UG2 Achieves CIMS-GB Advanced by GBAC with Honors Certification

A Testament to Cleaning Excellence and Customer Satisfaction

We are thrilled to announce that UG2 has attained the prestigious CIMS-GB Advanced by GBAC with Honors certification once again. This certification amplifies our unwavering commitment to excellence, sustainability, safety, and quality as a facility services industry leader. 

Let’s dive into the significance of this certification and its implications for both our customers and our organization.

Understanding CIMS-GB with Honors Certification:

CIMS-GB, or Cleaning Industry Management Standard for Green Buildings, is a comprehensive and rigorous certification program developed by ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. UG2 has fulfilled all the criteria needed for our CIMS-GB assessment, which demonstrates our capabilities of delivering environmentally friendly services that are tailored to exceed customer expectations.

UG2 has successfully completed the assessment of the six key areas of management systems and processes:

  • Quality systems
  • Service delivery
  • Human resources
  • Health, safety, and environmental stewardship
  • Management commitment
  • Green buildings and service

Key Benefits of CIMS-GB with Honors Certification

Environmental Responsibility: 

By upholding the principles of CIMS-GB, UG2 showcases our dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. We prioritize the use of eco-friendly cleaning products and methods, minimizing waste, and maintaining sustainable practices. It also helps our customers achieve points under the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M.

Customer Focus and Continuous Improvement: 

The CIMS-GB with Honors certification signifies our position as a quality-driven and customer-focused organization. It separates us from our competitors by demonstrating third-party validation of our commitment to going above and beyond. 

This certification also highlights our core value of continuous improvement. It provides us with the framework to allocate resources effectively, deliver services efficiently, and adapt to the ever-evolving needs of our customers and their respective industries.

Cost Efficiency and Long-Term Sustainability:

UG2 allows our customers to reduce costs while we work on ensuring a sustainable business model for a long-term partnership. By streamlining our operations and adhering to the highest industry standards, we optimize efficiency and provide immense value.

UG2’s achievement of CIMS-GB with Honors certification is a testament to our dedication to excellence, sustainability, quality, and customer satisfaction. As a certified organization, we are committed to delivering superior customer service while prioritizing the health, safety, and well-being of both building occupants and the planet. 

Our vision is to set the standard for excellence and create the next generation of leadership in the facility services industry. With CIMS-GB Advanced by GBAC with Honors certification, we continue to raise the bar for excellence in our industry.

Refining Specialized Services for Critical Environments

For life science organizations relying on the maintenance of highly sensitive environments, there is simply no room for error. The high stakes involved might lead some companies to believe they are better off keeping their facility services in-house. In reality, outsourcing your facility services can be one of the smartest decisions you make for your company—if you choose the right facility services partner. 

What makes UG2 the partner of choice for so many leaders in life science?

  1. Specialization and professional certification. Unlike many of our competitors, UG2 is formally certified to clean life science environments. We also go above and beyond by maintaining the industry’s highest levels of training, education, and professional development through the robust offerings of our Training and Innovation Lab; its virtual platform allows every employee, regardless of location, to build knowledge with guidance from established experts across the country and the company.
  2. The correct standard operating procedures. We complement and augment our industry-leading training with your own, ensuring that the team assigned to your facility has mastered your company’ standard operating procedures, protocols, and training modules. Through our onboarding process, ongoing training and communication, and policy and procedure refinement, we immerse our teams into your facility and your industry inside and out, becoming an extension of your team.
  3. A consistent team of talented employees and supervisors. The challenge of attracting and maintaining a strong team has never been of greater concern. Fortunately, UG2’s approach to identifying and retaining talent means our highly trained and talented employees stay with us—and with you—for the long haul. You’ll see the same team members and find that they work together seamlessly, backed by the support of employees cross-trained in your facility’s unique needs so we never find ourselves shorthanded.  
  4. Access to a deep bench of subject matter expertise. UG2 is your local partner with national resources. That means the team of experts caring for your facility has immediate and unfettered access to the industry’s most knowledgeable experts, including our executive leadership team, gurus from our regional centers of excellence, and the specialists operating out of our local offices.
  5. An emphasis on transparency and clear communication. UG2 excels at communication with every customer, and we are acutely aware that the work happening in life science organizations requires the highest standard of teamwork and communication. We embrace accountability and build our communications systems and practices from the understanding that staying ahead of potential issues requires continuous communication and engagement—across our team and with your team, too.
  6. A culture of safety and preparedness. UG2 excels in safety, and we have the ratings to prove it. Our dedicated Environmental Health & Safety team ensures a proactive, comprehensive, and forward-thinking safety program to mitigate risk. We have refined our systems to track safety training and third-party certifications, incorporate both leading and lagging safety indicators in all safety planning, and exceed the industry standard for inspections, job safety and permit-to-work audits.

Our approach is successful because it is not simply about being extra cautious in sensitive lab spaces. Every employee is trained and highly knowledgeable about protocols, personal protective equipment, and the proper use of cleaning solutions and equipment.

While we are highly efficient, we never sacrifice precision for speed.  

Are you interested in learning more? Contact us today and we will talk you through our approach to life science facility services.

How UG2 Again Sets Itself Apart in Facility Services

When we learned that this year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Inspiring Inclusion,” we couldn’t help but think that the people of UG2 are a vivid reflection of that idea. We take great pride in the fact that, although we work in a male-dominated industry, UG2 has women leading our success across the country and at every level of the organization—women who represent a rich diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities, experiences, and perspectives.

This is indeed not a product of luck, but a testament to intentional planning, decision-making, and the pursuit of shaping a better future. But the people who are most responsible for fostering our culturally diverse communities are the very women we are celebrating. We benefit as an organization from their efforts to pave the way for one another, upholding values of mutual support, mentorship, and advocacy. Their efforts to uplift each other not only strengthen the organization but also create an environment where everyone can flourish.

As in every aspect of life today, the women of our organization often step up as leaders in less visible ways. Sometimes that leadership looks like refusing to shy away from asking hard questions and challenging the status quo. Other times it means calling out team members’ extraordinary contributions and making sure their tremendous efforts are acknowledged. Other times it means pointing out ways our organization can live our values through charitable support to organizations doing work close to their hearts. It’s a reminder that leadership comes in many forms and that every action, no matter how small, can have a significant impact.

Of course, the best way to express all that they represent is in their own words. In that spirit, as we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we are sharing some of the responses we received from some of our exceptional women of UG2:

Boston-based Team Recognized for Their World Class Service

In the facility services industry, achieving and maintaining excellence is not an easy feat. It requires dedication, attention to detail, and strong leadership. In 2023, our UG2 team guided by Account Manager, Shawn Amaral, received a remarkable achievement, the 90-90-90 Award. This accolade demonstrates not only the highest quality scores and customer satisfaction, but a commitment to the toughest cleanliness standards.

Understanding the Award Criteria

To grasp the significance of this award, it’s important to understand the criteria and how it is measured. Facilities must achieve both a quality score and a customer satisfaction score of 90% or above for a consecutive 90-day period – which is a rare occurrence. 

Quality Scores

To measure quality, inspectors randomly select spaces throughout the building to evaluate for cleanliness. The scoring criteria are based on the evaluator’s proprietary program. They look at the finest details like corners and edges, particularly paying attention to areas that are commonly missed.

Customer Satisfaction

The inspectors conduct 40 inspections throughout the facility. As they perform these inspections, random occupants – such as office administrators, receptionists, or patrons – are selected to rate the building’s overall cleanliness. A rating of 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.

These scores are converted into percentages to calculate an average. For example, a 5 would be a 100% rating or a 1 would be a 20% rating. These scores must remain at 90% or above for 90 days to achieve the 90-90-90 award.

Shawn Amaral’s UG2 Journey

Shawn joined UG2 in January 2023, coinciding with the UG2 contract start date for this customer account. However, his journey at this site began in September 2022. With two decades of facilities experience, Shawn brought a wealth of knowledge to the table. As Account Manager, he has been instrumental in steering the site towards success.

Transforming the Cleanliness Rankings

Upon Shawn’s arrival at the site, cleanliness rankings hovered around 80-85%. Luckily, he wasn’t deterred. Shawn introduced new tools and better equipment for a refreshed approach. By analyzing prior inspection trends, he also identified key areas for improvement to better understand where scores were lacking.

Shawn went the extra mile to go through the deficiency trends with his team, even taking them to the areas where these deficiencies were spotted. The staff started to become more and more motivated to improve the scores, which in turn increased every month.

“They would send me text messages like ‘We can do this!’ and ‘We’re going to get into the 90s!’” Shawn explains.

After months of improvement, they finally met their goal and met the award’s strict criteria. The cleaning staff is very proud of their accomplishment, and they are united in their determination to stay in the 90’s.

The Formula for a Winning Team

Shawn continuously highlights transparency and communication. Coaching individuals one-on-one, recognizing the strengths of each team member’s working style, and emphasizing accountability contribute to the team’s success.

By encouraging the team to voice concerns and bring attention to potential issues, he has instilled a sense of shared responsibility. This has allowed the team to have “more eyes on the prize” as Shawn calls it.

But Shawn does not want accountability to stop when it comes to him. As a leader, he makes it a priority to remind his team to let him know if he misses something because “no one is perfect”.

Celebrating Success

Winning the 90-90-90 Award was a moment of sincere gratitude for Shawn and his team. The group was recognized with a special celebration dinner. They were extremely grateful for the support exhibited by our customer and UG2 executives, who recognized all their hard work.

Even though this award is a significant milestone, Shawn remains focused on maintaining the high standards required for excellence, and his team is on the same page.

“We have a great team here and a great support system with UG2.” Shawn proudly notes. Shawn Amaral and his team exemplify how determination and hard work can lead to unparalleled success. Not only do they represent UG2’s commitment to continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction, but they also stand out as a shining example of stellar teamwork. Congratulations on this amazing achievement!  

Our Facilities Engineers Help Keep the Country Running

As we enter a week that recognizes the contributions of engineers, I am acutely aware of the passion hard work and dedication that facilities engineers give each day to keep our customers’ buildings—and by extension, this country—running.  At UG2, I’m over the moon proud to work among the best of the best of them.

I want to take this opportunity to share some perspective on what it is like to work in Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for UG2—and why we lead the industry not only in setting the new standard for excellence in facility services, but in retaining our employees and developing top talent. 

From the company’s culture of operational excellence without exception and providing support that every employee helps make possible to the spirited optimism and camaraderie that they bring to their work location each day, our O&M teams shine just like the pristine facilities and equipment they work so hard to maintain.

They add value. We know that their effort adds value to every property they service, but their contributions are also often intangible and immeasurable. While much of the work they do is invisible to people around them, they notice everyone and everything. They even get to know the names of the people they encounter every day, and will greet you and hold a door for you as you whisk past them.

They step up. Whether it’s pitching in with an unexpected extra few hours at the end of their shift, going out of their way to make sure a repair happens in the moment even if it means they miss out on family time, shoveling out a tenant’s car in a snowstorm, or spending the night at a hotel near our customer’s facility to be available on standby for a winter storm or hurricane watch, our employees make tremendous sacrifices that exceed what is asked and expected of them.

They share and seek knowledge. Our teams take full advantage of our best-in-class Training & Innovation Lab. They attend as students and as instructors. They also take that knowledge out to the community, whether they are educating peers in a seminar or showing the ropes to new on-site employees at a customer’s facility. And they jump at the chance to serve as mentors for others on Team UG2.

They make sure safety matters. Safety is one of UG2’s foundational values, but any organization can talk the talk. Our teams truly take safety to heart and demonstrate that in their day-to-day behavior, often led by the actions of our O&M employees. We adhere to the highest safety standards in the industry, and we must credit our success in that arena to the care and attention every employee brings to even the most tedious tasks.

They are respectful managers and mentees. At UG2, we honor the diversity of experiences, background, knowledge and perspectives our employees bring to their jobs. That mutual respect is evident in the way knowledge travels both ways between the most experienced talent and the up-and-coming generation of future leaders. Our O&M experts at every level excel at what they do because they are continuously striving to gain knowledge from the people around them.  

I’m so grateful to work with an O&M team that brings me such pride and inspires such confidence. One thing that remains unchanged in this constantly evolving field is that I learn from them every single day and consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with such exceptional people.

Heartwarming Notes from Our Beloved Customers

At UG2, we pride ourselves on our deep relationships with our customers, and know that those successful partnerships are often a reflection of our employees’ commitment to go above and beyond in all they do.  

While it’s hard to put into words how much these relationships mean to us, our customers often find a way to do so, sending along kind notes, kudos and compliments that seem to arrive when we need them most. Those missives make every challenging day worthwhile. We have them posted around our offices as daily reminders—and thought it fitting we share some of them here too, in a month when people take such sentiments to heart. 

Thanks for all you did to make our soiree a true success! 

Thank you for your hard work and keeping our community safe. It means so much to me knowing you are working to keep us safe! 

I am so impressed with the building. I cannot stop telling people how clean and organized the mechanical rooms are. I have done this a long time and I have a lot I can learn from UG2. 

Our UG2 manager and team were able to get the new flooring clean and sealed in a couple days even after we threw a couple curve balls at them! 

Special thanks to Aziz and Steven’s valuable efforts to accommodate reservations, miscellaneous supplies, and willingness to lend a helping hand in time-sensitive moments. 

Thank you so much for the great work of your team in preparing for the start of the semester. The campus looks beautiful, and I know everyone was so pleased by our sparkling clean facilities. 

Keep up the great work Ed! Thanks to you and your team, we have made excellent progress in enhancing reliability and energy savings. 

Julio, who cleans our office spaces at night, is a fantastic custodian. He is friendly and helpful. The best cleaning staff person I have ever dealt with! 

Thank you, everyone! One of my proudest moments on the site visit tour was when an individual who had visited in the past remarked that it looked like an entirely different hospital! 

Your team did a great job in helping us prepare for the event. Especially considering all of the last-minute changes. 

We are incredibly grateful. We really value the team’s partnership. This was a tough deliverable with little time and much unpredictability.  

If it isn’t already abundantly clear, the affection and gratitude expressed by our customers goes both ways. We so appreciate their taking the time to call out our employees’ actions in a hectic and demanding environment where heroic undertakings sometimes occur quietly and behind the scenes.  

Our employees go the distance without looking for recognition—but we sure appreciate hearing from our customers about their above-and-beyond contributions so we can celebrate their work.  

Strategies for Building a Forward-Thinking Safety Culture

As a leader in the facility services industry, UG2 knows that facilities teams must be equipped to handle every possible scenario they may encounter. Mitigating risks that could lead to injuries is crucial for the safety of all building occupants, as well as ensuring smooth operations.

In a recent article in IFMA’s Facility Management Journal, Adam Rabesa, Director, Environmental Health & Safety at UG2, highlights the importance of expecting the unexpected.

