Spokane Valley-based GoJoe Patrol Inc., which landed its first franchisee near Washington D.C. three years ago, is returning to the region with its seventh location and fifth franchisee.

Harry Sladich, co-owner and chief development officer of GoJoe Patrol, says the new franchisee, located in Montogomery County, Maryland, about 30 miles outside of the nation’s capital, is scheduled to be operational by August.

The new location, which will operate under the name GoJoe Patrol Montgomery County, will start small with about three people and build from there, he says.

“Me and my partner, when we started over 20 years ago, it was just us two plus one more,” says Sladich, referencing co-owner Major Bambino. “Now we have over 150 employees. Our goal is to help others grow.”

After the company landed its first franchisee in 2022 in Fairfax County, Virginia, which borders Washington D.C., the company kept up marketing efforts and received more interest in surrounding counties, Sladich says.

Montgomery County, Maryland, is the most populous county in the state, with over 1 million residents, and is part of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, Sladich notes. It is also home to the corporate headquarters for many large companies, including Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, and Total Wine & More, among others.

“Montgomery County was the perfect location to expand into,” Sladich says. “This large community is adjacent to our other franchise location in Fairfax County. Both locations border Washington, D.C., a market we would like to expand into over the next few years.”

GoJoe Patrol’s corporate headquarters are located at 7011 E. Trent, in Spokane Valley. The company employs over 150 people in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene region. In the Spokane area, its clients include nonprofits, colleges, private homes, and businesses, for which the company provides security guards, patrol services, mobile patrols, executive protection, and off-duty police.

Sladich says GoJoe Patrol Corporate, which provides support for its franchisees under GoJoe Patrol Franchising LLC, features 24/7 dispatch and new camera monitoring stations. It also plans to implement branded cameras, mobile trailer cameras, and new drone systems to assist its standing guard, mobile patrol, off-duty police, and alarm response offerings.