Meet Jawad Khalfan, the Long Island entrepreneur who started a security company from a garage in 2020; six years later, SecureTech Systems has completed more than 1,500 installations and won a 2026 state entrepreneurship award

A small security business launched in 2020 has grown into a Long Island technology company with more than 1,500 installations to its name. SecureTech Systems, co-founded by Jawad Khalfan, was recently recognised as the 2026 Next-Gen Entrepreneur of the Year by the New York Small Business Development Centers (New York SBDC). The award was announced as part of the organisation’s statewide client awards programme, which selected recipients from more than 27,000 small-business clients. The New York SBDC, SecureTech Systems and industry publication SDM Magazine provide details about the company’s growth, services and evolution from residential work towards larger commercial projects.Khalfan launched SecureTech Systems in April 2020 with business partner Joseph Kessler. In a 2025 account of the company’s fifth anniversary, Khalfan described the early years as a period of uncertainty and persistence, with the business having initially operated from a much smaller setup before developing into an established company. The Better Business Bureau lists SecureTech Systems as having been incorporated on April 9, 2020, with Khalfan as CEO and co-founder.Today, SecureTech operates from Garden City South, New York, and works as a low-voltage technology integrator rather than simply an alarm installer. Its services cover areas including video surveillance, access control, networking, audio-visual systems and other integrated security technologies. The company says its work spans commercial buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, managed properties and other institutional environments.One of the biggest changes in the company’s trajectory has been its move towards commercial security. The New York SBDC’s account of the award notes that SecureTech initially had a heavier focus on residential projects before Khalfan shifted the company’s attention towards commercial installations and larger opportunities. That change has helped shape the type of work the company takes on today. (LinkedIn⁠ )The shift can be seen in SecureTech’s work with educational institutions. A case study published by security technology manufacturer AtlasIED details a Long Island school project involving surveillance cameras, card access control, networking upgrades, low-voltage cabling and a mass-notification system. More than 80 classrooms received new communication equipment as part of the upgrade, illustrating the broader range of technology involved in modern security projects.The company has also accumulated recognition before its latest state award. Khalfan was named to Long Island Business News’ 30 Under 30 list in 2023, while SecureTech Systems has also been recognised in connection with business and entrepreneurship programmes. Its own awards record lists a 2023 Rising Star Under 30 recognition, a 2024 Rookie of the Year finalist position and a 2024 Diversity in Business award for Khalfan.The 2026 New York SBDC award adds another milestone to that progression. SecureTech Systems was scheduled for its Next-Gen Entrepreneur of the Year celebration on September 16, with the Long Island SBDC at Stony Brook University supporting the business and Robert B. Harrison serving as its business adviser. The recognition comes six years after the company was established and follows its expansion from a small startup into a business reporting more than 1,500 completed installations.For Khalfan, the story of SecureTech Systems is ultimately tied to a change in scale as much as a change in technology: a business that began during a difficult economic period has gradually moved towards larger commercial projects, more sophisticated security systems and a broader role as a technology partner for organisations across Long Island and the wider New York area.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.