It's Not Easy Being Clean

A couple years ago, Active Environmental Services, Inc. moved its headquarters from a fully managed office facility into a former residence converted to office and storage. The new space was perfect for Active, with more space for our vehicles, a basement where samples can be stored, plenty of offices to allow for future growth, and even a full kitchen where staff members can prepare quick meals when their schedules don’t allow for longer breaks.

Everything seemed perfect—that is, until a few months after settling in to our new digs.

Then something became terribly obvious: our wonderful new space was a mess! In exchange for space and independence, we lost facilities management and cleaning personnel.

You see, the staff at Active Environmental Services is made up of a diverse group of scientists who bring their skills together to manage and maintain our various clients’ environmental or archaeological compliance. Our team members are skilled at environmental or archaeological project work. But we quickly learned that the Active team stinks at housekeeping.

So we put a plan together: instead of hiring someone to help with the housework (yeah, we’re cheap, too!), each employee was assigned a duty. Rob is responsible for keeping the bathroom tidy; Anthony maintains the exterior; Kimberly is in charge of cleaning the kitchen; Phil is the vacuum operator; Marvin is the general maintenance man; and Kim F. is the inspector. On paper, it sound perfect; like a happy family, everyone has a household responsibility.

Unfortunately, like most families, these responsibilities often fall to the wayside when more important events demand our attention. When soil and ground water sampling is required, our trash may pile up; when a client’s development project is going to affect a historic building, our gutters may not get cleaned; when a municipal wastewater treatment plant finds petroleum products in their sewer inflow, our bathroom … well, you don’t even want to hear about our bathroom!

So give us a call if you’ve got an environmental situation that needs the attention of experienced professionals—or if you know someone who does windows!