Adam provides tips and strategies for facility services teams to stay prepared and limit the potential of risks, injuries, and liabilities.

It All Stems From the Brain

Our brains have two systems; one handles automated behavior, and one controls slower, more deliberate processes. Adam explains that sometimes the latter system can cause us to tune out the potential for danger. Injuries can arise when people are performing routine tasks, where they might not be as attentive.

Stress Exacerbates Mindlessness

In the facility services industry, demands and pressure to problem-solve quickly can cause stress. This can result in workers taking unsafe shortcuts, which could lead to injuries. Adam explains that when stress is frequently prevalent, cognitive functioning can be hindered, such as the ability to actively focus on tasks, which can put workers at risk.

Building a Proactive Safety Culture

Management teams must make it a priority to mitigate risky behavior by establishing a safety-first culture. Adam stresses that leaders must make it clear that safety is more important than doing things fast and not penalize workers who take longer to do a task if they are doing it safely.

Safety should also be incorporated into meetings or routine interactions to remind employees of best practices. It is also beneficial to remind tenants and visitors of safe practices to instill a safe environment.

Mitigating Slips, Trips, and Falls

Improving Floor Safety

Although facilities teams cannot prevent floors from being free of hazards 24/7, they can make an impact by being involved in the selection of a building’s flooring during construction or renovations. Facilities teams are also more familiar with the best cleaning agents for the material and if the flooring aligns with the needs of the environment.

Additionally, Adam explains that The Coefficient of Friction (COF) is another factor to consider. The level of friction an object has against a material will be determined by the chemicals used to clean it and the frequency of cleaning. COF meters can aid in measuring the risk of slips and falls.

Educating on Best Methods to Transport Packages

To prevent injuries when moving heavy loads, Adam suggests limiting the number of times packages are transported. Try implementing a system where recipients of large packages collect them at designated areas. Employees should also be trained on the suitable equipment for transporting packages in various settings.

Using Caution with Inclement Weather

Implementing signage for ice alerts, wet areas, and places where people should reduce speed can help mitigate risk in poor weather conditions. Additionally, encourage people to utilize umbrella bags and handrails, and keep walkways and parking areas clear of snow and ice.

Safely Interacting with Building Occupants

Although it might be facility workers’ instinct to respond to customers’ concerns immediately, safety should be the top priority. Adam suggests that staff ask customers to wait while they complete a task so that it can be done safely.

Be Extra Attentive in Back-of-House Spaces

Low-visibility areas, where customers don’t go, are sometimes less maintained than those in the front of the house. Janitorial teams must remember to pay attention to these spaces and ensure safety and cleanliness.

All in all, preparedness is key when it comes to limiting the number of risks facilities teams and tenants might encounter. By instilling effective strategies and habits, teams can proactively address the inevitable challenges that arise within the facility services industry.

Contact UG2 today to learn how we can prioritize safety and customer satisfaction at your facility.

Seven Benefits of Bundling Services

More and more often, organizations are bringing on outside facility services partners—even organizations that once found in-house teams worked best for them. The same bottom-line calculations that keep our customer base so happy have them coming to UG2 for additional services, turning to us for our expertise in complementary areas like buildings and grounds, workplace solutions or mailroom services.  

Customers are finding many benefits to bundling services:

  1. Cost savings. Bundling means reducing costs through preventative maintenance, seeing real savings through more informed decision making, maximizing your spend by integrating services, and guarding against the havoc wreaked by unanticipated emergency repairs and operations interruptions.

  2. Highly responsive, agile team. When you combine services, our teams across multiple service areas share knowledge specific to your facility and your unique needs, practices, and preferences. They coordinate services, ensure a speedy response, and are often cross trained to support one another when the situation requires it.

  3. Advanced technology, superior tools, and innovative problem-solving. Access to leading-edge technology combined with collaborative service delivery across teams drives innovative thinking and smarter decision-making. The teams assigned to you have access to more expertise, brainpower, and a big-picture view of your needs and the best solutions available to meet them.

  4. A greater return on investment. Bundling services often allows your budget to go further. Labor efficiencies and a stronger self-performance model reigns over waste, time lost to delays and interruptions, and duplicated or unnecessary services.

  5. More efficient and transparent communication. You will avoid the time wasted repeating information to multiple vendors and the delays and frustration that come with trying to identify—and reach—the right person. We do the heavy lifting for you, act as an extension of your team, and keep you apprised of every step we take along the way.   

  6. The right service package for you—when you need it. UG2 has a full array of services for you to choose from, for a service delivery package that can change and grow with your needs. We work with you to tailor our services to your specific needs and goals, identifying priorities and mapping out the right combination of services.

  7. A committed, talented, and highly trained team. When it comes to our employees, UG2 combines superior talent recruitment with unparalleled training and professional development. Our employees go above and beyond, and they stick with us—and you—for the long haul. Our employees treat your space like it’s their own, and bringing in our teams for added services means you will benefit across your entire facility.  

Offering a full spectrum of solutions allows UG2 to help you enhance your facilities and reap the benefits. We learn from one another continuously, deepening and building on our expertise so that we can truly become a citizen of your industry.

It helps you work smarter and build stronger relationships.

A thoughtfully integrated computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) will not complicate your work routine but will simplify it. The key is having a facility services partner who brings expertise in CMMS who also takes the time to understand your facility’s composition, needs, strengths, and deficits, and applies them to a plan that will work for you. When it’s done right, the outcome will streamline your operations, lighten your load, increase equipment lifespan, limit unscheduled downtime, and make life easier for the people on your team.

At UG2, we embrace technology and innovations and tools like CMMS acts as a bridge between people.

The integration and refinement processes are opportunities for relationship-building. UG2 approaches the process of identifying which components of a CMMS will most benefit you as another opportunity for relationship-building. When we help you with a CMMS integration, we tailor the system’s capabilities to your exact needs. Thus, by avoiding a cookie-cutter approach, you will improve the connection and communications that inform planning and honing the system over time.

A CMMS keeps people connected. Beyond helping you manage assets and people, and formalizing how you plan, schedule, and report on maintenance tasks, a CMMS allows everyone to operate from a common understanding of what needs doing, by who, and when. That eliminates uncertainty and second-guessing, allowing your people to home in on their jobs without the confusion, miscommunication, and misunderstandings that can delay work and undermine relationships.

Your own end-users have the assurance that you are attending to problems. For tenants, a well-orchestrated CMMS means the moment they are without heat, A/C, hot water, or power, someone on the maintenance team is aware of the problem and on the case. This goes a long way to ensuring that the people who rely on you have confidence in you and your operation.

CMMS also offers a transparent, accurate, and realistic measure of how engineers are spending their time. You can capture hours, track work, and run reports that provide important context for why they are on site. You see, in real time, what kind of progress is being made and, when there is an interruption or a delay, you know it is happening and understand the reason why. At the same time, the person managing the system can spot opportunities to combine overlapping tasks.

A CMMS preventative maintenance plan helps eliminate surprises. When that plan is informed by real data, from equipment lists to square footage of a facility, the resulting ability to predict labor utilization is an enormous benefit to everyone. In that sense, preventative maintenance plans not only keep your equipment operating smoothly, but they also allow you to plan and budget for that maintenance.

With a people-first approach, technology doesn’t have to be complicated. When we help a customer with a transition– whether they are new to working with CMMS or brand new to UG2 — we prioritize getting to know the customer and their needs. That allows us to tailor a CMMS program to their specific operation, eliminating bells and whistles that would complicate rather than simplify their working lives. We train and support key personnel on the ins and outs of the system and stay in continuous contact to be sure that evolving needs are met quickly and consistently.

Do you have questions about how a CMMS can work – or work better – for your facility, and reduce stress and uncertainty? Get in touch and we’ll talk it through together.

How UG2 is Cultivating the Next Generation of Industry Talent

January is Mentoring Month, and we are reflecting on the generosity of our employees who share their skills and talent with one another, developing the industry’s future leaders through a wide range of formal and informal mentoring efforts.

When our founder Lou Lanzillo and his team set out to launch UG2 more than 10 years ago, they did so with a vision of cultivating the next generation of leaders and to set a new standard of excellence in facility services. They had themselves benefited from tremendous guidance and generous instruction from others throughout their own careers and had witnessed the impact that professional support can have on someone coming up through the industry. As such, Lou and team cared deeply about the industry and knew that strengthening the profession would be the best way to serve everyone.

UG2 boasts an immensely talented, diverse, and multigenerational workforce—all of whom bring unique skills and talents to their positions, whether on our O&M, janitorial, or corporate teams. Here’s how we’ve succeeded in tapping their talent and extending it across the company:

Hiring those willing to learn—and teach. Identifying employees who are motivated to grow professionally is a huge aspect of our recruitment approach, and a reason we have such a high retention rate. At the same time, we are looking for employees who want to share their own knowledge with their peers and coworkers.

Delivering on mentorship from day 1. Members of team UG2 benefit from our organizational and institutional offerings from the moment they are hired, from customer service training to dedicated professional development and more. We also invite new employees to share details on their own unique backgrounds and talents and find ways to give them a platform.

Building a best-in-class training lab. UG2 stands out from our competitors with our training and innovation lab. The lab’s virtual platform allows us to tap the knowledge from employees across the organization and share it with their peers in every corner of the country.

Knowing that one-to-one relationships work both ways. Mentoring relationships at UG2 are mutual. We believe every employee brings something unique to the table, and we know that one way we have remained leaders in the industry is by deeply listening to and learning from the new generation of talent.

Investing in career coaching and professional development. From our robust training programs and partnerships with educational institutions to our encouragement of continuing education and outside learning opportunities, we support our employees (and potential future employees) in identifying and pursuing all kinds of knowledge and skills building.

Imparting soft skills. As much as technology has enabled us to advance our work, it also stands as a temptation to reduce human interaction. At UG2 we make an effort to form genuine connections with one another, working toward an ability to make conversation with everyone we meet.

Hiring from within. Some of our most accomplished employees’ careers were homegrown! By recognizing the talent every team member brings to the organization, and knowing their goals as professionals, we are able to prepare and leverage our internal talent to fill key positions.

Learning from our customers. In a relationship-based company like UG2, we recognize that learning works in every direction. That’s why we work hard to learn from our customers and become citizens of their industries.

Strong mentoring makes for smarter and more productive teams, and we witness that every day at UG2. We are so proud of our employees and of the ways they embrace opportunities to learn and advance their careers—and especially of the many ways they build each other up along the way.

Insights Gained from a Property Management Perspective

It has been well established that your facility benefits in a big way when you engage the right facility services partner. But you may not be aware of the value such partners bring to a project long before you have that prized certificate of occupancy in hand. While decision makers might think of facility services partners as the experts you bring in after your building is up and running, involving experienced facility engineers early in the process, even at the outset of a building’s construction or commissioning, can make for a more efficient, safe, and lock-step process—and can deliver you significant cost savings in the long run.

Here are some of the many benefits of involving a facility services expert from Day 1:

Clarity and transparency. A skilled facility services provider will provide guidance on developing an engineering transition and work schedule aligned to your facility’s unique needs. Your access to updates from that detailed and continuously updated schedule in real time—along with a collaborative approach to daily walk-throughs and inspection reports—makes project progress accessible and transparent.  

Comprehensive approach. A well-constructed transition schedule triggers a chain of related action items for every event (e.g. registering backflows with the city) and outlines key details and benchmarks such as system inspections statuses, signoffs, outstanding approvals, persons responsible, start dates and target completion dates. The broad-based approach supported by an attention to fine details makes it far less likely you’ll miss a step along the way.

Context for informed decision-making. When the working relationship is a true partnership, your on-site staff build knowledge by learning alongside our experts, from participating in walk throughs to joining daily check-ins and progress updates. Our practices and documents become a training tool for everyone on your side of the partnership, and you’ll never find yourself faced with signing off on plans and purchases without a full understanding of the big picture and its short-term and long-term effects on the project.

Continuity of services, practices, and protocols. Customer onboarding includes a comprehensive review of equipment, maintenance needs, priorities, and challenges. Those conversations often pinpoint missed opportunities for prevention and cost savings. Having a facility services partner like UG2 on board from the outset means you have an additional layer of expertise while construction is underway. This can help you avoid making unnecessary purchases, secure the right warranties to protect your investments, ensure that a vulnerable facility under construction is protected from adverse events or such weather emergencies or power failures.

Early relationship-building allows your facility services partner to act as a true extension of your team and sets the highest standard for the facility’s care and maintenance going forward.

Having worked as a property manager early in my career, I’m acutely aware of the types of guidance, information-sharing, and mentoring that benefited me most when I was starting out. I’m proud to bring that perspective to the relationships I build with customers, whether I’m working with a seasoned professional or someone new to the field.

Contact us to learn more about our approach to facility operations and maintenance.

Cutting costs, not corners, with on-site engineering excellence

In San Francisco’s bustling Financial District, a 40-story commercial high-rise building has stood tall for almost half a century. This striking building has gracefully stood the test of time, but even the strongest structures require upgrades and maintenance to function at their best. UG2 facility engineering experts are always ready to help our customers through their capital planning projects.

The Project Team

Our facility engineers Dustin White, Portfolio Engineering Manager, Matt Montanez, Engineering Manager, and Ed Perinoni, Chief Engineer, embarked on a mission to refresh the building with a newly renovated cooling tower valve controller.

Dustin White is responsible for overseeing six office assets and engineering teams in the downtown San Francisco area. He serves as a vital liaison between chief engineers and portfolio management/asset management teams, ensuring building systems are well-maintained and optimally performing. Ed Perinoni has been in the facilities industry for almost 32 years and joined Team UG2 over a year ago. His passion for his role is incredible. “This building has my heart” Ed declares, “I love this building”.

The Project Development

The journey towards replacing the building’s cooling towers began a few years ago during the capital planning process when they were identified as an area of priority for repair or replacement. After a full upgrade of the chiller plant with new state-of-the-art equipment, the cooling towers were next on the” to-do” list.

The original cooling towers had been in service since the building’s inception in 1980. Thanks to routine maintenance and wellness checks, the equipment made it past the typical 30 to 40-year lifespan of cooling towers. That being said, the towers aren’t designed to last forever, so it was time for a change.

As talk of this replacement arose, Ed and Dustin agreed that a retrofit option would be ideal. This approach is substantially cost-effective and would allow the main structural components to stay in place, while the interior could be newly renovated, resulting in higher efficiency and reliability.

The two worked on a comprehensive request for proposal to suggest that the project not be fully outsourced since they knew they could leverage their on-site engineering team. The immense amount of controls, coding, demolition, and reconditioning work needed fell right in their wheelhouse. While welding and piping would be handled by outsourced specialists, they believed an on-site approach would help keep costs down and optimize the building’s functionality.

