Arux Group

06/08/2026

Last week Arux Group attended the Portland Trail Blazers Small Business Partner event at the Moda Center.

Being one of the spotlighted partners gave us a chance to step onto the stage and explain who we are, what we are building, and what executive and corporate protection looks like when it is done right.

It was a good day all around. The Larry Steele Q&A, the showcase on the arena floor, and great conversations with other Portland-area business owners between sessions.

Thank you to the Trail Blazers organization for investing in the small businesses that keep this region moving.

Glad to be in Rip City's corner.

ExecutiveProtection

06/01/2026

We Made the Top 8. Now We Need Your Vote.

A note to the clients, partners, and community who have stood alongside Arux Group from the start.

The founders of Arux Group came out of law enforcement, SWAT, and military service together. We did not start this company because we saw an opening in a market. We started it because we had seen up close what the security industry was getting wrong, and we believed the people who depend on this work deserved more than what they were being handed.

To the founders, better security meant integrity that does not bend when money gets involved. It meant building a place where the specialists doing the work have full ownership in the service they are providing. It meant clients who never have to wonder whether we are going to show up, or whether the person standing post is qualified to be there.

What we have built since 2023 is the company we wished existed all along. The team, the clients, the partners, and the community that put Arux Group in the Top 8 are the only reason that list has us on it.

If our work has meant something to you, your vote would mean a great deal to us.

Cast Your Vote for the The Columbian Best of Clark County Security Services category below. Voting closes June 19.

Vote Now → https://www.columbian.com/contests/best-of-clark-county-2026/ #/gallery/540680109/

05/18/2026

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Bryan Marjama-Taft

1 AM phone calls don't usually change your career trajectory. For Bryan Marjama-Taft, one did.

When Bryan first reached out to learn about ARUX Group, CTO Ethan Ogdee took the call. At 1 in the morning.

"After talking with Ethan for the first time on the phone, I realized this was a company I wanted to invest myself in," Bryan explains. "This said a lot about who he was as a person and as a leader."

That conversation led Bryan to pursue the role. Seven months later, he's thriving as a Protective Security Specialist, bringing his background in State Corrections to executive protection work across the Pacific Northwest.
Why make the switch? "I wanted to feel like I was benefiting more than myself."

His most memorable moment happened during the Portland protests. Bryan was protecting a client who needed to enter a volatile crowd to capture critical footage. After they safely backed out, the client looked at Bryan and said, "I wanted to go in there because I knew I was good with you. I probably wouldn't have done that with any of my previous security I have had."

What makes ARUX different? Bryan puts it perfectly: "Arux Group is a family. Not like other companies that say they are a family, but the family that, if you are having a tough time, you can call one of the owners at 1 in the morning and they will chat with you about life. They set a bar that others can't reach and they intend to make it unreachable."

His work philosophy? "I start with a plan, then expect that plan to not work. I will always be flexible, because that is the world I surround myself with."

When he's not on assignment, you'll find Bryan outside shooting, training in combat sports, or doing anything as long as it's outdoors.

05/04/2026

Most security companies call their people guards. We call ours specialists. And that difference matters more than you might think.

In our latest article on The Executive Advantage, Brendan W**d breaks down why the language the industry uses is fueling its own staffing crisis, and what Arux Group is doing differently.

Read it here: https://aruxgroup.com/reimagining-security-professional-specialist/

05/01/2026

WE'RE HIRING AT ARUX GROUP!

Arux Group is a veteran-owned private security company serving the Pacific Northwest. We are currently hiring for two open positions:

- Protective Security Specialist (PSS)
- Unarmed Security Professional

Join a team built on discipline, integrity, and excellence.

For more information and to apply, visit our careers page:
https://aruxgroup.com/careers/

Excellence starts with you. We're always seeking skilled Armed, Unarmed, and Protective Security Specialists (PSS) to enhance our team. Excellence starts with you.

05/01/2026

We are proud to serve Clark County every day. If you believe in what we do, we would be honored to have your vote for Best of Clark County 2026.

04/30/2026

INTEL ALERT | Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA - May 1, 2026

If you have a business, employees, or operations in the Portland metro area, here is what you need to know about this Friday.

8 confirmed rallies, marches, and demonstrations are planned across the city and into Clark County from 10AM through 9PM+. This is not a single event - it is a full-day, citywide situation spanning multiple neighborhoods.

