Bradley S. Klein founded Building Professionals of Texas in 2001, having come from a sales background with no prior experience in the cleaning industry. Needless to say, it was quite challenging in the early days.
“Our business was built on getting and losing a lot of buildings before we figured out what to do,” he recalls. “This is an ongoing theme up to and including today. If you ever stop learning, then your business is finished growing.”
Over the years, he and his staff have used this tactic to build one of the largest first-generation cleaning companies in Texas. Along the way, Klein found another valuable resource: the education and connections made from joining BSCAI. This includes his involvement in the association to grow his company’s operations and improve his understanding of the business.
Peer Groups Without Peer
Chiefly, Klein touts BSCAI’s Peer Groups as the biggest benefit of his membership over the years. BSCAI Peer Groups are organized networks of typically five to 10 non-competing contract cleaning professionals who meet virtually each month and hold bi-annual on-site audits. The groups serve as free consulting to openly share best practices, brainstorm solutions, and benchmark financials.
Klein’s first Peer Group started nearly 20 years ago. It didn’t last very long, but he says he came away from that initial experience with a lot of industry knowledge from the people he came in contact with.
His second Peer Group lasted much longer. “It would still be going if one of the members did not have a dramatic change in their role in the industry. The two people I was with are still two of my ‘ride or dies.’ We talk all the time and [chuckling] even occasionally talk business,” he says. “There is not one day that goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for these people being put in my life.”
For Klein, those relationships have become far more than networking contacts. They are trusted advisors he can lean on when facing business challenges and friends to call on when new opportunities arise.
Klein loves that one of his local competitors and fellow association members shares his Houston Astros tickets with him. “He was also the first person I called when I needed a person to fast track our growth,” Klein states. “The person he sent me is my right hand. I will always appreciate the fact that his only questions when I asked for his help were, ‘What do you need, and when do you need it?’”
Experiences like that are what make the BSCAI community unique. The association's members share a willingness to help one another succeed, even beyond formal meetings and events.
Klein on BSCAI and the Industry Then and Now
Klein has been an active member of BSCAI since 2003, serving on the Board of Directors for three years. With little industry experience to draw on, Klein admits it was more than a bit intimidating walking into his first room full of experienced cleaning professionals.
“Fortunately for me, I was welcomed with open arms,” he says. “The president and the executive director of BSCAI treated me like I was the smartest person in the room. This was only eclipsed by the willingness of the membership in general to help me in any way I needed.” What could have been an intimidating experience quickly became a source of support, mentorship, and encouragement.
Another big step early on for Klein was becoming a Certified Business Service Executive (CBSE), the highest professional designation in the building services industry. “Now, 20-plus years later, I have become one of the senior members of that club,” he says.
With his longevity has come perspective on the evolution of the industry, which he feels has been slow. However, in recent years, what he’s seen evolve most is the addition of so much youth into the business. “The young, hungry faces that are popping up have energized me and have certainly energized my business,” he says.
For the next generation and beyond, Klein encourages finding a sense of purpose. “Rather than trying to attend everything, identify the business challenges that matter most to you and use BSCAI as a resource to solve them,” he says. “The members who get the greatest value are those who build genuine relationships, ask thoughtful questions, and actively exchange ideas with their peers.”
Built to Last, Positioned to Grow
Building Professionals of Texas today employs 475 workers and has serviced over 16 million square feet statewide. It specializes in corporate environments, everything from small offices to large-scale facilities. Its range of services includes everything from nightly building cleaning and day porter and maid service to trash collection and disposal and parking lot sweeping, striping, and repair.
“Our value proposition is our Circle of Communication and our 12-Minute Response Time Guarantee,” Klein says. “There is always somebody out there that will come in at a lower price and quality is subjective, but nobody will ever out service us!”
Looking ahead, Klein feels good that Building Professionals of Texas operates in what he believes is a recession-resistant industry. “Our jobs can never be outsourced overseas and, if there are lights on, we will have work,” he says. “When times get a bit rough like they are now, a lot of the bad players will fold their hands. The semi-decade culling of the herd we’ve seen is a good thing for the industry. It allows the players that play the game right to thrive!”