After approvals were secured, the project was underway. Ed and Dustin brainstormed what components of the project they could take ownership of. Ed’s extensive expertise in controls allowed him to completely design and build a brand-new controller for the electric 24-volt AC valves. His team took charge of painting and used rigid piping with seal-tight fittings to protect exposed piping from the elements. They added bypass switches as well to ensure the controller could still be manipulated in case

the Building Management System (BMS) went offline due to an emergency. With detailed planning and plenty of teamwork, the in-house phase of the project was completed in just about a month.

A Cost-Efficient Approach

When the replacement of the cooling towers was first proposed, the estimated cost racked up a whopping $1.8 million for outsourcing the project. However, thanks to the efforts of Ed and Dustin, plus their team, the actual cost was only $600k, roughly ⅓ of the original estimate.

The beauty of having an on-site engineering team is reflected in the sheer knowledge accumulated by working in a building and learning all of its intricacies. This enabled the team to approach this replacement with precision and expertise. An on-site team knows exactly when to bring in outsourced help for specific tasks, which eliminates the need for multiple contractors, which adds associated complexities and waiting times.

Setting up the Towers for Success

Ed’s team of five took charge of the project’s final stages. They carefully handled programming, sequencing, and testing, ensuring that the new cooling towers were ready to serve the building. Following the implementation of the new controller, Ed brought his crew up to the roof to demonstrate how it operates, how it connects to the BMS, and how the bypass switches work. The team is now familiar with the new structure and ready to care for it.

Preventative maintenance will play a crucial role in ensuring the towers will thrive for decades to come. Ed’s team has established a quarterly maintenance schedule which includes checking the sand filtration systems, evaluating the motors and fans, and monitoring the towers for any potential leaks.

Additionally, the water is checked weekly in-house, with a third-party specialist evaluating the water’s condition monthly. Annually, the towers will be fully drained and refilled with clean water. The most important aspect of protecting the towers’ health is to keep up with water treatment in order to prevent rusting and leakage.

To measure the success of this upgrade, the on-site team will also look at the speed of the VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) to determine if it can be reduced as it hits the desired set point. This will concretely demonstrate the efficiency of the replacement and can result in a reduction of kilowatt hours.

Engineering Excellence

Ed Perinoni and Dustin White’s dedication shines through as they discuss the success of these new towers. It is clear that their passion for this project, the building, and the engineering team is unwavering. Their determination to use on-site engineers not only proved to be highly cost-effective but demonstrated their high degree of engineering excellence. They represent the very best of our UG2 team!

Our renewed emphasis on relationships

As UG2 celebrates a year of tremendous growth, a deepening bench of expertise, and ever-increasing diversity, we want to begin 2024 by revisiting the core values that allow our company to thrive.

Our foundational commitments are all about putting people first, and that ethos is more important than ever as we expand our footprint and bring new people — employees, partners, and customers — into the UG2 fold.

Many people start the new year with a list of resolutions. For UG2 in 2024, I am thinking about actual examples of the ways our core values play out in our day-to-day working lives. I’ve witnessed firsthand how the common thread across all our teams is relationships.

Putting safety first. Our work can be quite repetitive, but we make sure to pay careful attention to safety for every employee from the moment they arrive on the job. Employees are constantly looking out for one another and ensuring every person feels supported.

Living with integrity and treating others with respect. Whether it’s taking the time to simply hold open a door for the person behind them or volunteering to cover an extra shift when a fellow employee is out sick, team UG2 treats one another and their customers with care and compassion.

Valuing diversity and inclusion. Beyond welcoming people from all backgrounds, UG2’s appreciation for diversity is on full display when we see employees joyfully sharing recipes, memories, traditions and photos from their heritage, childhood, or individual family experience.

Endeavoring to remain emotionally intelligent and team oriented. As our team grows, our appreciation for new ideas deepens. We continuously look to one another for different perspectives and approaches, operating thoughtfully instead of acting reflexively.

Thinking outside the box. Our creative approach to innovating and problem solving has an even broader base to draw from. We are strengthening our internal communications to ensure we are always learning whether from a longstanding employee or the newest person on the team.

Going above and beyond for our customers. Our teams are passionate, hard-working, and dedicated in the work that they do, and our customers share their appreciation for moments when employees treat their facilities like their own home away from home and engage with customers and visitors like newfound family members.

Maintaining a methodical and disciplined approach to business. Much of our success comes from time-tested, best practices combined with flexibility and problem-solving. From strategic decisions to day-to-day operations management, this practice relies on exceptional communication and mutual trust.

Acting as an extension of our customer’s team. Part of being on a strong, successful team is staying accountable. As we learn new ways of doing things, UG2 takes pride in our commitment to transparency, taking immediate responsibility and correcting course in the moment when things don’t play out as everyone intended.

Being citizens of our industry and our customers’ industries. One of the most thrilling aspects of our growth is the opportunity to learn from our customers and explore new industries. I am so proud of our employees’ enthusiastic approach to taking on new customers, even — or perhaps especially — when there is a great deal for us to learn.  

We are blessed with tremendous partners, colleagues, employees, and customers — and we recognize that those relationships don’t simply happen on their own. They take real work from every person involved. As we look ahead to a new year filled with promise, we are renewing our commitment to incorporating every one of these key principles and centering our connections and commitment to one another.

Closing Out 2023 with Gratitude for the Opportunity to Lead

As I look back on the year, UG2 experienced growth and achievements along with many challenges and uncertainties, but I am struck by what a privilege it is to lead this company and team.

I am blessed with an enormous extended family of employees and customers, and I take tremendous pleasure in seeing how our core values and unified mission have made UG2 a fulfilling place to grow and build a career for so many.

But it goes further than that. I am deeply appreciative of the fact that you — UG2’s loyal customers and committed employees — have granted me the gift of purpose.  

When I set out to build this company, I spent years developing the knowledge and relationships I knew it would take to truly excel, driven by an unwavering determination to make my vision a reality. I realize now how blessed I was to have found my purpose, and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to each of you for allowing me to fulfill it.

The research and discussion about the importance of purpose in our lives truly resonates with me. It confirms that finding purpose in the work you do for your friends, family, team, or community is linked to personal health and happiness and professional success. That has certainly been my experience, year after year.

As we celebrated our 11-year anniversary on December 12, I could not be more proud or more joyful. There is no place I’d rather be in this moment than with all of you.

To our customers: You entrust us with the care of your facilities — the very foundation of your organization, and that brings us meaning and a deep sense of trust and connection.

To our employees: You lend us the gift of your time and talents, you treat our customers’ spaces as you would your own, and you support each other with an abiding sense of compassion and camaraderie.

I hope that in fulfilling my dream of a company that prioritizes people, relationships, and personal and professional growth, I am sharing some of that joy with you.

In this holiday season and the new year, I wish you and your loved ones tenfold the happiness our relationship has brought me.

The Many Ways UG2 Works to Strengthen Our Communities

The traditions of the holiday season bring meaningful opportunities to share time with loved ones, connect with new friends and old, and experience the joy of giving. And that last benefit is not just a cliché: Scientists have measured the brain’s response to charitable giving and found that acts of charity activate regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” response.

Perhaps that’s why we at UG2 relish the chance to, again, support the following causes close to our hearts: American Cancer Society, Boston Children’s Hospital and Feeding America just to name a few.

Our company and the people who make it such a rewarding place to work commit time and money to a wide range of causes all throughout the year. That commitment to our communities is reflected in the core values that guide our work, which call on us to be good citizens, to go above and beyond, and to operate from a place of empathy and emotional intelligence.

You might get a glimpse of UG2’s charitable giving on our social platforms, where news and photos from sponsorships and fundraisers are some of our most popular posts.

“The UG2 Crew” was a force to be reckoned with at the Corporate Cup event benefiting Boston Children’s Hospital. Other employees supported Jubilee Housing‘s efforts to build thriving communities in Greater D.C. and our teams also helped fund scholarships that transform lives at universities in the New York City area.

Members of our executive leadership team have been long-time supporters of MAPS (Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers) and English for New Bostonians, organizations that ensure that immigrants have access to high-quality English classes so they can contribute their talents and voices in schools, the workplace, and civic and business life.

Guided by our employees’ generosity, we have supported national and local organizations from the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots to New York City Fire Museum to Autism Speaks and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and our customers have involved us in efforts such as support for Florida residents impacted by Hurricane Ian.

We of course take a leading role in the critical efforts to support more diverse leadership in the industry through sponsorships like the BOMA Chicago Foundation’s diversity initiatives and the Women’s Leadership Summit at Stanford University.

Our employees are known for going the extra mile, without fanfare, in everything they do, so it is no surprise that many efforts they undertake on behalf of charitable causes happen quietly and behind the scenes. We are incredibly proud of their generosity. We are also always grateful when a member of TeamUG2 comes forward with a new opportunity to support the communities where we serve—and we will ensure that, as we grow and thrive, we extend that compassion and commitment to every new community we encounter.

A Seasonal Refresher for All Operations & Maintenance Teams

Even if you aren’t located in a snow belt region, the onset of winter is an optimal time to revisit checklists and protocols and stay on top of preventative maintenance. Although a successful plan is always tailored to the unique and evolving needs of the specific facility, there are a number of key categories that every plan should consider.

Here are some of the top priorities for winter planning:

Prioritizing personal safety. Review and update policies and procedures to reflect best practices and any changes to facility equipment or usage. Hold refresher sessions, post reminders, and share the detailed plans with customers’ staff and outside contractors who might cross your path.  Before the start of the season, assess and order personal gear – including footwear and outerwear – appropriate to meet potential hazards for the region. Work in teams when facing any risks, and be aware of the presence of others working in the vicinity such as seasonal contractors, emergency responders, or municipal services workers.

Walking the roof. Routine inspection procedures should include a rooftop inspection, conducted in pairs and adhering to established safety guidelines developed for that specific property. Your rooftop  checklist should include clearing the drains of debris, checking weather-exposed equipment that might need priming/painting or other protection from rust and deterioration, sweeping the roof for any left-behind maintenance or repair refuse or unanchored equipment, pallets or supplies, looking for damaged insulation, repairing defects on walk pads, inspecting the flashing, and noting and reporting potential issues with the roof material itself.

Taking freeze protection measures. If you are in an area that endures sustained low temperatures or there’s any chance you could face an uncharacteristically cold spell, pipes, sprinkler systems and any water-containing equipment will require a detailed plan for advance preparation and ongoing protection from equipment freezing. A comprehensive plan will rely on some combination of draining, self-regulated heat tape, electric heat tracing cables and insulation wrapped around pipes, valves, and fittings. If your HVAC system uses antifreeze, or ethylene glycol, you must test the glycol levels to ensure they remain effective. Ethylene glycol can also be used to flush lines that have been drained to ensure no residual moisture remains. Hoses should be removed from drained pipes and stored for the season.

Sprinkler systems require added measures beyond routine preparedness to ensure the lines and water sources don’t freeze. If a system is activated under any circumstances, you must attend to the entire system and make sure the “dry” sections are completely drained of water and cleared of condensation. Ongoing inspections are essential and must be thoroughly repeated any time the system is triggered.

Managing irrigation systems. Purge, drain and disconnect irrigation systems, paying close attention to the manufacturers’ instructions. If these systems were installed by an outside, unaffiliated service provider, it is imperative that you research the recommended processes for a seasonal shutdown. After emptying the system, you will need to lock or tag the valves with a warning to ensure they are not inadvertently accessed.

Accounting for emergency power. While emergency power sources are a priority year-round, the colder months can bring increased demand along with the potential for weather events. Important steps include performing regular generator maintenance, changing fuel filters, examining oil separators, inspecting battery condition, confirming proper batter voltage and minimum amperage, checking engine black temperatures, checking oil and coolant levels, assessing outside air supply, and checking water sensors.

Inspecting snow removal equipment. If your facility is located in a region prone to snow, you will need to check the physical condition of all equipment well before the first snow of the season. That includes snow blowers, snow brooms, and small tractors and plows. Ensure adequate backup gasoline supply – but don’t over order. Too much stock is difficult to store safely. Establish the correct balance of snow melt/salt/sand supplies and ensure walkup mats are properly deployed in mint condition.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep you from doing your job to keep your facilities safe. Inclement weather conditions will demand that you double up on the routine rounds for inspecting your facilities. If you are looking to assess your needs or shore up your plans, the experts at UG2 are always happy to discuss further.

Recap of a recent article in Health Facilities Management by Lauren Lanzillo 

Healthcare facilities management plays a crucial role in establishing safe and well-maintained environments, where every detail matters. In a field without room for error, qualified and experienced professionals are essential. Success in healthcare facilities management is a collaborative effort where leadership sets the tone for employees. 

In an article in Health Facilities Management, Lauren Lanzillo, UG2’s AVP of Culture & Community, shares five best practices for healthcare facilities professionals to further their careers and contribute to the success of their organizations.  

 1. Establish Relationships with Mentors

Mentorship is a key component in helping employees develop insights and organizational knowledge. Lauren notes that seeking mentors with skills and styles that differ from oneself allows for innovation and diverse perspectives. Additionally, since mentorship requires nurturing, professionals should take time to get to know their mentors on a deeper level, in order to cultivate rewarding relationships.  

2. Cultivate Openness and Continuous Learning 

Openness and curiosity are critical for the long-term success and happiness of employees. Being able to stay on top of industry trends and knowledge allows one to remain relevant in a constantly evolving industry. Be sure to actively seek knowledge and feedback to improve one’s craft. Also, try new educational experiences that might seem challenging, but can be rewarding, even if they might not seem directly related to current responsibilities. 

3. Build Soft Skills 

While technical skills are clearly important in facilities management, Lauren explains that soft skills, such as problem-solving, adaptability, and communication are vital for career advancement. The COVID-19 pandemic further exemplified the importance of communication, highlighting the need for facilities management professionals to listen to and address the concerns of stakeholders. This allows for faster resolution in the future if any similar issues arise. Ultimately, soft skills contribute to trust building, higher engagement, and better outcomes for everyone in a facility.   

4. Embrace Natural Strengths 

Instead of solely focusing on individuals’ weaknesses, management teams should amplify employees’ personal strengths. Understanding one’s natural strengths opens new doors to opportunities and allows everyone to bring their best selves to the workplace. Recognizing and utilizing an individual’s strengths can lead to improved collaboration and problem-solving as well.  

5. Find Purpose in Work 

Studies have shown that those who find meaning in their work are more highly engaged and fulfilled by it. It’s important to figure out one’s own values in order to pursue opportunities with organizations that align with these beliefs. According to Lauren, understanding personal values may require some deep thought and self-reflection, but it aids in recognizing our driving forces in a professional setting. 

Opportunities Abound 

There are plentiful opportunities for eager workers in facilities-related fields such as operations & maintenance, sustainability, or environmental services positions. In the trades, there are more open positions for mechanical, plumbing, and electrical than those who can fill them. The field faces a significant shortage of labor due to retirements and career changes.  

