detroit Police Department of the Executive Protection Unit. He was one of my mentors. And from him, I learned basic things about personal protection and executive protection through Ron Fleming. And I also encouraged another friend of my who worked under me to start his company and. He started a security company. Basically, security guards work doing venues. His name was Charles Muhammad. And we established a partnership where he took care of the security part and I took care of the entertainment part.

Lily [00:11:32] Cool. The he was one of the 12 people that joined you originally. Yes. Okay. And how did you find your team?

Arthur [00:11:40] Basically. You know, by working in the clubs, people have come to me, ask me, I do this, you know, what? Do you need any more help? Yes, I need a lot of help. So I have men and women. And again, to get out bouncers mentality, I suggest that everybody let’s everyone get formal training. Well, you know, we've got to step it up. We've got to step it up. And like I said, John certainly encouraged me to step it up, be better from that point on. I started meeting other people through John Salley. I started working for the radio stations here in Detroit, the local race, the Shelby Hour FM 92.3. I work for them and provide security, matter of fact, for John Mason when he first came to Detroit to provide a security for John Mason, Franky Darcel. So it was very interesting to meet all of these people. And through WJLB, I was able to do security for all the classes that came into the city. Yeah. So I have met everyone. Everyone. I have met everyone. Wow. I started off with Aaliyah Was one of my first clients. Yeah. She was one. And a lot of Detroit people. Norma Jeane Bailon are stars with me. Mildred Scott and Kimmy Hall. Matter of fact, it was my first group that I worked with.

Lily [00:13:02] Wow. Um, it's it's so crazy to hear you name all these celebrities, and they trusted you with their life, you know, to protect them.

Arthur [00:13:14] And that's it. I'm very proud of, you know, my professionalism, my work ethic and my integrity. And again, I'm not on social media. So basically everything I got was to word of mouth.

Lily [00:13:26] Yeah.

Arthur [00:13:27] You know, and referrals. And I've always been that way, you know, through all these years, 35 plus years and never been on social media. I also met Tom
Joyner. I provide security for him over the past 20 years for his fantastic voyages. We've been to every country, you know, every island. And I've traveled a lot through him. I've met a lot of entertainers. I met the Isley Brothers to him. I traveled with the Isley Brothers. I worked for them for six years. I worked with Charlie Wilson and the Gap band, work for them for six years. They are personal protection agent and we have traveled all over the world. I have been over to Europe minimum ten times several countries because of these entertainers. It's been a great trip and the NFL I work for Daniel Snyder. The Detroit Lions hired me to be his personal protection when it comes to town. And I sit in the owner's box and that was a thrill.

Lily [00:14:33] That’s so cool. Wow. So, you know that original 12, obviously you didn't start with 12. You started just by yourself.

Arthur [00:14:44] Yes.

Lily [00:14:45] How long did it take to get to that bigger team?

Arthur [00:14:47] That bigger team? We got bigger and I got up to a minimum. I think 35 people. Oh, wow. And out of the original people that worked with me, one of them, one of them became the police chief of Flint. Wow. I had a lady that became a federal marshal. I
had another lady that became part of Detroit Police Department's executive protection team when a Kwame Kilpatrick was mayor.

Lily [00:15:17] Wow.

Arthur [00:15:18] So everybody. And these four guys have formed their own companies after leaving me is amazed and I'm so proud of them guys. Again, it was Charles Muhammad. He became the X-Man Protection Agency. Dale Brown became Vipers, France Johnson Openness Company. Roy Muhammad opened up courtesy crowd control. So these individuals, I'm proud of them. What they have accomplished since leaving my organization.

Lily [00:15:50] Oh, that's so cool. One of the things that really sets you apart is that you've been mentoring kind of people under you, people that used to work for you. You've seen them grow, you know. And it's so beautiful to see how much you've given in that direction to not just in your service as a security guard, but also as a as a mentor to these people.

Arthur [00:16:12] Yes. And I think that was I'm really proud of the fact that we hired. Detroiters. Yeah. Each of these companies, we have always hired Detroiters, and they was able to get, you know, to meet these national stars. My team was able to travel. You know, we got passports. Everybody got the CPR training and got the executive protection training. So we were able to travel around the world. And the greatest thing for me was that these people grew with me.

Lily [00:16:42] Yeah.

Arthur [00:16:42] And other people, they took it to another level. I'm so proud of them. But. And it's been a fantastic journey. And I'm still growing. I'm still growing. I just joined. Well, four years ago, the Wayne County Sheriff's Department through Ray Washington and Benny Napoleon, I became a part of the Wayne County Emergency Community Emergency Response Team. Okay. So I'm giving back to Detroit in that way, you know?

