3 Window Cleaning Business Owners

Mark Holt (L) and Jake Edwards are partners in A-One Window Cleaning. They are cleaning windows at Mt. Holyoke College.

Voices of the Valley: Mark Holt and Jake Edwards, owners, A-One Window Cleaning, Inc., Amherst - A-One Window Cleaning, Inc. has been in business since 1984. Jake Edwards is a native of Hatfield and I'm from Holyoke. We took over the business in 2013 after being employees for five years. Between Jake and I, we have over 20 years experience coast to coast ranging from small house window cleaning to 66-story high rise window cleaning.

We are a window cleaning company but, we have a wide variety of services. Besides commercial, and residential window cleaning, we offer building and house washing, pressure washing, roof washing, gutter cleaning, solar panel cleaning, shower door restoration, and small window repairs, basically we detail properties top to bottom.

Our competitive prices, and our wide variety of services have kept us busy. So we really haven't had to change much due to the rocky economy. Not many people realize that keeping your windows clean, and in proper working order can save you quite a bit of money on utility bills. Solar panel cleaning is also a great way of generating more energy.

We really care about the environment. Unlike most companies, we use a completely biodegradable, eco-friendly window cleaning soap for all of the residential properties we clean. It has no phosphates or ammonia. Not only is our soap completely green; it also softens water to reduce overall dirt redeposition. This leaves a longer lasting clean on your glass.

Word of mouth has been the best success for us. Websites like Yelp, and Angie's List have been great as well, but we find that keeping our customers satisfied, and going above and beyond with our work is our secret to success. There are other window cleaners in our area but, with our loyal customers, and our dedication to our work, we normally don't have a problem getting customers and keeping them satisfied. Currently we have six employees, but with the amount of work we have coming up, we are hiring.

Air Force veteran Charles Lewis is the president of Montgomery-based Supreme Cleaning, a facility maintenance company. Founded in 2007, it offers janitorial, pressure washing and window cleaning service up to two stories, and recently expanded into landscape service. Its clients include Alabama Power and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The company’s employee count varies but is usually between 15 and 18, and all of his employees are veterans. Lewis talked with the Advertiser about his business:
 

How is your approach to the business different than other people who do this?
We’ve been very conservative in our growth strategies. Measured growth is probably the best way to describe it.

How did you go about that?
We started out with state contracts, but eventually we weaned ourselves off of those. We found that we had a number of state contracts but as the fiscal year changed, they would be slow in payments. So we went with (the) private sector. We’re certified now as a service disabled veteran-owned business by (Veterans Affairs), and we’re competing for federal contracts on a regional basis.

What’s ahead for the business at this point?
It’s going to be private sector and federal (business) moving forward. We’re working on a regional basis right now, but it’s measured growth. You don’t take on any more than you can chew unless it’s through strategic alliances with other organizations.

Not your average cleaning lady (Hillsborough) - S&G Cleaning Services is committed to excellence. Cleaning has been an integral part of S&G Cleaning Services owner Shirley Perlinsky’s life for as long as she can remember. The native of Brazil says her grandmother was her inspiration.

“When I was a child, growing up in a very modest neighborhood in Brazil, my grandmother lived with us,” Perlinsky writes on her company website. “Never one to sit idle and watch the world go by, it seemed as though she was always busy and that usually involved cleaning something. Whether it was the floors, the windows or the kitchen counters, no stain or speck of dirt ever escaped her attention. Cleaning was her passion and she made sure to communicate that to the younger members of the family.”

Perlinsky studied marketing and advertising in Brazil and ran a marketing research company for 10 years before moving to the United States, where she took over her mother’s cleaning company. She used her marketing background to expand the business. “She gave me a notebook with all the clients’ names in it, and I was shocked that there was no technology in the cleaning business in this area, or at least at that moment when I was starting out,” Perlinsky said. “That’s when I used my marketing experience to grow the business to a point where I could get the money to put technology into the business. We now have five computers running the business with maid service software. Our cars are equipped with GPS tracking systems to know exactly where the crew is at any given moment.”