Success in facilities management requires a collaborative team mentality, emphasizing employee satisfaction and motivation. A career in health facilities management can be exceptionally rewarding for those who like to be challenged, seek personal and professional growth, and have excellent soft skills. 

Personal Well-being Impacts Employee and Team Success 

The well-being of facility managers and staff significantly influences employee and team success. Acknowledging the impact of external stressors on mental health is crucial, as these factors can affect job performance and overall operations. It’s key to promote team environments that emphasize care and respect. Encouraging employee self-care is necessary for productivity.  

Lauren mentions some examples of self-care: 

  • Breathe. Make note of any feelings that come up when you pause to breathe.  
  • Take breaks from alarming media. Stepping away can relax the brain and nerves.  
  • Make time to sleep and exercise. Both are vital for our health and performance.  
  • Reach out and stay connected. Socialization is important for our happiness.  
  • Find time for quiet. Reset your body and mind, even if it’s just a couple of minutes.  

Similar to how a hospital promotes the well-being of its patients, the primary goal of a facilities organization is to facilitate the health and optimal functioning of a building. This won’t happen unless staff are putting in their best efforts, which can be supported by ensuring their well-being is taken care of.  

A Message From John Correia, Chief Operating Officer

Looking back on the last decade, I was struck by a new awareness that uncertainty is a constant in our lives.

Human beings are creatures of habit, and the shifting world around us is therefore no doubt unsettling. But I am also acutely aware of another constant, one that both grounds and elevates us, and that is our connection and commitment to one another.

It is no coincidence or mere stroke of luck that, time and again, UG2 has emerged stronger from the challenges we have encountered. That dynamic is a testament to the people who make up our UG2 family. It is very much a credit to you.

Even though I might not see you often, I want to acknowledge that so much of what you do day-to-day goes unheralded. Your extraordinary support for one another, your ability to push through difficult times, your creativity when it comes to confronting a problem and your ability to respond to moments of difficulty with humor and grace — those are the constants you bring to our customers and our community, regardless of whether anyone is watching.

You follow through on your commitments to this company and to one another in countless quiet ways. But I want you to know that you are seen, and that your many contributions, large and small, make me honored and proud to have you as part of the UG2 family.

It is an ever-changing world, and we wake up to new challenges every day. I am, more than ever, deeply aware of all you bring to our relationship, and I want to express my profound gratitude.

Above all, I want to express, again, that the commitment is mutual. When the leadership at UG2 says that family comes first, we are talking about more than the families we are each blessed to share our home lives with. We are talking about you, and we have never been more devoted to you than we are today.

Please know that in a changing world, one thing that remains true is my deep appreciation for you. I wish you and those that you hold dear a Thanksgiving filled with food, friendship, and time with the people who make your lives full.

Recap from Facility Executive Article Featuring Armando Lezama

Prior to COVID-19’s emergence, green cleaning was gaining traction as more people grew concerned about the environmental and health risks associated with toxic products. When the pandemic struck, green cleaning was no longer prioritized, as disinfection and deep cleaning took precedence. 

In a recent article in Facility Executive, Armando Lezama, UG2’s Vice President of Operations, highlights that green cleaning is coming back stronger than ever, especially as companies focus on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) initiatives.

Armando explains that to be successful in their endeavors toward a green facility, facility services organizations need to focus on four main areas: training, communication, tools, and documentation.

Make Training Count

Green cleaning should be part of all training curricula. Foremost, employees must learn about the products they’re using, how to perform their duties safely, and what best practices to abide by. They also need to understand that green cleaning is ever evolving and crucial for the health of every person in a building. A recent study found that those who work in green buildings are more productive and even score higher on cognitive functioning scales than those who do not.

Additionally, employees should be trained to communicate expectations with tenants so they understand that their facility will never be 100% green. Armando explains that If products are 90% green, the company will make a positive impact and still be green-certified.

Communicate

It’s crucial that building occupants are also informed of the facility’s green cleaning practices. This includes establishing clear communication about guidelines, expectations, and the green cleaning products and processes utilized. Studies show that most tenants are aware of the benefits associated with green cleaning.

Become the Tools Expert

According to Armando, it is the facility services team’s responsibility to stay informed about the various new and enhanced green cleaning tools that are constantly emerging and evaluate if they are beneficial for the facility’s needs. These tools might be more costly or difficult to maintain, but they provide extended capabilities. Teams are also responsible for upholding relevant certification requirements.

It’s recommended that teams should consider attending International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) shows and building working relationships with green suppliers/manufacturers to stay ahead of the game.

Demonstrate

In order to demonstrate green cleaning adherence, facility services teams should document everything via logs. This includes employee training, green equipment maintenance, recycling rations, purchases of equipment and consumables, and more. This also allows for the centralization of data, so teams can be prepared for recertifications.  

Ultimately, Armando states that green cleaning is here to stay. Facilities are not only going green for the sake of tenants but also for the health of employees who handle chemicals and equipment daily. Plus, it’s a smart business decision that helps reduce health issues, which means more people can work together to provide the best service to tenants and visitors.

Additional sources:
https://www.cleanlink.com/cp/article/Survey-Outlines-BSCFacility-Sustainability-and-ESG-Goals–29192
https://cmmonline.com/articles/the-cleaning-industrys-path-from-green-cleaning-to-sustainability

Honoring Their Service, Dedication and Extraordinary Skills

At UG2, we stand by our country’s military and veterans. We honor not only their service but the invaluable skills they cultivated during their time in the armed forces. The experiences our veterans faced provide them with a unique outlook on life and the civilian workforce, which makes our community even stronger.

In honor of Veterans Day, we’d like to take a moment to recognize some of UG2’s talented veterans:

Ian Dundas

Chief Engineer, Waltham, MA

Ian Dundas is a reservist in the US Coast Guard and is going on his 20th year of service this June. In addition to being a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR), his current duty station is based in Boston where he serves as an Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer.

Ian describes the many skills he has developed in his time in the Coast Guard, “It’s taught me a lot about time management, and operations management and instilled some values that (hopefully) allow me to create high-performing teams that get stuff done!” He also highlights the importance of laughter and enjoyment, “You’ve got to have fun when you can!”

Currently, Dundas implements these values in his position as Chief Engineer at a Life Science facility in our New England Center of Excellence. He loves the dynamic environment and leads a successful team of engineers with the knowledge he has cultivated.

Jeff Jensen

Regional Engineering Manager, Washington, D.C.

When Jeff Jensen stepped into Marine Corps boot camp in 1992, he was assigned as the Guide, and he held the position until graduation. Being a guide represents immense leadership for a Marine recruit.

This experience was pivotal for Jensen as he developed a deep understanding of the skills required to be a good leader, which he carries with him today at UG2 as Regional Engineering Manager in our Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence. He describes, “The Marine Corps prepared me to be a leader and taught me how to delegate authority under intense pressure.”

Jensen credits his professional success in the civilian world to the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps. He explains “I don’t think I would have achieved as much as I have if not for the core values I learned in the Marine Corps.”

Matt Randall

Director of Operations, New York, NY

Matt Randall dedicated almost four years to the U.S. Marine Corps, where he achieved the rank of NCO-Corporal. Through his professional journey in the civilian workforce, he has been able to apply the skills he acquired during service, which he also brings to his current position as Director of Operations in our Tri-State Center of Excellence.

Randall articulates “Accountability is at the top. You hold yourself to the highest standards first. You lead through that example and then you expect those around you to do the same”. Day in and day out, he strives to be a role model for his team, demonstrating high standards firsthand.

His time in the Marines instilled the value of caring for those around him, known as “troop welfare.” At UG2, Matt tries to influence others positively by exemplifying these values, and consistently leading by example.

To all veterans across the country, including those within UG2, we extend our sincerest Veterans Day wishes. Your service and dedication have made an undeniable impact, and we’re incredibly grateful for all you’ve done for our country.

The Power of Practicing Gratitude

When I open my calendar, I can’t help but feel that the clock is ticking closer to the end of 2023, and then I see all the events, obligations, and yet-to-be completed tasks awaiting me, the butterflies in my stomach come to life. It is in that moment that I pause, take a deep breath, and remind myself how many of these things dotting my calendar are opportunities to be grateful. Work meetings are the ingredients of a job I truly love. Planning events for our teams and for my family reflect the huge number of beloved people in my life and the fact that I get to bring them a bit of joy. Even a dreaded dentist appointment offers me a chance to see the beaming receptionist I’ve befriended over the years.

That is the power of practicing gratitude. We are four years into our annual gratitude challenge, and the act of embracing gratitude is, for me, truly beginning to feel like second nature.

The research and data support the idea that practicing gratitude makes for a healthier, happier life. A whole host of studies have found that consciously considering the things we are grateful for reduces rates of depression and stress, helps us bounce back after a difficult day, and even improves our sleep.

Every year, as I compose this message, I find myself thinking that centering gratitude is more important than ever. Life finds ways to become increasingly complicated, year over year. The good news is that our capacity for integrating—even embracing—those complexities expands as we age and grow.

When I sat down to consider prompts for our 2023 Gratitude Challenge journal, I already had a few favorites in mind. Here are a few I’m really looking forward to:

Day 7: Memories. Sometimes memories help us recall humble beginnings, making us thankful for where we are now. Other times we look back and are grateful to celebrate past events that would be unachievable today. All memories engage feelings on a spectrum from melancholy to euphoric, each filling us with a spirit of thankfulness. What memories do you look back on with gratitude?

Day 10: Progress. Even if it’s not always easy to see, you’ve made progress this year. We all have. What areas of your life have you made the most progress in, compared to, let’s say, five years ago? What progress are you most thankful to have made? Or what progress do you hope to make in the upcoming year?

Day 16: Mentorship. Great mentors significantly shape both the professional and personal life of their mentees by pointing them in the right direction and expressing exemplary virtues. We should acknowledge the mentors we encounter in our everyday lives and thank them for their dedication to shape us into better individuals. Who are some mentors you are especially thankful for in your life, and what have they taught you?

Day 21: Love. There are so many kinds of love (romantic, platonic, etc.) and each type is deserving of your gratitude. How do you share love in your life? How do you accept it? Celebrate the love you experience for (and from!) others today.

Since my life feels inextricably bound to my calendar this time of year, I am entering “practice gratitude” as an actual daily to-do for the month ahead. And if I suddenly realize I have missed a day, or even a couple of days, I am not going to beat myself up about it. Instead, I will open up my gratitude challenge journal, take two minutes to reflect on the day’s prompt, and be grateful that I have the capacity to try, try again.

A Culture That Fosters Collaboration, Careers and Community

The ability to secure and retain talent has been a pain point for organizations nationally. When it comes to the facility services industry, service providers are especially challenged by major workforce shortages as the number of retirement-eligible workers outpaces new employees entering the skilled trades. UG2 is confronting those same challenges — but we are benefitting from having founded our business with a people-first ethos, and a mission to develop the next generation of talent.

We also prioritize listening and learning from our teams. That approach has empowered our employees themselves to help shape UG2 into a company that attracts and retains top talent in every market where we operate.

Our approach goes beyond ensuring fair wages and competitive benefits. We pride ourselves in bringing our employees opportunities for continuing education, career advancement, and skills growth.

Here’s why our talented operations and maintenance employees are choosing to join the UG2 family:

  1. Best-in-class training opportunities. UG2 stands apart from our competitors by operating our own Training & Innovation Lab, where more experienced workers can transfer their knowledge to those newer to the trades. Our comprehensive training program covers everything from soft skills and customer service to safety and technical training. Our Training and Innovation Lab’s virtual platform means we can tap talent across the country and share it with employees wherever they work. Courses cover topics like Pumps, Seals & Alignment; Building Automation Systems & Tools; HVAC & Multi-Stack Systems; and 5-Star Customer Service Excellence. As in everything else we do, UG2 goes above and beyond by encouraging employees to pursue training on their own, and reimbursing tuition for programs that help them further their professional development.
  2. A different approach to mentoring. UG2’s culture of learning takes a very intentional approach, developing employees who embrace opportunities to mentor and to be mentored so that they can share, learn, and pass on knowledge. We focus mentorship on identifying and building strengths, supporting the desire to learn, and providing opportunities to explore new areas of interest. We recognize that the next generation brings tremendous technological knowledge to the workplace and are more likely to thrive when they are truly engaged through two-way communication and problem solving. The flow of knowledge stems not just from experienced veteran employees, but also from younger generations teaching more seasoned employees fresh approaches, technology, and new ways of thinking and problem-solving.
  3. Foster collaboration and inclusivity. Our teams are successful because we have a diverse mix of people from different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking. We foster a culture that is inclusive where we support each other, learn from one another, and work better together. This collaboration across teams helps us deliver a higher level of service to our customers.
  4. Real room for career growth. We excel by embracing the diverse voices and skills of our employees at every level and recognizing their strengths, providing opportunities for advancement, and supporting their professional development. We prioritize promoting from within and supporting advancement among our incredibly well-rounded workforce.
  5. Strong partnerships for developing talent. UG2 considers our company a valuable part of every community for which we operate in, and that is reflected in our relationships. We partner with high schools in the communities where we live and work to extend co-op opportunities to individuals interested in facility services. These opportunities to shadow employees to understand workflows and essential job tasks provide pivotal insights into career paths for impressionable students. Many students work with us in preparation for a full-time job following graduation or come to us through our innovative partnerships with institutions like Mass Maritime Academy and California State University Maritime Academy.
  6. Cultivating a community through our core values. Since our founding, UG2 has been intentional about identifying and embracing core tenets that not only allow us to excel professionally but ensure that we are continuously building a community. They cover a range of ideals we strive for, including, leading with integrity and respect, keeping safety at the forefront of every conversation, appreciating the diversity (which is one of the most gratifying aspects of our company), and becoming citizens of our industry and of our customers’ industries. These core values keep us grounded and focused on the wellbeing of our community as a whole and help make UG2 a place to connect and thrive.

UG2 is a dedicated facility services company with a robust Operations & Maintenance division, where our employees are offered rewarding opportunities, led by management who understand and value their skills, and prioritize supporting their teams.

With an extensive network of regional centers of excellence across the United States, UG2 can offer our employees opportunities to transition between locations, training to advance skills, exciting promotions, and develop a successful career path.

Recap from an FMJ Article Featuring Edgar Colon

At UG2, we know that facility services is a people-oriented business. Facility teams are constantly interacting with occupants, colleagues, and customers. In reality, the characteristics of a strong facility management (FM) professional are similar to those of a strong HR leader.

In a recent article from IFMA’s Facility Management Journal, Edgar Colon, UG2’s Vice President of People, suggests that every FM leader should implement an HR mindset by prioritizing the well-being of staff, occupants, and visitors as well as fueling a positive company culture.

