David Guy started his own defense contracting business four years ago because he didn't like the way other contractors were supporting the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I saw a lot of instances where the priority was not taking care of the soldier," says Guy, president and CEO of D3M LLC. "If we can bring one more kid home not in a body bag, that's the priority to me. I do it to take care of the soldiers downrange."

Guy, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2003 after a 20-year stint, says he visits Afghanistan on a quarterly basis to ensure that his employees are fulfilling their mission.

"Everything we do is overseas, so I need to be on-site from time to time to get a true feel for how we're doing," he says. "I'm always asking questions like, 'What can we do better?' And if an employee isn't measuring up, he's on the first plane home."

"Home" for D3M changed earlier this month when Guy moved the company's headquarters from 1,900 square feet of space in Hope Mills to 2,800 at an office suite on Fox Hollow Road in Pinehurst.

"We had to grow, and we had to have a bigger building," he says. "Strategically, Moore County is better for us because the atmosphere and amenities here enable us to take better care of our clients."

Guy, who has lived in Whispering Pines for two years, adds that he loves the county's "small-town feel."

"It doesn't hurt us when we recruit nationally," he says. "I just think coming here was the best move for us. It was time for us to shift gears."

D3M currently has more than a dozen employees at eight locations in Afghanistan, and had workers in 14 areas of Iraq before the recent drawdown in that country.

"We pay higher and make less profit because I want quality people. They are the face of our company downrange," Guy says. "If you're going to send them overseas, you've got to give them every asset available to accomplish their mission and get them back home.

"My people are on call 24/7, so I've got to support them and take care of them."

The company's expertise initially lay in new equipment training, but has expanded to include training, project management, integrated logistics, field site engineering and maintenance support.

"We cover the gamut now," Guy says.

Pat Corso, executive director of Moore County Partners in Progress, says D3M is a "perfect example" of the type of high-impact, high-growth company that the Moore Forward initiative plans to target in the coming year.

"We need to cast a wider net to create enough of an impression in the broader marketplace so companies like D3M hear about us before we hear about them," Corso says. "Nobody reached out to David Guy. Nobody told him our story.

"If this gentleman can find us by doing all his homework without our help, imagine what happens if we can provide the awareness and support services. It's the tip of the iceberg. We'll see more and more of this as we get our message out."

Corso adds that Guy made a decision "based on quality of life."

"And that's who we want to draw in here," Corso says. "We're going to recruit the best and brightest who want to put down roots. So, bring us your business and your family, because I think we're going to get traction."

Guy hopes for the same for the company's pending contracts.

"Even if only 50 percent of them come through, we could grow by 200 percent," he says. "We have grown and been profitable every year because we love what we do."

The only thing Guy detests about the industry is politicking.

"Judge me based on job performance, not on whether or not I'm politically correct," he says.

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at (910) 693-2474 or tnatt@thepilot.com.