MEET THE TEAM

Co-Founder and President of VFS Fire & Security Services

Randy Nelson

Randy is a Co-Founder of Fortis and the President of VFS Fire & Security Services. He grew up on a small farm in Southern Minnesota. He was one of six kids and had a great childhood, and he put himself through Engineering School at Iowa State University. He started VFS Fire & Security in 1993, and built it up from 1 to 185 employees. He built VFS Fire & Security Services on the foundational values of honesty and integrity. Company culture is at the forefront of everything he does, and it is palpable. He has built an environment that encourages high-quality balanced lives for all employees. Most people define success by what has been created, and it’s safe to say Randy has done just that. He has created jobs, opportunities, and a culture that is remarkable. 

Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?
How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Hard Thing About Hard Thinks, The Art of Happiness

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Football, learning about and drinking wine, and playing the ukulele.

President CJ Suppression

James Moyer

Originally from Philadelphia, James moved to California in 1972. In his late teen years, he was interested in being a firefighter. He was exposed to the next best thing: the fire protection industry, which gave him the ability to prevent fires before people’s lives and property are in jeopardy. In 1987, James started his fire protection career with an entry level pipe fabricating position, and he has now been in the fire protection industry for over thirty-six years. He worked his way up the ranks, thus exposing himself to every level of the fire protection industry possible until founding CJ Suppression in 1996. 

Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?
Extreme Ownership, Turn The Ship Around, and Fierce Conversations

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
J enjoys backyard cooking, which further his smoking skills to provide the best BBQ for family and friend’s, camping/off-roading, and custom cars/drag racing.

Co-Founder and President Piper Fire Protection

Chris Johnson

Chris a follows two previous generations of fire sprinkler industry leaders. He was born in Michigan but has lived in Florida for since High School. As the President of Piper Fire Protection and a Co-Founder of Fortis Fire and Safety, Chris Johnson is responsible for managing multiple facets of the Piper Branches including Business Development, Marketing, Design, Construction Departments, HR, and Sales. Chris holds multiple Florida Contractor Licenses and various National Certifications.

Recently Chris has focused much time and attention to serving on the National Board of the American Fire Sprinkler Association where he serves as Chairman of the Legislative and Convention Committees. Chris also serves on the AFSA National Board’s Bylaws and Apprenticeship and Education Committees. He was also Chair of the Florida Chapter of AFSA from 2017-2019 and has Chaired the Legislative Committee from 2019-2022. Chris has served on the executive board of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors Association since 2015 and currently the Chapter Chair and a member of the National Board of that organization.

Chris is very involved with local organizations and causes. He is former Chair of the Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce, and he has also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for HCA Hospital of Largo, as well as serving on many other youth sports and non-profit boards. Chris has a passion for Legislative Affairs and he was elected as Commissioner of the City of Largo in November of 2022. Chris has served the previous 8 years as a member of the City of Largo’s Finance Advisory Board. He has also been appointed to sit on the Florida League of Cities Committee on Legislative Policy on Finance, Taxation, and Personnel.

Chris is a dedicated husband and father of six and grandfather to three amazing granddaughters.

Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?
Good to Great, His Excellency (George Washington Bio), and Death by Monsters Podcast (guilty pleasure)

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Chris is an avid Board Gamer and WWII Historical War Gamer. You can always find Chris surrounded by friends and family (usually playing a card, board, or party game).

Co-Founder & President at Integrated Fire & Security Solutions Inc

Justin Peterson

Bio Coming Soon!

Owners Advisory Council

Marat Sedenkov

Bio Coming Soon!