Prioritizing the experience of employees

In FM, excellent customer service is paramount, and employees are more likely to provide superb customer service when they are happy at work. Vice versa, challenging work environments can negatively affect customer service and the company’s bottom line.

Focus on employee well-being

Edgar provides tips on how FM leaders can focus on promoting employee well-being:

Show respect

When leaders show equal respect to employees and promptly address any concerns, it not only sets a positive example but also encourages employees to treat others the same way. Additionally, when employees feel respected, they are more productive and produce higher-quality work.

Prioritize recognition

It is human nature to want to feel recognized for your contributions. Employees who believe they’ll be recognized are almost 3x as likely to be highly engaged. Praise recognition also decreases turnover rates and improves overall business outcomes.

Empower employees

Empowerment is critical because it establishes trust and leads to higher job satisfaction. Supervisors may feel the need to micromanage their employees, which can make their reports feel devalued or unworthy. All employees should have clear job responsibilities/expectations and know what is expected of them. Train employees so they are able to make informed decisions and learn from their mistakes or challenges.

Check-in

Consistent 1:1 meetings are crucial because they allow managers and employees to connect on a deeper level. They also serve as a time to bring up any areas of concern or praise. Check-ins allow managers to set expectations and goals for their employees, so they have clear objectives to work toward. Establishing an open channel of communication is key.

Pitch in

Managers should always be willing to jump in and assist employees if needed and nothing should be beneath leadership. They should be ready to help when teams are short-staffed or if they notice something needs to be done. This not only reminds managers of employees’ daily experiences but also cultivates a deeper understanding of their challenges, fostering empathy toward employees’ needs.

Collaborate with HR

Don’t be afraid to utilize the company’s HR team to assist in improving team relationships and results. They can aid in addressing any employee challenges and create plans to improve their well-being.

Impacting Company Culture

Additionally, Edgar highlights the role HR ideals can play in promoting company values like employee satisfaction, safety, and sustainability.

Lead by example

FM management should model the behaviors they want to instill in their employees such as picking up trash, being responsive to concerns, or being proactive about problem-solving. Edgar explains this practice promotes respect and trust.

Safety First

Safety is a priority, and it cannot be disregarded in exchange for speedy customer service. It must be instilled in all employees that taking the proper safety steps should always come first. Also, make sure to implement signage to highlight safety habits and signify any potential hazards.

Sustainability Matters

Today, sustainability is a top-of-mind focus for many companies. FM organizations can fuel sustainability by training staff on the proper use of green cleaning products, staying on top of industry sustainability best practices, and using signage to encourage sustainable habits.

Edgar emphasizes that similar to an HR team, FM leaders must prioritize internal customer service. How they treat, collaborate with, and train employees is reflected in the success of everyone, including customers.

Continue reading the full article: click here.

Key Elements to Develop a Successful Plan

Today’s automation systems and emerging technology have made retro-commissioning of yesterday’s buildings a more manageable proposition, and one that can yield a significant return on investment.  

Retro-commissioning helps to return a building back into its original design parameters while taking into account its current-day utilization. Retro-commissioning becomes necessary over time as building systems age and changes in occupancy and use bring new demands. A patchwork of tweaks and tune-ups can only suffice in the short term. A sure-fire process requires many of the same strategies and attention to detail that the commissioning of a brand-new build would require.

Such an undertaking allows professionals to optimize system performance and reduce costs and energy expenditure for both building owners and tenants. It can also improve indoor air quality (IAQ), productivity, and equipment lifespan. But successful retro-commissioning takes deep expertise, thoughtful planning, and access to leading-edge tools.

As a longtime expert in retro-commissioning who has led or taken part in dozens of complex projects, I have identified several key principles of a successful retro-commissioning effort.

Things to consider in a retro-commissioning initiative:

  • Must include a well thought out plan with agreed-upon responsibilities. This means a working schedule of coordination meetings and check-ins, with each responsible party signing off on objectives as they are completed.  
  • Involves specified, agreed-upon goals, from overarching goals like improving comfort levels in the building and reducing operating costs to highly specific objectives like balancing within 3% or 5% of design.
  • Demands the leadership and hands-on participation of certified professionals. These experts have not only undergone a myriad of trainings and certifications, they also have access to the proper tools and gauges that are certified and precisely calibrated.
  • Includes detailed checklists that specify each of the people participating and their individual responsibilities, necessary tools including on-site support like ladders and lattice staging, engineering diagrams, and a schedule for the work.

Working Partnerships are Essential for Success

When it comes to the complicated work of retro-commissioning, a system of collaboration is essential to a successful operation. This includes a working partnership between system operators and the contractors responsible for installing new equipment. The arrangement must include a detailed collaborative strategy for isolating the systems involved while minimizing tenant impact, along with a plan to alert impacted tenants well before the work is scheduled and remind occupants on a regular basis until the work is complete.

The relationship-based approach must also prioritize cooperation between the facility service providers and the facility’s tenants and occupants, down to the finer details like covering work surfaces with plastic to shield them from debris and ensuring you don’t leave footprints behind on a desk or table. Not only is cleanliness necessary, but also returning the comfortability of the space back by returning thermostat back to its initial setpoint. The work schedule should include a final cleanup before tenants are invited to return to the workspace, and once the work is done, all impacted parties should receive communications notifying them that the work is completed and thanking them for their patience and cooperation.

Of course, the right service provider will also establish a strong working relationship with the facility owners and managers. This relationship begins long before the launch of the retro-commissioning. Transparency will help you succeed and if a provider is willing to take responsibility for schedule changes and get ahead of process breakdowns with clear and ongoing communication.

If you are considering the benefits of retro-commissioning for your facility, a high-level review of your available options can arm you with the knowledge to identify the goals, the professionals, and the approach that will have a lasting, successful outcome.

Being a Citizen of Our Customers’ Industries

With 15 years of experience in higher education spanning operations, facilities, and events management, Rebecca Mohrmann’s record of excellence and her commitment to sustainability make her an ideal fit to lead the UG2 team at Cornell Tech. In 2022, Rebecca joined UG2 as the customer’s account director, managing 28 direct reports—employees in custodial, engineering, mailroom, and grounds. Recently, she became responsible for thousands of additional “workers” as she headed up the launch of a beekeeping sustainability initiative on the roof of the customer’s New York City campus.

As a hands-on manager who embraces UG2’s core values and immerses herself fully in day-to-day operations, Rebecca’s first order of business when she started in her position was to build relationships with employees, understand their roles, and help integrate them into a more collaborative team. As she sat in on a meeting of Cornell Tech’s sustainability committee, she was struck with the realization that the building offered an excellent setup for beekeeping. Formerly, Rebecca and her husband had raised bees as hobbyists at their home in Michigan, and she knew the effort was one that could build sustainability awareness and team spirit while also contributing positively to the campus. 

She pitched the beekeeping idea to the sustainability committee and found they were just as excited by the project.  

To help ensure the effort would be a success, Rebecca contacted an apiarist on Long Island—an expert who happens to also be an alum of Cornell. She worked with the site’s gardener to ensure the existing rooftop plants were bee friendly and scouted just the right placement for the hives, a spot beneath the roof’s solar panels that would provide some protection from the elements. Then she purchased the hive and protective equipment along with the queen and the winged wonders she refers to as “a few thousand of my closest friends.”

Her busy workers have made countless new friends themselves, as visitors to their rooftop home enjoy sharing in the bees’ care and learning about their invaluable contributions.

“Honeybees provide 80 percent of our food through their pollination,” Rebecca says. “They’re the most efficient pollinator.”

She points out several additional fun facts:

  • The hierarchy of the hives include the queen, male drones, and female workers with appointed roles such as scout, gatherer, or nursery bees.
  • The hives’ foragers cover a three-mile radius as they collect nectar and pollen.
  • The queen lays up to two thousand eggs a day, and the bees have a 30-day lifecycle, although the late over-winter bees live longer—60 to 90 days.

The honeybees’ setup, six stories above ground, includes a hive brood box and shallower box on top of it. As the bees multiply, Rebecca and her team add more tiers. The solid-wood boxes are held secure by a cement block—in the shape of the letter C for Cornell.

Rebecca’s enthusiasm for learning about the bees mirrors the openness and curiosity she brings to her role as account director. She approaches every challenge as an opportunity to learn what the individuals around her need to become thriving members of a successful team.

Rebecca is looking forward to their first honey harvest, which will take place next spring once the bees have had ample time to build up an adequate supply for their own use. In the meantime, she invites anyone she encounters on the roof to join her when she visits the hives. Long term, her goal is to build more interest and engagement among Cornell Tech’s students. With the phenomenal response the bees have received in just a few short months, that goal is well within reach.

Watch our featured video: click here

A career path filled with enthusiasm, motivation, and a thirst for learning.

Angelica Norena’s UG2 story is an inspiring one fueled by hunger for knowledge, love for helping people, and willingness to embrace new opportunities. She is the true embodiment of a PHD – Passionate, Hardworking, and Dedicated. We sat down with Angelica to learn about her journey and how it led to her role as an Account Manager at UG2.

Originally from Colombia, Angelica moved to the United States in the early 2000s. She took a job working at a pizza restaurant where she learned all the ins and outs of managing a kitchen. Angelica displayed a strong eagerness to understand how to make everything on the menu and quickly became familiar with all the functions at the restaurant, even those she wasn’t assigned to.

Then in 2010, Angelica used her restaurant experience in her next role, at Boston Public Schools as a Cafe Manager. In this leadership role, she gained immeasurable customer service experience and team management skills, which she still uses today.

Angelica was acquainted with UG2 by her husband, Abelardo Rey, who is also part of the UG2 family. In 2012, she accompanied Rey to the annual UG2 holiday party, where she was introduced to Lou Lanzillo, Chief Executive Officer, John Correia, Chief Operating Officer, and Armando Lezama, Vice President of Operations. She was convinced that UG2 would be a good company to work for, so she instantly expressed her desire to join UG2 if any position became available. Angelica felt enthusiastic about the possible benefits and advantages of working at UG2. She wanted to challenge herself by trying something new and getting her hands dirty.

In June 2016, Rey told Angelica that UG2 was going to provide facility services for a new Seaport Boston customer. Immediately, Angelica was interested in working at this new location. The only available position she could fill was for a day matron, but Angelica held no reservations about the job title; her focus was on immersing herself in the work. After 18 months in this role, she was offered the position of night supervisor. She worked with Evelyn Reyes, who alongside Greg Lanzillo, provided her with the opportunity to truly develop her skills in the field.

The next stop on her UG2 journey was a promotion to Assistant Account Manager in 2018. Angelica smiled as she explained how much she enjoyed working alongside Rudy DeLeon. He truly helped her understand the specifics of the business such as the tools needed for successful management and how to take criticism and turn it into an opportunity to improve.

In 2021, Angelica was offered the position of Account Manager. This exciting opportunity allowed her to tag along on projects with day porters, so she could learn about the work firsthand. Day porters often have a lot on their plate to juggle, and Angelica explained she was glad to help ease their workload by helping in any way she could. She gives credit to all the UG2 employees such as Account Managers, Operations Managers, and many backhouse employees who answered her questions and helped her better understand the duties in her role.

Today, as Angelica continues her role as Account Manager, she reflects on her time at UG2. With everyone she worked alongside, she gained valuable knowledge such as the virtues of patience and respect when it comes to interacting with customers and managing a team.

Angelica admits that building and maintaining a collaborative team was a challenge at first. She discovered that to encourage the team to work together, she needed to do some of the work, and not just “supervise”. She was able to better understand her team members’ needs by working alongside them.

It is clear that Angelica has a deep appreciation for her team and her position. She repeatedly expresses her gratitude for the tenants, customers, and coworkers she has learned from along the way. She explains that it is impossible to be bored in a position like hers. Every day is different and full of possibilities. Angelica continues to share her industry knowledge and tools with her team and is hopeful for what the future has in store.

As a leader in the facility services industry, UG2 knows that keeping employees and building occupants safe at all times is a must. When mitigating risk, there are different methods, but one of the most effective is the use of signage, signals, and labels. 

In a recently published article in Facility Safety Management, Adam Rabesa, UG2’s Director of Environmental Health & Safety, explains how these tools can be used to successfully bring attention to potential hazards and instruct people on how to stay safe.   

Oftentimes, individuals tune out possible hazards when performing routine tasks, since the more times a task is completed successfully, the less one has to think about it. Not only do signage and labels bring attention to the present tasks and potential hazards, but they are fairly easy to implement. 

Here are Adam’s Best Practices for Optimizing Results: 

1. Make Them Readily Understandable  

There’s no point in using signs and labels if they’re not easily digestible. Clear and concise messaging is a must. It may be necessary to translate your signs and labels into additional languages or use universally understood symbols/images.  

2. Help Them Get Noticed

Signage needs to be clearly visible, so it does not blend into the background. Sometimes people don’t even notice new signage or labels because of “change blindness”. Make your designs bold and change them up on a regular basis.  

3. Keep Them Handy

Make sure signage is easily accessible and clearly labeled for employees. For example, store “Caution Wet Floor” signs in every trash barrel. Adam mentions it is also a best practice to incorporate QR codes in places where spills might occur so people can notify the facility services team from their phones.  

4. Follow Standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has three sign classifications. Be sure to follow: 

  • Danger (red, black, and white) 
  • Caution (yellow and black) 
  • Safety Instructions (white and green)  

5. Conduct Inspections

Routine inspections should be conducted to evaluate signs and labels that can become less visible and fade over time. Adam recommends that they are cleaned regularly and that letters be replaced if they become too faded.  

Ultimately, signs, signals, and labels are cost-effective and reliable methods to warn people of dangers and guide them on the correct safety procedures. To be effective, plan in advance, pay attention to details, and collaborate with service providers, vendors, property managers, tenants, and others working at your facility.  

Honoring Culture, Contributions, and Diversity 

From September 15 to October 15, the United States observes National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time dedicated to honoring the rich culture, history, and invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans. This month-long celebration recognizes the significance and diversity of Hispanic communities. 

Understanding Hispanic and Latinx Heritage 

The term “Hispanic” pertains to individuals who descend from Spanish-speaking countries, while “Latino/a” or “Latinx” refers to those with roots in Latin America. Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans represent a multitude of backgrounds, languages, and traditions. 

The Evolution of the Month-Long Celebration 

The journey of Hispanic heritage recognition in the United States began with Hispanic Heritage Week, which was introduced by Congressman George E. Brown in June of 1968. Against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the nation embraced its diverse populations, including Hispanic Americans. In the same year, President Lyndon B. Johnson expanded the celebration to a national level. It wasn’t until two decades later that the observance extended to a full month. Hispanic Heritage Month became official under Public Law 100-402 on August 17, 1988. 

