Articles

CCS Facility Services

Categories: ISSA Member Spotlight

It takes exceptional maintenance and cleaning to keep an active facility healthy and running smoothly. Proper staffing with appropriate supervision and the ability to adjust when a problem arises is needed. Many businesses find it can be a challenge to get good janitorial and maintenance services for their facilities.

CCS Facility Services understands this and can help. CCS is a large, US-based provider of facility services, delivering expert janitorial and engineering services to customers across the country.

The evolution of CCS Facility Services

Over 30 years ago, a small service-oriented group in Denver, Colorado, wanted to bring a higher degree of quality to cleaning and maintenance. “When CCS started to pursue business at the very beginning,” says Troy Coker, CEO of CCS Facility Services, “we found that many prospective clients had unmet needs from their cleaning crews at the time. We saw the opportunity to deliver a better customer experience and add more professionalism to the janitorial industry, and the company grew from there.”

Coker continues: “We listen to our customers. When we hear a need identified, or a gap in current service providers out there, we use that information to guide how we could expand our scope of services to meet that need. For example, we know that floor and carpet care is a key need, but expertise in the field of flooring is critical. That is why we started a dedicated flooring division. If we are going to deliver a service, we’re going to do so as experts.”

Now, CCS is an integrated facility services company with thousands of cleaning and building engineering professionals. They service clients across health care, manufacturing, biotech, commercial real estate, corporate campuses, education, and more. Over time, CCS has expanded to multiple states, both through acquisition and partnership with current customers. “Many partnerships expand to our branches in multiple markets,” says Coker. “In a way, we have grown together with many clients.”

Company culture

Never forgetting their roots, CCS is guided by their mission and core values. The mission is to be the best facilities provider, to completely exceed their customers’ expectations, to provide excellence in customer service at a fair price, to develop and sustain controlled growth of the company, and to always remember their humble beginnings and take care of their employees. The CCS core values include commitment, accountability, continuous improvement, excellence, and professional integrity.

Good company culture starts with an environment filled with people with similar values. Hiring is critical, but so is retention. When hiring, CCS does not just look for job experience. “We are thoughtful about trying to bring on new teammates who will fit into CCS’s culture and embody our core values,” says Coker. “We have found there are many consistent traits across our high performers, so during interviews, we ask questions of candidates to try to elicit if the person conveys similar traits in their answers.”

Much of CCS’ hiring and advancement comes from within the company and referrals. “Our employees serve as the very best resource for hiring. We often get employment referrals from our staff of their family members and friends, and we are proud of that,” continues Coker. “We also believe strongly in promoting from within. Most of our managers and supervisors started as front-line janitorial staff. This practice of supporting our people and helping them grow professionally also adds to our staff being tremendous resources for helping us find new talent.

“We are incredibly grateful to our employees, and CCS is a better service provider because our front-line staff is so invested in the work they do.”

Continuous improvement

One of CCS’s core values, continuous improvement, is one way the company helps their staff grow professionally and advance knowledge. As the pandemic hit, CCS was already investing in new products and processes, like electrostatic spraying. Two of their staff had just been trained in the GBAC Forensic Restoration Operator® program.

“We were establishing our own cleaning protocols to respond to COVID-19,” Coker explains. “Then Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) created this amazing education program with the GBAC Trained Technician program that enhanced and reinforced what we were already working on.”

Since the program began, more than 10% of the CCS front-line staff have become GBAC Trained Technician certified, and more are training more every day.

Poised to meet customers’ needs

The return to workplaces and campuses has been a constantly evolving process as variants have changed the landscape. People are apprehensive, especially after more than a year of working from home, where people can control their own environments.

What is so important about GBAC^® STAR Service Accreditation is what this means for the customers and the people in their facilities—their employees, patients, students, staff, visitors, customers, guests, and more. That’s why CCS jumped to pursue GBAC^® STAR Service Accreditation. “It validates that we are implementing the industry’s highest standards for cleaning and disinfection from the global experts,” claims Coker.

“Plus, our employees are really proud that we are the first GBAC^® STAR Service accredited provider in the world,” says Coker. “We could not have achieved GBAC^® STAR Service Accreditation without the investment and commitment from front-line staff to learn and grow.”

CCS is uniquely poised to meet the needs of their customers. “There is a lot of competing information out there, and people are, understandably, confused,” Coker explains. “Our role is to listen and help develop custom solutions for their needs based on industry-identified best practices. We want the people inside the facilities we serve to feel safe because CCS has invested in the best-in-class processes, products, and training. We continue to evolve our knowledge, including understanding the best products and applications for cleaning for health.”

Developed with relationships over time, CCS also has an established, sustainable supply chain. Coker continues, “Through digital inventory management, coupled with relationships with manufacturers and distributors, we are aware when a supply need is coming, and we source in a timely fashion to avoid any downtime. It’s critical that our staff have the supplies that they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

The evolution of building wellness

The health and well-being of facilities has become a central focus in the cleaning industry, especially during the last year and a half. CCS is particularly excited about the evolution of building wellness. “Like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program a decade ago, we think this is an exciting investment to help make the workplace an overall better place for individuals. That is why we have made educational investments in both Fitwel and WELL Building certification,” Coker reveals.

CCS has found that some clients are exploring this topic but are not “fluent” in it. “We are happy to offer our perspective and expertise as facilities explore the wellness routes,” Coker continues. “We hope our GBAC^® STAR Service may be a tangible benefit to help facilities achieve some of these wellness ratings.”

An amazing resource

In the beginning days of CCS, there was so much opportunity for standardization and upping the game of janitorial service. ISSA has provided legitimacy and professionalism to the cleaning industry. “ISSA is the expert, independent third-party voice to help guide the right way to run a janitorial business,” states Coker.

“We consult with ISSA and GBAC all the time to help us develop our own solutions and policies. ISSA is an amazing resource, a partner, and an expert. Take advantage of the learning ISSA provides this industry because it will make your business better.”

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