ServiceMaster Complete Restoration is an independent franchise business licensed to serve you by The ServiceMaster Company, a Fortune 500 company with over $5.5 Billion in operating revenue, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (SVM).
History
ServiceMaster has come a long way since its incorporation in 1947. Beginning with a
half dozen employees and a revenue of $125,000, we today employ more than 34,000
people, manage approximately 200,000 others, and have system-wide revenue in excess
of $4 billion.
Batting a thousand
Founded as a moth-proofing company in 1929 by Marion E. Wade, a former minor league baseball
player who dreamed of the major leagues, ServiceMaster had its beginnings in Chicago where
Wade worked out of his home. Wade's dream of the major leagues was eventually realized,
though not in baseball.
ServiceMaster, Wade's one-time moth-proofing business, has become one of America's largest and most successful service companies. We operate in more than 30 countries and serve over 6 million customers with a broad network of quality services.
Making a statement
Marion Wade had a strong personal faith and a desire to honor God in all he did.
Translating this into the marketplace, he viewed each individual employee and customer
as being made in God's image--worthy of dignity and respect. This view also was shared
by his successors, Ken Hansen--with his financial prowess and ever present bow tie--and
Ken Wessner, a superb operating person with a desire to develop people. These three shaped
what became our Company objectives: To honor God in all we do; To help people develop; To
pursue excellence; and To grow profitably.
Realizing that facilitating the development of every employee to their fullest potential would result in a greater quality of work, training at all levels became a cornerstone of the ServiceMaster approach. ServiceMaster is committed to empowering people to serve by providing them with thorough training, and by developing and equipping them with tools and systems to do the job right.
Leading the pack
Operating under this basic philosophy, ServiceMaster expanded to carpet cleaning in 1952,
establishing one of America's first franchise businesses. In 1962, the Company took its
expertise to the healthcare arena and pioneered what is now known as outsourcing.
In 1980, we began serving the education market. We are now the country's leading
provider of outsourcing for facilities management. Our customers in the Healthcare, Education, and
Business & Industry markets view ServiceMaster as a strategic partner in serving their
customers by cutting costs, increasing productivity, and improving worker morale.
A service for every need
In the 1980s, Chairman C. William Pollard inspired further expansion of our consumer
business. Under his leadership, and the leadership of current Chief Executive Officer
Carlos Cantu, we have built on the original franchise business to form a network of
quality service companies. These include TruGreen-ChemLawn (lawn care), Terminix (pest
control), ServiceMaster (heavy cleaning), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), American
Home Shield (home warranty services) and our most recent acquisition Rescue Rooter
(plumbing and drain system services). Each of these companies is today a leader in its
industry.
Stepping out into the forefront
In the 1990s, continuing with the ServiceMaster tradition of planning for succession and
developing future leaders, Carlos Cantu became Chief Executive Officer and assumed
responsibility for leading our enterprise into the next century.
In response to the changing health care environment and rapidly growing aging population, ServiceMaster combined its long-term care management and home health care businesses to form Diversified Health Services (DHS) in 1994. DHS provides long term care management, facilities development and other related services, and is committed to assisting our customers in providing the highest quality of care to their patients.
The ServiceMaster International business was launched in 1959. Today, through a combination of license arrangements with foreign partners and through direct operations, we serve in over 30 countries on five continents.
Value, value, value
Bringing increased value to our customers, associates and shareholders is our challenge
as we approach the next century. Changing demographics, a desire for more leisure time,
and the mounting costs of facilities maintenance and health care provide opportunities
for us to do just that. We at ServiceMaster are committed to keeping your homes clean,
functional, and pest free; your lawns healthy and attractive; and your hospitals,
children's schools, and businesses running smoothly and efficiently.
Our Company Objectives
The philosophy of a company is at the core of its business. It defines the way customers are served and people are treated. It is the foundation upon which all else is built. The ServiceMaster philosophy is expressed in four objectives. The first two objectives are end goals. The second two are means goals:
To Honor God In All We Do
Our first objective has an impact on every aspect of our business--from the way we serve
customers to the relationships we have with other ServiceMaster associates. We believe
that every person--regardless of personal beliefs or differences--has been created
in the image and likeness of God. We seek to recognize the dignity, worth and potential of
each individual and believe that everyone from service worker to company president has
intrinsic worth and value.
This objective challenges us to have commitment to truth and to deliver what we promise. It provides the basis for our belief in servant leadership. It is not an expression of a particular religious belief, or a basis for exclusion. Rather, it is a mandate for inclusion, and a constant reminder for us to do the right thing in the right way.
To Help People Develop
At ServiceMaster, work is about developing, contributing, and feeling the accomplishment of
a job well done. ServiceMaster believes in not only empowering people, but enabling them
to succeed. By concentrating on what people are doing and what they are becoming, we
contribute to the professional and personal development of every individual. Our second
objective is an important way for us to demonstrate our belief in the value of each
individual and to underscore the importance of understanding and respecting people's
differences. The pursuit of excellence is a never-ending process.
By giving people the tools and training to develop, we increase their productivity and earnings, and enhance the dignity, self-respect and worth of each individual.
To Pursue Excellence
The purpose of our business is to create and keep customers. This can be accomplished only
by delivering superior quality. We continually seek better methods of delivering
service and believe that every time we touch a customer's life, we should provide added
value for that customer.
Our third objective reinforces the importance of viewing quality not as something to attain, but as a journey and continuous process. We may be pleased, but never satisfied with our service delivery. Pursuing excellence requires us to continue to ask ourselves whether we are delivering on our promise of value to our customers each and every time we serve them.
Pursuing excellence means that we must know our customers, understand their needs and expectations, regularly listen to them, and adjust our processes and procedures to more effectively serve them. It is only when our customers feel that they have received service that is worth what they have paid--and more--that we have made a difference and provided excellence in value.
To Grow Profitably
Many companies view profit as their sole reason for existence, and indeed it is necessary
for business survival. At ServiceMaster, profitability is not an end in itself, but
rather a means of accomplishing our other objectives. By achieving economic success, we
will gain the resources to positively affect the lives of our shareholders, customers and
associates.
Profitability is a way to test and challenge ourselves. Profitability, productivity and quality reflect added value for our customers, improved opportunity for our people, and a fair return for our shareholders.