September 15: A Symbolic Date 

The choice of September 15 as the start date of Hispanic Heritage Month holds cultural significance to many Latino and Hispanic cultures. It marks the independence days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This month also includes Chile and Mexico’s independence days and Día de la Raza (Columbus Day). 

UG2: Embracing Hispanic Heritage 

At UG2, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are embedded in our core values, and we enthusiastically embrace National Hispanic Heritage Month each year. We celebrate the outstanding contributions of all of our Hispanic team members. Our nationwide community of employees brings a wealth of perspectives, experiences, skills, and talents that enrich UG2 in a multitude of ways.  

Our philanthropic efforts extend from coast to coast, encompassing support for organizations that assist our Spanish-speaking employees, from English-as-a-foreign-language classes to professional development, civic education, and professional training. We take pride in our support for organizations like “English for New Bostonians,” which supports ESOL leadership. 

Empowering Our Employees 

Internally, the UG2 family is dedicated to supporting our employees with robust training, professional development, leadership opportunities, and a strong focus on promoting from within. We are committed to fostering a warm and welcoming workplace that encourages our team members to share their unique cultures and traditions. 

Ways to Celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month 

There are numerous ways you can celebrate Hispanic culture during this time. Here are some ideas to consider: 

  • Explore the art, music, and literature of Hispanic creatives. You can also check out if there are any exhibits, shows, or art events in your local area. 
  • Try a new dish and bring Hispanic flavors to your dinner table. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite.  
  • Learn about Hispanic heritage by educating yourself on the diverse traditions, histories, and contributions of Hispanic communities.  
  • Practice your Spanish skills! If you’re a newbie, start with basic phrases. Or, even just a word or two.  
  • Shop at your local Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses to show support for the local economy.  

As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the enduring impact of Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans on both UG2, and our country as a whole. We look forward to the continued growth and unity of our diverse UG2 family. 

Sources:

https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.com/
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/hispanic-heritage-month
https://www.bgca.org/news-stories/2023/July/8-ways-to-celebrate-hispanic-and-latino-heritage-month

Multifaceted Approach for Success

Having started in the trades at a young age, I have always maintained a safety-first mentality in my work. As I’ve advanced in my career and pursued different opportunities, the commitment to emergency preparedness and situational awareness has remained constant.

It is no surprise that UG2 has been an excellent professional fit for me given that my approach to emergency preparedness aligns with UG2’s core values. Successful emergency preparedness relies on strong interpersonal relationships, a mastery of proven practices, becoming a citizen of your customer’s industry, and the ability to adapt each plan to the unique needs of a particular facility, location, and situation.

Leaning into Reciprocal Relationships

Experts in emergency preparedness know that some of the most critical professional experience comes from the reciprocal relationships built with first responders. As someone with first responder background and experience, I have a deep appreciation for how these close working relationships with first responders enable continuous learning and information sharing. As a result, it allows leaders in emergency preparedness to stay at the top of their game. The insights I glean from those professionals are priceless, to me and my teams, as well as to the customers with whom I continuously share that expertise.

In my engineering services work, I have embraced opportunities to educate and partner with first responders. My background has enabled me to teach high rise safety to members of the fire department, instructing them in the use of our facilities’ fire control centers and mechanical system control panels. The trainings we have delivered allows the departments we would rely on in an emergency to fully understand our systems, which means a higher level of safety for all involved—those using the facilities and the first responders themselves as well as my customers’ properties and assets.

Preparing for Regionally Specific Needs

Cookie-cutter emergency preparedness plans are not sufficient in a time when crises can range from extreme weather events to active shooter situations. Working in a major urban setting on the West Coast has meant running drills for wildfires, tsunamis, active shooters, earthquakes, explosions, gas leaks, and more.

My role has included developing a customized site-specific sequence of operations that informs how an engineering team is trained to react to all these events, from a building fire to an armed intruder in the lobby. Tailoring a plan to those different scenarios—and continuously revisiting and refining—is essential in a constantly evolving environment.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders

Managers in the engineering services field understandably feel tremendous pressure to manage—to increase facility efficiencies, improve responsiveness and elevate service. What I came to understand very quickly is that effective management means embracing every opportunity to be in the field yourself.

My engineers are among my customer’s most important assets. As a manager, there’s no more important role I have than helping to nurture, mentor and support those engineers. Through those relationships, you build trust and loyalty, and you have a finger on the pulse of what’s happening daily in the facility.

When a customer calls in desperate need of just the right engineer, I know exactly who to call—and I can trust that person will take my call, because I have been building a relationship with them from their first days on the job whether they came on as an apprentice or chief engineer.

Partnering With the Customer

Building a trusting relationship, becoming deeply familiar with a customer’s particular challenges, priorities, site specific needs and ensuring they benefit from the expertise and relationships I work so hard to build is at the core of mine and UG2’s success in emergency preparedness.

Do you have questions about emergency preparedness in your facility? The experts at UG2 would like nothing better than to partner with you to build the right solution.

Maximize Efficiency and Optimize Your Building Systems

Often when we mention, “computerized maintenance management system” or “CMMS,” some of our customers immediately think, “Too complicated.” That reaction is understandable, especially since an overwhelming number of facilities using a CMMS are using systems with too many bells and whistles or are wasting their engineers’ precious time on elements that are wholly unnecessary.

The core functions of a CMMS are to account for every piece of equipment onsite at a facility, distribute preventative maintenance work requests, and alert onsite engineering staff to issues that arise.

When it is done well, computer maintenance management systems deliver tremendous benefits to our customers and enable us to serve them much more proactively and efficiently. The key to integrating a successful CMMS is working with the right partner to identify and adapt the system that is right for your facility—one that is streamlined to meet your needs rather than being confusing or overwhelming in its offerings.

The benefits of integrating a CMMS are extensive, but here are a few that I see consistently:

  • Simplified document tracking and record keeping. Although many clients’ initial reaction to the idea of a CMMS is that it will be too complicated, the right CMMS should dramatically simplify and streamline your work. Many facilities benefit from a pared-down system that delivers exactly the information needed, and which any engineer can be quickly trained to operate.
  • Effective and efficient time management. This benefit is readily apparent to us, as the service provider, but it ultimately delivers many times over for our clients. A system that enables us to work more effectively and efficiently delivers customers tremendous cost savings in the long run.
  • Prediction of labor utilization. The system can estimate the amount of time and labor necessary for every preventative maintenance task. By capturing a complete and accurate list of equipment, we can determine the number of engineers needed to maintain equipment on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual basis.

With a background in facilities engineering technology and systems engineering, I have built a career developing preventative maintenance standards categorized by system, such as electrical, fire, life safety, grounds, HVAC, and plumbing. I have seen firsthand how—done right—these systems have advantages for every type of facility, from small private schools to our public venue customers and everyone in between.

Through our thoughtful, individualized process of integrating a CMMS, UG2 partners with our customers which cultivates a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. That is because our process not only accounts for your equipment, but it also allows us to get to know your work processes, specific needs, and capacity for training on the equipment. 

When it comes to integrating a CMMS, the right partner will take the weight off your engineering staff. Every decision UG2 makes in the process has the over-arching goal of reducing stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.

My primary focus—and that of all of us at UG2–is making the transition and ongoing operation of a CMMS system as easy for each customer as possible.

Do you have questions about the benefits of integrating a CMMS at your facility, or about improving an approach that you’ve found isn’t fully working for you? Get in touch and let’s talk about it.

FM 201: Operations & Maintenance Success in a New Era

In recent years, significant transformations have occurred in the realm of campus operations and maintenance (O&M). O&M teams have consistently placed a high emphasis on the safety and comfort of occupants while maintaining uptime and operating cost-effectively. However, emerging challenges demand alternative strategies.

In a recent article in APPA’s Facility Manager publication, Brian Caputo, UG2 Account Director, shares some insights about these challenges – many of which stem from the impacts of COVID-19, economic uncertainty, and a gap in O&M talent.

Brian shares some suggestions for these goals:

Team Education: Overcoming the Culture Gap:

Over 50% of electrical and plumbing technicians as well as 49% of HVAC technicians are 40+ years old. These technicians are extremely skilled and knowledgeable about industry best practices.

On the contrary, 20-30-year-olds make up 23% of HVAC technicians and 18% of electricians and plumbers. These employees are newer to the industry, meaning they may lack the skills that their older counterparts have perfected.

Brian explains that in order to combat this gap, facility services professionals must ensure that training is a key area of focus. It is also important to promote careers in the trades along with educating high school students about these opportunities.

Student Education: Meeting Expectations

Knowledge is power and good communication is key when setting expectations on campus. O&M managers need to teach and remind students about what is considered an “emergency” and how to prioritize requests.

It’s best to work closely with Students Affairs who can work with students to inform them about how/when to ask for help. O&M teams should collaborate with Student Affairs to recognize student issues and understand feedback.

Thinking Ahead: Capital Planning

Brian also explains the importance of O&M teams working closely with educational institutions to craft informed short-term and long-term plans and prioritize good investments. This demands an understanding of the lifespan of each piece of equipment, evaluating anticipated costs, and when to choose a repair vs. a replacement.

When partnering with O&M teams, institutions can get the insights needed for their strategic plans. Additional factors like student enrollment expansion, building refurbishments, and potential demolitions need to be considered as well as the potential outcomes when making O&M decisions in capital plans. For example, not repairing an air handler can hurt air quality and be harmful to our health.

Keeping Costs Down: Preventive Maintenance

Preventative maintenance and capital planning work side by side. If preventive maintenance is not prioritized, this will have a negative impact on equipment performance, and eventually, these failures can cause a ripple effect that causes irreversible damage. Brian highlights that blind spots are not an option.

It is critical that O&M teams build and follow preventative maintenance schedules which should be informed by recommendations from equipment manufacturers as well as industry standards.

To succeed in this new era of facilities management, operations and maintenance is ever-changing and continuously learn, adapt, and evolve. Brian believes that facility managers can achieve both short and long-term goals by building the foundation of a system that maximizes talent, manages student/parent expectations, incorporates new technologies, and focuses on making well-informed fiscal decisions.

Learn how UG2 goes above and beyond to serve your education facility: https://ug2.com/industries/higher-education/

Resources:
https://www.zippia.com/plumber-jobs/demographics/
https://www.zippia.com/hvac-r-technician-jobs/demographics/
https://www.contractingbusiness.com/residential-hvac/article/21123518/technician-shortage-solutions-opportunities

Deep Dive in Delivering Exceptional Facility Services

Think back to the last time you scored tickets to see your favorite team or seats for a great concert. Whether you were hanging out in the VIP suite, doing the wave in the bleachers, or grabbing a drink at one of the premium bars, you were in the company of tens of thousands of others who were also there to relish every moment of the action. Along the way, those throngs of fans were swarming vendor booths to buy a beer or hot dog, rushing to use the restroom, and tossing empty cups and wrappers in the general direction of the trash can. They also may have been tracking in dirt, mud, slush, or snow (or possibly all four at once if you were attending an event in my hometown region of New England).

I’m a lifelong sports and music fan – and I was lucky enough to attend a few memorable events growing up including the Patriots Snow Bowl in ‘03, Celtics vs Lakers ’08 Finals Game 1, and more Disney on Ice shows than I can remember with my whole family.  When I was younger, I was always focused on what was happening on the field, court, or ice. It was only in the last few years, growing through the ranks of the facility services world did I appreciate what it takes from the venue itself to deliver the end user product. Similar to the teams that are competing in between the lines – the venues themselves are also game planning, coordinating & executing to make these events run smoothly so fans can enjoy a spectacular experience.

Since I love spending my free time cheering on the home team, you can imagine how I was filled with pride when UG2 added prominent public venue customers, the storied TD Garden in Boston and, more recently, Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

Every stadium or arena has its own precarious ecosystem. The challenges in maintaining these facilities—and maintaining them well—are steep, and our solutions must be tailored to each site’s unique and evolving needs. Fortunately, UG2 has refined our responses to those challenges and developed our team into the public venue’s perfect facility services partner. So, what have we learned working behind the scenes?

Here I will share some of the most difficult aspects of managing a facility in public venue spaces, and the solutions UG2 has mastered to overcome them.

Challenge #1: Manage High-Volume Crowds

The sheer volume and density of foot traffic in a public venue makes for a completely different—and uber-challenging—environment. Huge numbers of people are on the move, and your ideal facility services partner needs to stay on top of, and ahead of, the crowd.

UG2 Solution:

Our specially-trained teams are assigned to designated areas at key intervals—as the arena is getting set up, deliveries are happening, and food stations are prepping—and as fans are entering, exiting, and rushing to vendors and restrooms at halftime or the end of the period. UG2 has our teams highly trained and crossed-trained to deal with the specifics of each area, from the general concession areas to the locker rooms to the VIP suites. Our facility operations teams are in continuous communication and constant flux, ensuring that our attention matches the crowd’s energy and movement and that we are well prepared with proactive measures as well as the ability to respond quickly in the moment to always-emerging issues.

Challenge #2: Nail the Timing

Public venues operate on the opposite end of the spectrum from a typical janitorial model. In many spaces you cannot rely on nightly down time to tackle projects like deep cleaning, shampooing carpets, stripping and waxing of floors, or squeegeeing the glass. The building may go dark on an ever-changing schedule that makes it even more difficult to fit in the upkeep.

UG2 Solution:

The timing issue is a complex one that requires both established expertise and frequent fine-tuning. The key ingredients for success include deep familiarity with the venue and a highly trained, nimble staff. UG2’s ability to attract and retain the best talent is essential here. We have employees who are specialized but also trained to pivot, on a dime, from a sporting event to a concert to a corporate fundraiser. Our facility managers are on-site, bringing their familiarity with the unique timing and staffing needs of each event and the resources to quickly scale up for double headers and find windows of time for deep cleans and preventative maintenance projects. We understand there’s no room for a lapse in quality and we are proactive in maintaining supplies and top-of-the-line resources so that there’s never a moment wasted.

Challenge #3: Eliminate Health and Safety Hazards

The fast-moving, enthusiastic crowds that pack our public venues are vulnerable to injury hazards from displaced floor mats to food spills, as well as health hazards like faulty refrigeration and unsanitary restroom conditions.

UG2 Solution:

UG2 incorporates both leading and lagging indicators into our safety planning for a comprehensive approach to safety that’s woven into all we do, from our health and safety program to our industry-leading efforts around quality control. Employees complete extensive safety training before their first day on a site, and ongoing safety planning and training is customized to every venue we serve. We routinely conduct job safety analyses and hazard checks, and safety-related communication is ongoing and consistent. Every team member is working to identify issues as they emerge and is equipped with a radio to call in reports to a dispatcher who immediately sends out the right person to respond.  

Challenge #4: Fine-Tune Management Team Handoffs

Supervisors and management must be available for a warm hand-off with every shift, to ensure ownership and accountability on every level and through every phase of our public venue facility services.

