"Working with Patience & Integrity"

In the janitorial, material handling, and logistic support services industries, one must deal with moving pieces and interesting dynamics, with customers and employees. Being patient in those situations and having the integrity to follow through on the promises (regardless of potential business loss or economic loss) are Matt Vonachen's qualities that have taken the company to new heights.

  

The CEO of Vonachen Group has the unique ability to delegate the right duties to the right employees that, in turn, allow those same employees career and personal growth opportunities. He carries gratitude for people in what they do and how they do it, learning agility to guide a large organization through things like accelerated inflation or the COVID-19 pandemic, and investing the time to influence and help the building service contracting (“BSCs) community on a global scale. It is pertinent to mention Matt worked with House Representatives in Congress to push for bill legislation that helped out BSCs in allowing businesses to receive tax credits for expenses spent on cleaning services during the pandemic.

 

Another example of Matt’s dedication and ability to delegate was at the beginning of his career. Matt purchased Vonachen Services just when the economic downturn hit in 2008. “Our clients were reducing services to contain costs which had a significant impact on our business.” Matt chose not to lay off anyone but kept everyone on the payroll, which proved to be a huge benefit when the economy started to improve. They had experienced managers able to handle the rebound and growth.

Matt has been instrumental in sustaining an excellent culture for Vonachen Group. Getting employees engaged in their work duties and the organization by sharing his vision for Vonachen Group and ensuring they know how much they are appreciated for their contributions. With the pandemic, Matt invested in technological tools so employees could pivot between working at the office or from home. Understanding the trend for flexibility and a better balance between family and work-life has increased productivity without sacrificing morale. Successful employees have a much better emotional connection to the company and become loyal, long-term employees. Another large recent project is our "Daily Pay" software, which helps our employees get paid early with little expenses, says Matt. This employee retention technique reduces customer churn. Matt believes they can use this to retain employees.

Matt has reached a point in his career where helping others has become more rewarding than doing something for himself. He has worked with local startups attempting to get their businesses off the ground, both in the cleaning industry and outside the industry. Matt has supported a startup robotics company called Pringle Robotics located in Peoria, IL, by making introductions to some of the largest employers in town in an effort for them to gain more business, but also has helped mentor the entrepreneurs on suggestions of best-practice growth strategies. Matt has helped young entrepreneurs in the industry better understand how to scale and make sound business decisions.

  

Two important lessons Matt has taught his team is that the business is “a people business, we are not a business of brick and motor” and “hope is not a plan.”

  

“Our approach is straightforward. We hire people that align with our purpose and values. At Vonachen Group, we believe that what sets us apart from others is that we’re big enough to matter and small enough to care.  The quality of our work depends on the quality of our people. That’s why all Vonachen Group applicants are carefully screened and undergo continuous training once hired to ensure they have the skills needed to successfully manage your project. We’re proud to employ skilled professionals, and we treat them all with respect and fairness because we know that satisfied employees result in satisfied clients.

“A significant achievement our organization carries is Supplier of The Year Award for two of our customers, 3M and Bridgestone. We won this due to our workplace culture, work performance, and the organization’s drive behind the investment and adoption of technology. Although the technology was big, it was not widely used when we won the award. Our organization leaned into building out a proprietary work ticketing system that was internal and external facing. This streamlined communication and massively improved efficiency related to closing out customer-driven work requests.

  

“This “revolutionary” approach was adopted across our 3M and Bridgestone portfolios and, I believe, was a driver in the Supplier of the Year Awards.

  

“We are responsible for delivering clean, healthy, and safe buildings for people to work in. The Vonachen Group is highly active in the communities they serve. Listening to the customer and bringing solutions to their everyday challenges – being a resource to provide the expertise and solutions,” says Matt.