Ross Wilkers
Global logistics and stability services contractor Janus Global Operations adopted its new name earlier in April from the former Sterling Global Operations brand to complete a two-year process that included a restructuring initiative and changes to the company’s operating model.
Alan Weakley, who joined the 7,000-employee company as chief operating officer in September 2013, told ExecutiveBiz in an interview and said the business will target austere and hard-to-reach locations as target growth areas and evolved toward that austere market-focused strategy via three acquisitions made prior to the rebrand.
“As we continue integrating our recent acquisitions, we are looking to acquire additional businesses that fit well with our operating model, ethos and solutions,” Weakley added.
Founded in 1987, Janus’ original headquarters site is located in Lenoir City, Tenn. with additional operations hubs in Washington and Dubai and workers based in 18 countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
Janus performs services such as weapons disposal, communications, logistics, risk management and environmental remediation in an effort to help the U.S. and other governments address instability and commercial businesses operate safely in hostile areas.
All three companies Janus acquired hold licenses to operate in their respective regions, an element Weakley pointed to as key component in the company’s strategy to quickly integrate those businesses and start reaching into new markets and customer bases.
“Having made those acquisitions, the next piece was to begin focusing on building a pipeline that was really aligned with our solutions and aligned with those locations and licenses, the permits and reach,” Weakley said.
“Logically, an element of effectively serving our customers and communicating clearly our new capabilities and the fact that we could work in new locations was to rebrand.
“We needed a single brand identity that could transcend the different markets we were serving. The new Janus brand identity allows us to take our core solutions into other areas, particularly in the commercial markets that demand the solutions Janus can provide.”
Weakley singled out Janus’ core offering as stability operations, which he explained as services contractors like Janus offer to help businesses in industrial sectors such as natural resources work in areas either unstable or left with explosive remnants of past wars.
As one example, the company received a contract in early April from the State Department to help remove unexploded devices in Rimadi, an Iraq-based city from which many in-country refugees had fled due to the Islamic State militant group’s approximate seven-month takeover of the jurisdiction that ended in December when Iraq retook it.
The United Nations has said IS fighters left behind thousands of unexploded weapons throughout Rimadi and Janus Global will lead efforts to survey both the city and its main water station in Tamim for eventual work to identify and clear remaining ordnance.
Janus is mobilizing its workers and resources for the project and expects to start operations “shortly,” Weakley said.
Janus also provides security services to government agencies, commercial businesses and non-government organizations that work in Libya and Somalia.
Weakley described the company’s current phase as somewhere in “getting fit-to-evolving” ahead of its push toward an eventual goal to double in size over the next five years via twin pursuits of contract work with U.S. agencies working abroad and commercial customers.
“I would like the company to continue to transform as it becomes a leader, recognized as contributing to the peaceful solutions and global stability through support for its government and commercial clients in some of the world’s most challenging locations.”