UG2 Solution:

UG2’s team leaders take tremendous pride in being onsite and accessible with every shift. Our stellar supervisors never leave a venue or station unattended. Team leaders will not leave until they have tagged in the next supervisor and provided a comprehensive status update. Seamless communication makes for seamless coverage, and those are hallmarks of our unmatched service record—and our 98% customer retention rate. It helps that we attract top talent, promote from within, and boast an enviable employee retention record.

Challenge #5: Meet Outsized Operations and Maintenance Demands

A major event has many opportunities for major problems to occur if issues arise with lighting, alarms, scoreboard function, plumbing, HVAC…the list goes on.  

UG2 Solution:

UG2 offers comprehensive, integrated operations and maintenance services. We leverage our management team’s 350-plus years of experience, alongside our highly skilled engineers’ proficiency with the latest technologies and innovations. We bring in the most skilled and committed employees, and keep them at the top of their game with ongoing education and professional development through UG2’s Training & Innovation Lab. With an unwavering focus on service, our employees are committed to ensuring the public venue operates efficiently and effectively throughout every single event.

Challenge #6: See the Devil in the Details

Visitors to public venues expect a pristine environment, hassle-free access to food and beverages, and highly visible janitorial staff who are actively engaged in five-star service. Those expectations have only increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And word spreads fast when things are left unattended—the last thing a venue needs is a complaint posted on social media.

UG2 Solution:

Our teams are preparing the public venue long before fans begin to arrive, and we are committed to delivering a great first impression—and second, third, and fourth. Throughout the event, visitors can count on gleaming floors and elevators, freshly emptied bins, and well-stocked and sanitized restrooms. At the clubhouse level, we understand that customers have paid a premium for an elevated experience—and we are ready and waiting to exceed their expectations. We conduct regular walk-throughs, share information across teams continuously, and benefit from carefully curated checklists of tasks we complete before, during, and after an event.

Challenge #7: Recognize There’s No Off Season

Just as elite athletes who play professional sports have to maintain rigorous fitness regimens and practice schedules year-round, the stadiums where they play are “on” all the time, and they require a rotation of crews who operate just as effectively, regardless of whether there’s an event underway.

UG2 Solution:

Public venues have a dynamic calendar, with many days on the schedule requiring you to attend to the events themselves, but it is essential that facility managers maintain a robust rotation of people and projects year-round, to ensure we take advantage of the off days. We understand that non-event days are actually the prime opportunity to build up a quality program as your FM team tests and upgrades systems, undertakes preventative maintenance, tackles special projects, and ensures equipment is functioning optimally. At the same time, we run a tight ship in terms of efficiency. Public venues are never understaffed—but they also aren’t paying for staff to stand around and wait to be called into action.

Challenge #8: Perfect VIP Treatment

Today’s public venue guest expects all the perks of a modern facility, and those attending an event in a luxury box, corporate suite, or VIP seating will arrive with an especially high set of expectations when it comes to hospitality services.

UG2 Solution:

The demand for five-star customer service is reaching new heights as corporate and private functions are becoming an important revenue source in all kinds of venues. Fortunately, UG2 teams excel at 360-degree VIP customer service. From ensuring a flawless audio-visual experience to knowing which products to use with high-end fixtures and finishes to handling sticky situations with aplomb, our dedicated teams of specially-trained employees—like those luxury suites themselves—are counted among the best of the best. That unmatched level of customer service carries over into our interpersonal interactions, too. In fact, we frequently get thank you notes from customers and guests about a UG2 team member going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure every guest is getting the most out of their experience.

Challenge #9: Embrace Emerging Technology

From digital experiences to security protocols to parking systems, public venues are relying on the latest technology even as it’s rolling out.

UG2 Solution:

Facility services is fast-becoming a technology-driven industry—and it has a profound importance in our daily operations in public venues. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed technology and innovation to the forefront when it comes to maintaining excellence, and UG2 is unmatched in our successful adoption of emerging but proven technologies. UG2’s vice president of information technology Samar Kawar and her team work continuously to investigate and implement advanced technologies for our customers and public venues as well as the internal systems that allow our employees to operate effectively and efficiently.

Challenge #10: Optimize Amenities and Managing Special Events

Even before the pandemic denied people the opportunities to gather and enjoy blockbuster events, fans and visitors to public venues had upped the ante on their expectations. If they were paying to attend an event, they wanted a luxury experience. That sentiment is truer than ever today.

UG2 Solution:

UG2 operates at the head of the pack when it comes to offering unexpected touches and an amenity-rich experience. These can include a smooth, tech-driven priority parking process;  sparkling clean railing keeping fans safe overlooking the field; high definition screens across the venue (including at individual seats and in restrooms); fast and reliable wi-fi; exciting giveaways held during an event; and more. UG2 maintains a cadre of experts to ensure our teams are trained in every area of importance.

Challenge #11: Advance Sustainability

In the current climate, public venues face steep pressure to go green—and sustainable practices can actually be more efficient and promote cost-savings, but only if they’re done right.

UG2 Solution

UG2 has a long record of integrating successful environmental stewardship practices. They include relying on safe but effective cleaning chemicals, reducing noise pollution with quieter machines and equipment, maintaining efficient and high-quality filters, conducting energy audits, ensuring compliance with sustainability regulations, and promoting green waste management practices and recycling programs. New technology is emerging all the time, and UG2 prides itself on being at the forefront of the latest innovations with time-proven best practices that promote a pristine, clean, healthy, safe, and comfortable environment across the public venue.

Outstanding People and Teamwork

Delivering exceptional facility services in public venues and stadiums is a multi-faceted job but UG2 has developed best practices and strategic programs that help us thrive in challenging environments. I am thankful to all our on-site personnel who work in these challenging operations and take immense pride in their job day in and day out. Our managers, supervisors and workers embody the passion, hard work and dedication that lead to continued success in these very demanding venues. Our customers and partners do an exceptional jobs of empowering us and giving us a seat at the table to help them achieve their business goals. I love the excitement and complexity of working in public venues. Every day presents a new challenge and I work with the best people in the industry!

Do you have questions about our public venue services? Contact UG2 today. I promise we will over deliver for your fans and customers—even if they are cheering on our opposing team!

Getting the Most from Your Facility Services Budget

As business leaders across industries plot out their financial plans for FY24, they run the risk of spending more—by cutting back.

Facility services is an area where preventative maintenance is, hands down, worth investing in from the outset. Contracting with a trusted partner instead of overloading your staff or risking the need for emergency intervention can protect your budget from major blows. And taking a long view of your facility’s health means also planning for capital improvements.

With the pressure on for keeping costs low amid ongoing economic uncertainty, we tapped our in-house experts to get their best advice on making the most of your facility services budget.

Engage a trusted partner. Identifying an expert in the field with a strong record of success is essential to protecting your facility in the short and long term. At UG2, our senior leadership remains involved and engaged, our teams are trained for your specific space, and our process, technology and equipment are the best in the business.

Leverage the onboarding process. Whether you’re transitioning to a new service provider or renewing contracts with an established partner, you and your facility services provider should make time for a review period where you discuss goals and plans, identify training needs, outline priorities and challenges.

Communicate openly about budget concerns and constraints. A true partner will prioritize communication with you—and will help you strategize when it comes to stretching your budget. A key component of UG2’s near-perfect customer retention rate is the fact that we work so closely with our customers, emphasizing transparency and clear communication.

Don’t skimp on preventative maintenance or enhanced cleaning. Unanticipated repairs are not only costly, but they can lead to periods of downtime that can impact productivity, dampen morale, and wreak havoc on your schedule for days, weeks or months. This is even more of a concern with today’s supply-chain-related delays. To keep everyone safe and healthy, periodic specialty cleaning services should be incorporated into your standard cleaning protocols.

Increase your ROI. Working with a single, established partner for multiple services often allows you to make your budget go further. Streamlined operations can bring cost savings through labor efficiencies and a stronger self-performance model can avoid waste and duplication of services.

Inquire about problem solving. What kind of emergency response does your facility services provider promise? Extreme weather events can be disruptive but not if you work with experienced janitorial and landscaping teams who partner with you to make the necessary preparations. UG2’s mobile maintenance team technicians are available 24/7 and backed by extensive training; trade licenses in electrical, plumbing, and HVAC; and certifications in areas like Universal EPA, Building Automation, and Infrared Scanning.

Keep safety top of mind. A strong budget prioritizes safety at every level, from routinely walking the property to identifying hazards to replacing valves and filters on a regular schedule.  UG2 incorporates safety planning in all we do, cultivating a culture of safety that reminds every member of our team of their responsibilities to the customer and to each other.

Do you have questions about making the most of your facility services budget? We’re always happy to walk you through strategies tailored specifically to your needs.  

Facility Management Journal Article Recap

The facility management industry is facing a major challenge – the lack of qualified talent. Available positions in trades such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing outnumber the quantity of skilled people who can fill them. Not only are candidates hard to find, but those who do fill these roles might not meet the high standards that facility management requires.

In a recent article with Facility Management Journal, UG2’s Senior Vice President of Operations & Maintenance, Jim Lane, addresses the reasons for this large talent gap that is troubling facility management as well as how companies can attract and retain the right talent.

It is predicted that by 2025, the facility management industry might face a shortage of 53% of open jobs. Approximately 20,000 people leave the trades every year due to a career change or retirement. In reality, 39% of HVAC technician jobs are currently unfilled. On top of the excessive number of open positions, many organizations are finding that the few who do apply to these positions don’t meet the necessary qualifications.

Jim explains that to combat this gap in talent, organizations need to first establish what characteristics make a strong FM worker and understand that we are facing a generational talent gap. They also need to implement steps to attract people to the trades and improve training on the job.

Risk in the Talent Pool

Successful tradespeople possess a set of fundamental qualities that allow them to flourish in the industry. Jim stresses the importance of screening applicants for these qualities in order to prevent disrupting a good relationship with the customer by hiring the wrong person for a role.

Employers should look for candidates with the following characteristics:

  • Passion for the Industry: Individuals who demonstrate a genuine commitment to their profession and hold a strong belief in the significance of their work are more likely to succeed and stay motivated.
  • Strong Work Ethic: Trade work isn’t easy, and it requires collaboration and attention to detail. Having a strong work ethic means being persistent, tenacious, and honest.
  • Problem Solvers: A good tradesperson is a skilled problem solver. They should be able to determine how systems work, why/if they are not performing correctly, and how to fix the problem.
  • Technology Savvy: The trades are becoming more dependent on technology every day which allows for quicker troubleshooting, automation, and data-driven analytics needed for decision-making. Embracing this ever-changing technological scene is crucial.
  • People skills: The trades are a customer service function. Interacting with different people is a daily function and good interpersonal communication skills are mandatory if you want to succeed.

Risk in the Generation Gap

There is a noticeable gap in the skills and attitudes of employees who are new to the trades and those with 20+ years of experience. Those who have been in their career for multiple decades have built their own knowledge, instincts, and techniques to solve problems. They know what methods to rely on but may be hesitant to use different approaches and might refrain from using new technological advancements.

Millennials and GenZers have less experience but are tech-savvy and look for organizations that use the latest innovations. They often don’t have access to the extensive education and apprenticeship opportunities that prior generations had. These younger workers also may have different work ethics or expectations than other generations.

There are two main issues:

  1. We need to bridge the skills and work ethic gap between generations;
  2. A large number of workers are on the brink of retirement, and not as many workers are looking to enter the workforce.

Risk in Cultural Stereotypes

Especially in today’s day and age, there is a misconception that getting a traditional college degree is the best choice for anyone entering the workforce. Less than 16% of graduates enroll in vocational or trade schools. Jim calls attention to the importance of educating young people on the benefits of entering a trade. For one, it’s more affordable than paying for college tuition and it’s a reliable career path with opportunities for growth and leadership.

Jim explains that one way to attract young people to the trades is to work in tandem with local vocational and technical high schools to recruit students as paid interns during school breaks as part of co-op programs. It’s also important to provide students with mentors who lead by example.

Closing the Gaps: Improving On-The-Job Training

There are two goals facility management should focus on:

  1. Ensuring veterans feel comfortable using technology;
  2. Building successorship plans by growing the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

It’s highly important that all employees, regardless of age or position, are thoroughly trained in the latest technologies and advancements. Training should be tailored to each individual employee’s needs. It’s possible that older employees might require additional help to get up to speed.

Training should also be customized to encompass what each employee will encounter in their role. Communication skills training is a highly valuable asset that should be included in each program. As mentioned earlier, interpersonal communication skills are extremely crucial in the field.

It Takes a Village

The talent gap in facility management isn’t disappearing anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things organizations can do to combat the issue. It requires an all-hands effort and for everyone in the industry to implement a recruiter mindset. By providing workers with the right tools and training, they can exceed in the industry.

Check out the full article here:

http://fmj.ifma.org/publication/?m=30261&i=790476&p=34&ver=html5

Additional Sources:

https://www.contractingbusiness.com/residential-hvac/article/21123518/technician-shortage-solutions-opportunities

https://www.tws.edu/blog/skilled-trades/how-many-high-school-students-know-about-trades-careers/

Going Above & Beyond and Striving for Excellence

Life Science is a fast-growing area of demand at UG2—one that requires niche expertise and knowledge of evolving best practices. To meet our customers’ complex needs in this burgeoning service area, UG2 leadership has enhanced our advanced training offerings through a partnership with a best-in-class life sciences and bio pharma training industry expert. As a result of this key collaboration, select UG2 team members from around the country spent several months mastering a rigorous three-part intense training sequence that concluded in mid-June.

Focusing on the “science of life sciences for non-scientists,” the training sequence was carefully crafted to help our team become more knowledgeable in the realm of life sciences, expanding our capacity to deliver five-star customer service.

Participants covered a range of topics including therapeutics, bio safety levels, cell and gene therapy development, GMP and cGMP labs, drug development, and bio-manufacturing. Each session allotted time for attendees to hone in on customer facility operations and the unique needs the industry presents for service providers.

With over 50 participants companywide completing the training, the partnership and its achievements align with UG2’s core values—including our promise to become citizens of our clients’ industries.

Building on a Tradition of Excellence and Comprehensive Service Delivery

With an unmatched approach to training that includes our Training and Innovation Lab, UG2 has been well positioned to meet the complex needs of customers in the Life Science industry. We have a long record of success combining our ability to recruit and develop talent with an approach that builds on our own curriculum with robust training to include our customer’s specific operating procedures, practices, and policies. Our approach to safety, training and quality management has earned us a reputation as industry leaders—and the trust of top universities, biomedical firms, life science real estate firms and pharmaceutical companies. We are proud to excel in this space, in partnership with the best of the best.

Supporting a local organization that transforms the lives of children and families

UG2 has made it a priority to support local charities and organizations with philanthropic missions since day one. Our charitable involvement is part of our long-term commitment to give back to the communities in which we operate. 