Confirmed locations and times:

Portland, Oregon (and immediate metro area):

• 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Students Rise Up on May Day – Grant High School
Laurelhurst Park (SE César E. Chávez Blvd & Stark St)

• 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Southeast Portland Honk & Wave
SE Woodstock Blvd & César Chávez Blvd (drive-by/honk event toward Reed College)

• 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Students Rise Up on May Day – Sunrise Movement
Lewis & Clark College (515 S Palatine Hill Rd)

• 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (rally starts ~noon, march ~3:30 p.m.)
Portland May Day 2026: Workers & Migrants Unite (main event)
South Park Blocks / SW Park Ave & Jefferson St (near St. James Lutheran Church, 1315 SW Park Ave)

• 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: May Day Protest
6869 N Lombard St (North Portland)

• 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sellwood Bridge Protest for May Day
Sellwood Bridge (SW Sellwood Bridge area)

• 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
ALL OUT FOR MAY DAY! Rally & March to ICE
Starts at Elizabeth Caruthers Park (3508 S Moody Ave, South Waterfront) → march to Portland ICE facility

Vancouver, WA:

Vancouver, WA May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires

• 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. @ Marshall Park rally, tabling

• 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. March from Marshall Park to Esther Short Park (Possible banner wave over I-5 Pedestrian Bridge)

• 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Esther Short Park (605 Esther St) – rally, performances, tabling

Business owners should plan for road disruptions, parking impacts, and foot traffic changes across central Portland throughout the day. If you have client-facing operations, deliveries, or personnel movement downtown, build in extra time or adjust your schedule now.

If you need security support or a threat assessment for your location on May 1, contact our team directly. We work with business owners and organizations across the Pacific Northwest.

(360) 953-2696 | aruxgroup.com

Want to receive intel briefings like this before they become headlines? Join our Inner Circle:
https://aruxgroup.com/ -OUR-INNER-CIRCLE

04/21/2026

You can spend your whole life helping people and still feel like you're not doing enough․

I thought joining the Army would fix that.

It didn't․

So I became a cop․ I figured that had to be it․ Went through the academy‚ made SWAT‚ put in the work․ The 3 AM callouts․ The cases that followed me home․ All of it․

Still wasn't enough․

Not because the work didn’t matter․ It did․ But you arrest the same guy three times in a month and watch him walk out every time․ You build a solid case and it gets dismissed․ You show up after someone's already hurt and you know you'll see them again because nothing actually changed․ The system just keeps cycling people through․ After a while, that sense that you're making any real difference starts to fade.

I was tired of showing up too late‚ tired of writing reports about things I couldn't stop․ Tired of being the guy who documented the damage instead of preventing it. I wanted to actually protect our community instead of endlessly responding to the chaos.

When we started Arux Group in 2023, I finally understood what had been missing. We weren't just responding anymore. We were training. Teaching. Building systems that kept people safe before threats ever materialized. We were creating the protection I always wished existed.

Every business owner dreams of seeing their company up on a billboard in a major sports arena one day․ Back in December‚ we became a Portland Trail Blazers Small Business Partner․ Every time I see Arux Group on the Moda Center jumbotron‚ I have to stop and let it sink in․ That's our city up there․ Our people․ The same community we've dedicated our lives to protecting․

That's not just a logo on a screen․ That's proof that sometimes the thing you've been searching for your whole life was always meant to be built‚ not found․

We're just getting started․

- Brendan W**d, Co-Founder & CEO, Arux Group

04/16/2026

Most healthcare facilities have a security presence. Far fewer have a security program designed specifically for the clinical environment. There is a meaningful difference between the two, and that difference shows up in incident documentation gaps, undertrained officers, and coverage models that leave overnight and parking areas exposed. We published a full breakdown on The Executive Advantage covering what professional healthcare security requires and what to ask when evaluating a provider. Link in bio to read the full article.

Read the full article here: https://aruxgroup.com/healthcare-facility-security-what-a-professional-program-involves/

04/10/2026

Yesterday morning, Arux Group Co-Founder and CEO Brendan W**d was officially honored as a 2026 Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient at the awards ceremony held at the Hilton Portland Downtown.

Brendan co-founded Arux Group in 2023 alongside two fellow SWAT operators with a shared conviction: the private security industry accepts adequate as sufficient too often. Before that, he served as a U.S. Army Captain, Ranger-qualified Combat Veteran, and Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputy and SWAT Element Leader.

The Portland Business Journal asked each honoree a set of questions for the official publication. When asked about his career high, Brendan said:

"My career high has been watching a young team member start at entry level, work his way up over one year, and step into a managerial role at just 24."

When asked about his proudest accomplishment outside his career:

"Mentoring fellow veterans and first responders through tough transitions. It feels more meaningful than any award."

This recognition reflects the standard the entire Arux Group team holds every day. Congratulations, Brendan.

Read the full article, including Brendan's complete PBJ Q&A: https://aruxgroup.com/arux-group-ceo-brendan-weed-named-2026-portland-business-journal-40-under-40-honoree