The Truth Sells Itself: Terry Rash on 16 Years of Teamwork and Trust at SmartSafety Software

On a Friday in early 2011, Terry Rash received a phone call from a former colleague.

There was an open position at a company called AT Solutions—now known as SmartSafety Software (Trancite)—but the funding for the role was set to expire. If Terry wanted the job, he had to interview by the following Monday. He took the meeting, accepted the offer, and officially joined the team on Valentine's Day.

Sixteen years later, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2026, Terry is still here.

While his tenure is marked by a flawless record of securing major government contracts, he refuses to view it as an individual achievement. Instead, his story is a direct reflection of a company culture where developers, support staff, and sales teams operate as a single unit with one shared rule: never let each other down.

Key Takeaways

• Terry Rash joined SmartSafety Software in 2011 and is currently in his 16th year with the company.

• He has successfully brought in a new statewide or large city customer and exceeded his annual sales quota every year of his tenure.

• He attributes this 16-year streak entirely to the broader team, noting that great developers and outstanding support staff make the sales process simple.

• His core philosophy is built on absolute honesty, operating on the fact that law enforcement professionals appreciate the truth over empty promises.

• Outside of work, Terry and his wife Suzette travel the world to visit their children and grandchildren, who are stationed globally from Ohio to the Maldives.

  
  

A 16-Year Streak Built on the Back of the Team

When Terry first joined, the company was a small division within a large government contracting firm. The team operated across all disciplines—sales, support, and development—with a shared focus on the product and the customer.

That collaborative environment set the stage for Terry's primary professional milestones. Over the past 16 years, he has accomplished two major goals annually: exceeding his sales quota and securing a new statewide or large city contract every single year.

However, Terry is quick to deflect any individual credit for this. He views his sales numbers as a shared company achievement.

"We do everything basically as a team; we always have," Terry said. "The guys develop great products, outstanding support... we thrive on relationships and networking to achieve the goals." For Terry, the sales team simply communicates the value that the rest of the company has already built.

The Austin Barn Meeting and the Value of the Truth

In software sales, relationships dictate long-term success. Terry points to a specific interaction at the Traffic Records Forum in Austin, Texas, as a prime example of how SmartSafety Software operates.

Terry and his colleagues were meeting with a representative from a large state agency at an event in Texas. The prospect outlined the issues their agency was facing, and they were looking for a solution that worked best for their team. Long story short, that customer was thrilled with the proposed solution and remains a close friend and a long-term client today.

This approach is highly intentional. Terry operates on a strict policy of never over-promising and under-delivering.

"Law enforcement officers have people lying to them every day," Terry said. "So they really do appreciate when somebody tells them the truth.” 

Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome

Over the course of 16 years, SmartSafety Software has been acquired three times. Each acquisition brought new requirements, new corporate focuses, and new operational challenges.

Despite these shifts, the core team remained largely intact. Terry attributes this stability to a shared sense of duty among the employees. The team members genuinely like each other and refuse to let one another fail.

"We don't want to let the team down," he said. "So I think we all strive in our particular disciplines to make sure we don't let any part of the company down."

When facing organizational changes, Terry relies on a classic Marine Corps adage: improvise, adapt, and overcome. That adaptability is why he has no immediate plans to retire. As long as he remains healthy and continues to enjoy the work and the people, he intends to stay. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he noted.

What 30 Years of Innovation Looks Like

For Terry, SmartSafety’s 30th anniversary is a point of great professional pride. Most small software companies that start in a garage do not survive three decades, let alone thrive through multiple acquisitions. The milestone proves that the company's innovation and product delivery have successfully built a strong, trusting customer base.

Outside of the office, Terry's focus shifts entirely to his family and his love of travel. He and his wife, Suzette, spend their free time visiting their children, Terrah and Brad, and their three grandchildren, Ashlee, Amelia, and Aila. Because his son serves in the Navy and his family is scattered across the globe—from Ohio to the Maldives to overseas military bases—traveling is a constant and necessary part of his life.

Whether he is navigating international travel to see his grandchildren or closing a statewide software contract, Terry's approach remains consistent: rely on the people around you, tell the truth, and deliver on the promise.