Articles

LCS Facility Group

Categories: ISSA Member Spotlight

For the past two years, COVID-19 has overwhelmed our lives. It has affected every industry, including education, health care, commercial, etc. It has influenced how work is done, and even if it can be done.

LCS Facility Group has been meeting this challenge head-on. These commercial cleaning professionals are determined to wipe out this virus wherever they can. With their dedicated staff, expertise, and technology, LCS has been entrusted by their clients with the task of eradicating COVID-19 from their premises and maintaining the health of their facilities.

How did LCS come to be such a leader in the commercial cleaning industry? Let’s go back to the beginning.

Epic family history and growth

In 1974, the Lepore family migrated to the United States of America from Bari, Italy. At once, Joe Lepore knew it was a country of opportunity. Not being familiar with the English language and with limited resources as a new immigrant to the country, Lepore aimed to do what he knew best—to work hard and rely on his own instincts.

Eventually, working as district manager for the Marriott Corporation, Lepore quickly began climbing the ladder and into management roles. During his rising career, Lepore met Maria Losurdo. It was love at first sight, and they married only a few years later. They moved around the state of New York various times during his career with Marriott, while raising their firstborn, Daniel.

When relocating to Poughkeepsie, New York, Lepore decided to take his chances and strike out on his own, starting his own business. Once again, Maria supported his decision and sacrificed much of her time with her husband during the beginning stages of the business. For many years at the startup of LCS, Maria played a behind-the-scenes role in keeping things on track—both in the business and at home—while Lepore worked tirelessly to realize the Lepore family version of the American dream. Through these years, the Lepores were also blessed by the arrival of two more sons, Joseph Jr. and Domenico—just to keep things interesting!

Our world changed forever on 9/11, one of the most tragic historical events to happen to the United States and New York. On the day after, September 12, 2001, Lepore’s assistance was requested in cleaning up demolition and debris at ground zero. It was that day in history that the LCS Facility Group would be established.

LCS Facility Group began with nothing but a dream—no investors, no capital, and no financial support. Because of his dedication to his family and an inner drive to give them more, Lepore was determined to build an incredible business that both his family and the community could rejoice in. His sons definitely do.

Daniel Lepore, known as the visionary of the family, began working for his father in his teens, alongside a commercial landscaping company. Like his father, he worked tirelessly to learn everything about the business side of things.

Joseph Lepore began working for the family company as an overnight floor technician, cleaning one of the business’s largest clients. With a talent and passion for technology, it was only natural that Joseph would evolve into developing and leading the company’s needed IT requirements.

Domenico Lepore began as a project technician, learning the business in and out. From there, he became a project coordinator, in which he was able to develop his skills with people. He then became the company’s business development manager until recently, when he was named general manager, and now oversees the daily operations and sales growth of the company.

LCS Facility Group has grown exponentially in its short 20 years of establishment. What started with just a van and four employees has now developed into a family-owned organization that employs more than 400 people, stretching across the country from New York, to California, to Texas, servicing over five million square feet of buildings and taking care of its clients.

LCS has been able to expand the industries and services offered. Its vast client portfolio now provides a multitude of services, including post-construction cleanup, janitorial maintenance, and other specialty services, to a variety of industries spanning from health care, education, hospitality, construction, and commercial firms.

Benefits of working for LCS

LCS Facility Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to developing and maintaining a skilled, passionate, and diverse team of employees.

“We are a rapidly growing organization, providing innovative solutions and expanding our service line to meet the needs of our customers,” says Joe Lepore, founder and chairman. “We believe in our employees and provide them with the necessary tools, equipment, and required training to become essential contributors to LCS Facility Group’s business.”

LCS employees spend their first 90 days of employment in training through LCS University, participating in courses that cover everything from workplace safety to customer service and etiquette.

“LCS Facility Group provides leadership and direction to encourage both the professional and personal growth of our employees. Skills and abilities, matched with job responsibility, allow our employees to perform as a dedicated and superior workforce,” claims Lepore.

He continues, “We also ensure we offer competitive wages, group health plans, paid vacations and sick time, and opportunities to save for retirement with 401k matching options.”

20 years of excellence

For over 20 years, LCS has built a reputation for exceptional customer service, reliability, and high-quality results. To maintain this reputation, they strive to follow the qualities that make up their LCS Seal of Excellence, exceeding industry standards and guaranteeing the highest level of service.

Also, being very philanthropic, Joe Lepore and the whole Lepore family are recognized as caring and generous in their communities. LCS donates to organizations across the board, especially those of education, family, and for those less privileged. Joe has even established a scholarship with the Culinary Institute of America. Amongst over 20 honors and awards, the Lepore family received the “Next Generation Award” in 2019 from the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and was named “Family of the Year” by Family Services in 2018.

Succeeding for 20 years is a huge accomplishment. “We’ve recently celebrated our 20th anniversary and release of a new logo, so that is very exciting for us,” says Lepore. “We are constantly growing and looking to expand our geographical footprint. We anticipate doing much more of this in 2022 and in the next few years, especially with our next generation and my sons taking a much stronger role in the company.”

Poised to meet the challenges of COVID-19

As mentioned, LCS Facility Group is maintaining its position in the battle against COVID-19 and other issues that may emerge.

Time has shed much light on the cleaning industry. Of course, some big key trends seen came with the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, electrostatic disinfection became a much more routine part of work, and LCS was already on board.

“LCS has been more than prepared for the pandemic, being we have had and used the electrostatic sprayers for years prior,” claims Lepore. “Most organizations never heard of it prior, but it is a piece of technology we’ve used for quite some time.”

Of course, staffing has been a challenge, as it has for most of the world. “But we are confident and feel like we’ve been able to handle it very well because our teams are proud to be part of LCS,” reports Lepore. “We take pride in encouraging growth, making people feel valuable, and rewarding those that go the extra mile. By empowering employees to make one-on-one relationships with clients and feel inclusive to the mission, the company can exceed customer expectations with customized solutions.”

Hand in hand with ISSA

As a member of ISSA, Lepore feels that it has had a significant impact on the continued success of LCS. “We have been a member for many years and are continually finding new values and ways it helps us grow as an organization.”

LCS Facility Group are firm believers in forward-thinking and continuous learning. As a result, ISSA has become a great partner in ensuring that it is possible. “With online resources, templates, guides, and most importantly a network of like-mind individuals, we can always have our answers responded to or brought to light,” says Lepore. “We use the ISSA in all facets of the business, from sales, to training, to operations.”

LCS also feels that its attendance at ISSA’s annual show is vital. Lepore continues, “As attendees of the ISSA North America show every year, we can ensure we are constantly on the forefront of improvements and techniques of facilities maintenance, allowing us to be industry leaders to our customers, partners, and environments.”

Advice for success

Joe Lepore, this gentleman who started with just a dream, vision, and incredible work ethic, has much wisdom to share with all of us.

“Save every penny you make and then invest it back in the company. Growth is slow and steady, and you want to be proud of what comes to light. Also, it is imperative that people keep themselves informed and educated on industry standards, industry changes, and ways to be competitive in today’s landscape. Ask questions and use your resources, such as the ISSA. There is more than enough room for everyone to be successful. Working together with peers and learning from each other is the number one way to succeed.”

For more on LCS, tune into a recent Straight Talk! interview at issa.com/lcs.

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