Forty Under 40: Ryan King

Ryan King’s employees say he’s a great boss, but more importantly, a good man with a heart for people and a sincere, direct business model.

King joined Guardian Payment Systems as vice president in 2011, shortly after the company started. He developed processes and procedures and hired and trained employees.

Within a few years, he bought out the owners. Guardian now has eight full-time employees and has customers across the United States.

Rather than follow the typical structure of a payment processing company, King unbundles rates and educates customers.

“We do what we say we’re going to do,” he said. “It’s basic human decency. I don’t want your business for a few years. I want it forever.”

Annual growth has consistently been at 20%. King invests in support and service for existing customers and eschews an automated system.

“We’re not going to trick you, make you pay over equipment price, or raise your rate,” he said.

Another key is finding great employees and putting them into the right roles. King doesn’t look for pedigrees. He seeks people with character who will flourish when leadership invests in them. The company doesn’t have strict hours or set vacation days. People take time off that they need.

A Fort Smith native, King was a baseball pitcher for Hendrix College.

“Once my baseball career was over, I knew I had to do something eight hours a day for the next 40 years, but nothing sounded appealing,” he said. He obtained a Series 7 license, worked for Edward Jones, and was a top salesperson for Alltel.

“What I wanted was freedom with stability,” he said. So with employees, “I’ve tried to be the way I always wished somebody would be with me.”