Lily [00:17:13] Yeah, absolutely. Well, it's and you know, it's something that people have incorrect about business owners is that they're always competing, you know, and that you would be competing with people that are starting new businesses. But that's not true, because in your case, you are supporting them and mentoring them.

Arthur [00:17:34] Yeah, there's no competition out here. I look at it as a network and encourage everybody to come together. The city is big enough for everybody to achieve their goals. And like I said, a matter of fact before people that started, companies from me, we network on bigger events. You know, we work at Hart Plaza, we work to auto shows. So we come together because I don't have a hundred man team. We even worked a Super Bowl when it came to Detroit. We had a 200 man team, but I had to encourage everybody to come together and make that work for us. Yeah. So I did a Super Bowl with several of the companies.

Lily [00:18:11] That's very cool. Yeah, it's a very different story about how business works, where you are collaborating, and especially because they are fellow Detroiters, their fellow black Detroiters that you want to support and you want to see them flourish.

Arthur [00:18:25] Absolutely. And I think that's key in this business for me, is that we all come together, you know, for the bigger picture, because myself, I couldn't do it alone. I couldn't do it alone. So I encourage everybody just come together, work towards a goal or towards your own goal, but be a part of a network. And that's that's was key to me being part of a network and look out for each other, look out for the community. Again, we're pulling people from the community into this.

Lily [00:18:53] Yeah. Yeah. So it's like you play two major roles. One is that you run this hugely successful security business. And the second is you're also a big Detroit employer, right?

Arthur [00:19:07] Yes, that is still true. And I'm still trying to employ people because they are staff shortages everywhere. And we're still trying to employ people, you know, as so many venues we have to cover. I have an opportunity to meet with the people at not Joe
Louis. I mean the Little Caesars Arena. To meet with them, see how I can help them. Assist them with their security challenges. And it's just been great. I do the Aretha Franklin Ampitheater. I work with Brother Charles and X-Men there so we could pull a team together and make that successful. And again, the Hart. We do the festivals at Hart Plaza. So it's been a journey.

Lily [00:19:48] Yeah, it's been. It's like 30 years, right?

Arthur [00:19:52] 30, 35.

Lily [00:19:53] Years.

Arthur [00:19:54] 35 years. 35 years.

Lily [00:19:55] So in 35 years, what are some of the hardest things that you ever had to encounter and what are some of the best things?

Arthur 00:20:04] The hardest thing is making sure you're protecting the patrons that come to these venues. You protect the artists. The safety of the artists is important and then the safety of our employees, because you're understaffed, you're undermanned. And when
you're working with crowds of that magnitude, our safety comes first. Right. Safety comes first. So those are our biggest challenge. Then the challenges as working with the different artists, entourages that come into the city, you know, they come with their own their own agenda. And as we know, it’s not their agenda, it’s own agenda. And you're in our house. You know, you got to abide by our rules. But it's never the artist is always their entourage that causes the problems. But a beautiful side of it is the traveling that we get, the media and a different artist. You get to meet them. Personally, I have worked with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson when they're. When we leave the castle, I'm there 24 hours with them at the hotels till they leave. You know, as I get you know, I sit with Janet Jackson, I sat with Gladys Knight, you know, and it's just. Wow. That's interesting.

Lily 00:21:23] I mean, that's that's amazing.

Arthur 00:21:26] Well, I've been with when Whitney Houston was alive, I was with her and rode in a limo. We just laughed and joke. You know, those things I think are so much fun. But it's still about work. It's still about work.

Lily 00:21:38] Right.

Arthur 00:21:38] And still about your profession. It's cause I tell everybody we're not there to be entertained. We're there to work and provide a service. Yeah. You know, I'm not trying to become your buddy. I will protect you. I'm here to protect you. And you know, that thing of, you know, take a bullet for me and know I will keep us both from taking a bullet.

Lily 00:21:56] Yeah, that's a really good point. Why does anyone need to take a bullet? Just avoid a bullet.

Arthur 00:22:02] Avoid a bullet.

Lily [00:22:04] Yeah. So, I mean, over those 35 years, um, growing the business must have been such a crazy journey.

Arthur [00:22:14] It is growing a business again. Try and get people to step up as friend element, because that's what it costs us to take this form of training and occurs to take the training. That way we won't be reckless security. Guys, you want more money? We can get more money. I can charge a client more money. We can show him my paperwork. We're. I have certification in all of these areas. That's why you're going to pay me this money. So getting people to buy into that? No, the security is not for everybody. And to encourage them that we're not bouncers anymore. We're not bouncers. We're not trying to fight every night. So it's just get people to join in and figure out, invest yourself. I'm going to invest in you. That's what I would tell my staff. Invest investing instead of just in you.

Lily [00:23:05] Yeah. So they've learned with you.