S&G is not your typical cleaning lady. Employees are thoroughly screened and trained with videos, manuals and hands-on instruction. They also receive bonuses for exceptional service. Perlinsky said that the happiness of S&G employees is a core value of the business. “We are very focused on our employees,” she said. “When you treat your employees well, they will treat their clients the same way.” S&G also prides itself on its use of environmentally safe cleaning products.

When Hurricane Irene struck in August 2011, the offices of S&G Cleaning Services suffered major damage. As a result, the company moved to its current Hillsborough location. In addition, the storm inspired S&G to become certified in water damage cleanup, in order to help other victims of flooding.

For more than 30 years, Perlinsky said, she has dedicated her business to providing excellent cleaning services and also giving back to the community. S&G Cleaning Services is a major participant in Cleaning for Heroes, a nonprofit organization that provides free cleaning services to disabled and elderly veterans and retirees of local police and fire departments. The company is also involved with a similar group called Cleaning for a Reason, which provides cleaning services to women with cancer.

S&G’s services include home and office cleaning, window cleaning and carpet cleaning. The company serves clients throughout Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris and Union Counties. Perlinsky runs the business with her husband Gary.

Window Cleaning Company Move To Dry Land

The offices of S&G Cleaning Services were submerged under 12 feet of flood water.

S&G Cleaning Services Makes New Home in Hillsborough: Flood-ravaged S&G Cleaning Services, forced to move out of Manville following the aftermath of Hurricane Irene back in August, has found a new home in Hillsborough. The business, owned and operated by Shirley Perlinsky and her husband, Gary, seems to be doing better than ever after a post-Irene transition that saw the business operate out of the couple’s Somerville home before moving into town in December.

“When we heard we were going to get hit hard by Irene, we just got our computers and took to my house in Somerville,” said Perlinsky. “I set up my office temporarily in there, and we took the cars out of Manville—most of them—so we could continue working the next day. On Monday, we were already servicing customers from my house.”

S&G Cleaning Services currently boasts a fleet of 18 workers and eight cars that travel anywhere from Short Hills to Frenchtown to provide carpet and window cleaning, post-construction and maid services to customers. In addition, the aftermath of Irene was useful in one way, as it helped the business add water damage restoration and mold remediation to its repertoire of services.

“We were basically forced to lean about water damage restoration after all the floods that we had in Manville to help ourselves and to help some other clients that need help with the damage,” said Perlinsky. “We are getting a certification on mold remediation, which is another thing that happens when you get dirty water in your house.” Besides giving us an opportunity to move to Hillsborough, one other good thing came with Irene, says Perlinsky. It inspired us to become certified in water damage cleanup

Clearly, the business has come a long way from the cleaning lady service begun by Perlinsky’s mother in 1987. Since buying the business in 2000, Perlinsky and her employees have become one of the most well-known and trusted cleaning services in the state. “We provide (our employees) with company cars, uniforms, insurance and everything that they need, all the supplies and everything, to clean people’s homes,” said Perlinsky. “They are all background checks. They’re family, too; we hired people that we really trust and have recommendations.”

Shirley Perlinsky, owner of S&G Cleaning Services. Perlinsky operated from her home for four months while awaiting assistance from FEMA.

In addition, all S&G Cleaning Services employees are trained in all aspects of the business with books and classes from the House Cleaning Association to ensure that they are knowledgeable about all aspects of their craft. “Even for window cleaning, I send people out to get trained,” said Perlinsky. “I care about the customers, and I care about their safety as well.”

Its own sense of community helps S&G Cleaning Services become involved in the surrounding community, as well. Perlinsky told Patch that the business has involved itself in many charitable causes, including local school fundraisers, Habitat for Humanity Fundraisers and Cleaning for a Reason, which offers free cleaning services to women affected by cancer. “(Community service) is a big deal for us; we love to do that,” said Perlinsky.

S&G Cleaning Services also offers discounts to seniors, while showing the courtesy and care that Perlinsky aims to continually establish as the calling card of her business. “We treat them like they are our grandfather and grandmother,” said Perlinsky. Due to all of these factors, Perlinsky hopes that S&G Cleaning Services is here to stay in Hillsborough. “It’s all about excitement,” said Perlinsky. “We should be able to work more professionally and more organized, and be able to serve the new demand that we have here.”