With our corporate headquarters based in Boston, MA, an institution we have deep ties to is Boston Children’s Hospital. We sat down with Lauren Lanzillo, Associate Vice President of Culture & Community to discuss UG2’s history with the organization as well as the annual fundraising event, Corporate Cup, which UG2 will be participating in.

Beginning in 2016, Corporate Cup is a fundraiser consisting of field day events promoting friendly competition between businesses in the Boston area. Teams compete in games like tug of war, soccer kicks, a football toss, and an obstacle course to win points and raise money for Boston Children’s Hospital. The winner of the event is awarded the “corporate cup” and individuals are recognized for their personal fundraising accomplishments.

Contributions go toward:

  • Providing specialized and critical care to patients.
  • Supporting patient families with crisis-related needs like housing, clothing, and food as well as four outpatient psychiatry clinics.
  • Advancing the research of complex diseases and treatments.

Lauren, what is UG2’s history with Boston Children’s Hospital?

“Lou Lanzillo, UG2 Chief Executive Officer, and the Lanzillo family are long-time supporters of Boston Children’s Hospital. As a child, I spent a month in Children’s Hospital battling a severe infection, which was the result of a ruptured appendix. I experienced first-hand the distress that comes with being hospitalized and how receiving proper care from an organization you can trust makes all the difference. 

As a result, my parents developed a deep-rooted respect for Boston Children’s Hospital and their unparalleled approach to patient and family care. We will forever be grateful for the incredible teams of staff that supported us in our time of need.”

How long has UG2 been involved with Corporate Cup?

“We’ve been involved for two years, but we’ve actually had an interest in participating in Corporate Cup for some time. Understandably, during the pandemic, the event was suspended. But, the moment it was re-instated, we jumped at the opportunity to put together a team and participate!”

How are team members raising money for the cause?

“UG2 team members are spreading the word to family, friends, and their personal networks! They are engaging in personal outreach as well as posting opportunities to support the ‘UG2 Crew’ on social media. We are also promoting the fundraising event through our UG2 social media pages.”

Why is it important that team UG2 participates in events like Corporate Cup?

“UG2 is an incredibly family-oriented organization that believes in community. We also believe in giving back to the community—and bolstering organizations whose values align so closely with our own. Everyone’s lives can get busy, so making it a priority to step back and take time to support causes like this that give children hope and make their future brighter is so important.“

What were the highlights of last year’s event?

“Last year was a hot one! Despite the record-high temperature, UG2 team members rose to the challenge and were fierce competitors. Seeing the team come together to cheer one another on was such a highlight and encouraged us to push through the heat. 

The best part was that it created the opportunity for many of us who don’t get to interact with each other on a daily basis to better get to know each other. This camaraderie wasn’t left out on the field that day, it followed us back to the office which strengthened our bonds and overall team environment.

Last but not least, we had the opportunity to hear firsthand from patients about the care they received from Boston Children’s Hospital. Learning about the difference the hospital made in their lives was so touching. We experienced a sense of purpose by participating in an event that is integral to such an important cause.” 

How did the team work together last year?

“Believe it or not, we really had to fine-tune our communication skills! Being vocal and communicative during certain activities made such a difference in our team’s performance — especially during the Hula Hoop and Tug-O-War activities. There were more than a couple of team members that stood out for their extreme competitive streaks!”

Do you have any strategies for this year’s game day events?

“We learned the importance of playing to each team member’s personal strengths. However, not all events require the participation of the whole team. Making sure we allocate the right resources to the right activities will make a major difference in our performance.“

What are you looking forward to in particular this year?

“We have some new additions to the team this time around, so I’m really excited to see everyone support each other and work together. It’s always inspiring hearing from the hospital’s team and former/current patients. There is no better feeling than learning about how the support of the event makes a difference in real people’s lives.”

What do you hope the team gains from this experience? 

“First and foremost—to have fun! We had so many laughs last year. No one took themselves too seriously and I think it’s fair to say, we all left feeling really good about supporting a phenomenal cause. This event is always a great reminder to not let life get too serious and to channel energy into causes that mean something to you and have the ability to transform the lives of others.”

Do you have any other comments you would like to share?

“For those considering participating in this event—don’t be intimidated by the events or level of athleticism involved. I’ll be the first to say—I’m no athlete! This is such a great day to see so many companies show up for an organization that shows up for so many children and families.”

The 2023 Corporate Cup took place on July 13th, 2023. Consider donating to Boston Children’s Hospital to bring hope to kids and families in need.

Source: https://secure.childrenshospital.org/site/TR?fr_id=2310&pg=entry

Taking apartment operations to new heights

A luxury apartment turns over, and our expert team leaps into action. Every inch of the unit is inspected, updated, repaired, or replaced, from paint and flooring to energy-efficient appliances and A/C units. But that’s just the beginning of our unmatched customer service delivery model.

In contrast with a commercial building, where tenants typically leave at the end of the workday, multi-family residential buildings can bring questions, issues, and work order requests any time of day or night. Facility services for multi-family residences is a niche market—a highly complex undertaking that requires a deep bench of experience in areas ranging from facilities engineering expertise to five-star customer service delivery. UG2’s ever-expanding roster of multi-family residential customers includes luxury buildings whose apartment dwellers have the highest of expectations. We have built a reputation in that space for excellent, responsive customer service that goes above and beyond, exceeding the demands of even the most discerning residents. The commitment of our individual employees and the seamless nature of their work as a team are critical to ensuring the premier service that has earned UG2 the highest customer retention rates in the industry.

Our Talent Sets Us Apart

At the core of UG2’s success is our ability to recruit and develop the most dedicated, hardworking employees in the market—professionals who care deeply about their work and embrace every opportunity to learn, well beyond their best-in-class training. Our teams work seamlessly with contributions from several key positions:

The superintendent or resident manager acts as a chief engineer, overseeing day-to-day operations—the mechanical aspects of the building such as boilers, chiller plants, cooling towers, A/C, and heat pumps. They know the building and residents well, and run a tight ship 24/7.

The front of house team consists of the door attendant and concierge/front desk attendant. They greet you when you arrive, receive your catalogs and packages, and input work orders on your behalf.

Also reporting to the resident manager and keeping things running smoothly are the mechanic or handyperson, maintenance technician and janitorial team, while the day porter, cleaners, gardeners and landscapers maintain a pristine, inviting environment, outdoors and in.

Of course, we scale up the number of employees for each position based on the size and unique needs of each building. As amenities become increasingly important to curb appeal and residents’ satisfaction, we add team members with specialized training to manage the related upkeep. In the background—and always available—are our own in-house experts and the team overseeing budgeting, staff management, training, HR compliance, and more.

Combining regular training on front-of-house best practices, standardized concierge services, and adherence to residential engineering standards makes for comprehensive service delivery that sets UG2 well apart from the competition.

Expertise and Partnerships Make All the Difference

Because of our breadth of expertise and deep relationships in the industry, UG2 knows who to partner with for the services that are necessarily outsourced, from elevator and fire pump maintenance to oversized chillers and water treatment. In fact, our regional supervisors are engaged members of the local guilds and associations for building managers and owners in their city.

On a more personal level, the effort we put into understanding every property adds ease and comfort to the day-to-day lives of the residents. We know their needs and preferences inside and out, from how they prefer to be addressed to when they like to receive their packages. At the same time, we are earning the trust of our customers’ asset managers and property managers.

As much as any other customer base, our multi-family residential building customers demand that UG2 put our best foot forward. We are incredibly proud to go the distance for them, every time.

Risk Management in facility services includes developing rigorous, effective, across-the-board training around hazard recognition.

Like all aspects of safety, hazard recognition must be part of every employee’s job description and inherent to the way they go about their day. A training program’s design, and a company culture that supports its effectiveness, are key to success.

UG2 works continually at refining our approach with input from our field managers and line-staff, led by Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Adam Rabesa. Below are some of the critical lessons we have learned in striving for  incident free facilities for our team members and tenants—and achieving the highest safety ratings as a result.

Master the basics. The core practices of hazard recognition and mitigation involve:

  1. Conducting routine job hazard analysis (JHA) and risk assessments (RA).
    • Identify and mitigate the risk(s) before they lead to an incident.
  2. Incorporating a safety observation program at the site level. Empower and engage site level staff to notice unsafe acts and environments, then act on those observations. Again, mitigate the risk before an incident occurs.
  3. Developing and revisiting safe operating procedures based on JHA and RA. The staff who performs the task frequently will have the best insight on the hazards and how to mitigate them. Make sure to include them in the JHA and RA process.
  4. Including ergonomic assessments to protect against muscles strains and repetitive motion injuries.
  5. Conduct a daily safety briefing to identify potential hazards and ways to eliminate them.

Practice real-world training integration. The American Society of Safety Professionals’ webinar on incorporating technology in hazard recognition discusses the problem of variation in identifying hazards. Different people viewing the same scene will see hazards differently or may even find themselves focused on hazards that don’t actually exist. The solution lies in understanding how hazard recognition training plays out in practice, and ensuring that training is available, that its content is understood and absorbed, and that trainees have ample opportunity to practice the lessons learned.

Create and sustain a culture of mitigating risks. Employers must build organizational and systemic support for safety processes at every level. UG2 was forged on a foundation of safety, and we prioritize safety as one of our core values. Essentially, “safety” is baked into our operational process. We encourage our field supervision to conduct field audits to ensure our training processes are being implemented in the field, further cementing our safety culture and mitigating risks. Safety is within our operational process, not a side item or task.  

Don’t get too comfortable. Some elements of hazard recognition in safety planning might seem counterintuitive. For example, while knowing your workspace well is essential, operating in familiar surroundings can make us normalize, or become desensitized to, the hazards that exist in our work environment over time. We tend to fall into patterns and routines that can make us complacent and less tuned into our surroundings. Continually remind your teams of the hazards around the jobsite and the task at hand.

Engage and communicate. A successful program begins with a commitment from company leadership and extends to the working reality of every employee. Communication cannot be top-down—you have to direct traffic on a two-way street that enables leadership to fully hear from employees on their observations and perceptions of hazards. Our Field Technicians witness safety deficiencies directly and are our best source for hazard mitigation information. An effective approach to communication includes training employees on the soft skills they need to raise issues of safety with customers, coworkers, supervisors, and visitors.

Optimize emerging technology. Advances in technology are allowing for virtual safety training that use immersive environments like virtual reality-based training for practicing hazard recognition without the risk. These are much more effective than simply powerpoints or short videos because they place the learner in a virtual operating environment. As with UG2’s groundbreaking Training and Innovation Lab and its virtual offerings, emerging technology can make practice more accessible and more effective.

Mitigate and prevent. Reducing potentially hazardous situations is as critical as learning to identify existing hazards. Your checklist of mitigation tasks should include addressing inadequate lighting for the facilities—indoors and out—eliminating tripping hazards, and using clear and attention-getting signage to call attention to hazards like changes in floor elevation.

Finally, effective safety programs not only have formal plans for responding to and documenting hazards, but they also reward proactiveness and practice transparency. Do you have questions about incorporating an effective hazard recognition practice in your workplace? Get in touch today—we’d love to explore how we can make your space safer.

Why Safety and Stress Don’t Mix

We’ve learned a great deal in recent years about the ways distraction can cause safety incidents, from concerning increases in distracted driving crashes to an uptick in emergency department visits for injuries tied to smart phone usage. At the same time, society has gained a deeper understanding of mental health and wellbeing—both of the prevalence of mental health challenges, and of their impact on our daily lives.  

Stress has a huge impact on decision making, for example. In addition, the CDC reports that stress and poor mental health can impact employee job performance and productivity, engagement with one’s work, communication with coworkers, physical capability, and daily functioning.

On the upside, OSHA points out that workplaces can serve a critical function by delivering resources, solutions, and activities designed to improve mental health and wellbeing. Effective programs are a win-win, as data shows that for every $1 spent on ordinary mental health concerns, employers see a $4 return in productivity gains.

As workplace safety experts take a more holistic approach to their mission, they are uncovering the ways mental health and wellness intersect with their efforts. Just like physical health, mental wellbeing can impact employees’ focus, decision-making, engagement—and, ultimately, their physical safety. These findings validate UG2’s longstanding focus on our employees’ wellbeing and leave us strongly committed to integrating an understanding of mental health and wellness into our program and policy development.

UG2’s approach to mental health and wellness is in line with World Health Organization recommendations, which advise that employers protect and promote mental health at work, including by building awareness among managers and supervisors as well as among employees themselves. At UG2, this effort includes offering training modules that incorporate wellness, encouraging a two-way dialogue about stress-related concerns, building interpersonal communication skills, helping supervisors and employees recognize signs of emotional distress, and connecting employees to outside resources.

Promoting Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace

Along with offering outside resources to employees looking for support, UG2 strives to create a culture that advances an understanding of mental wellbeing, and offers employees a range of practical, effective tools and strategies.

  • Incorporating wellness practices like mindfulness, yoga, and gratitude practices.
  • Promoting a team environment that emphasizes mutual care and respect.
  • Incorporating regular check-ins along with informal opportunities to connect and communicate.
  • Prioritizing self-care—critical in an environment where a commitment to our teammates and customers can put us at risk of ignoring our own needs.
  • Encouraging connection and honoring the value of interpersonal relationships.
  • Acknowledging the importance of mental health and wellbeing in conversations about workplace safety.

“Sometimes a smile or simple words of encouragement can make a real difference for someone dealing with mental health issues.”

Safety & Health Magazine suggests that employers:

  • Begin by educating themselves on workplace mental health.
  • Build employee awareness around mental health issues and the importance of self-care.
  • Encourage conversations around mental health to erase stigma.  
  • Foster a company culture that values mental health, beginning with senior leadership.
  • Connect workers with professional resources within or outside the company.
  • Partner with employees to identify and mitigate job-related stressors that may interfere with mental health and wellness.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised our awareness about the impacts of stress and mental health, but the economic consequences of mental health challenges have been raising alarms since well before the pandemic, and concerns continue today. In fact, the estimated worldwide economic impact of mental disorders from 2011-2030 is estimated at a whopping 16.3 trillion, which, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is higher than that of other major diseases, cancer, and diabetes. This means that addressing mental health as part of your safety planning has never been more critical. UG2 is proud to nurture an environment that makes this goal a reality.

Act Promptly to Implement Safety Best Practices

As extreme temperatures become more prevalent throughout the U.S., everyone including the media, employers, supervisors, and facility managers are paying close attention to heat-related illness and its prevention.

The data shows that heat related illnesses, including heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, are on the increase. These can impact different systems of the body including cardiovascular systems, kidney function, and even emotional regulation. The onset of illness can be rapid—and deadly. In fact, the CDC reports that 618 people die from heat-related injuries each year.

Studies have found that men are harmed by heat more often than women, and alcohol use, sunburn, certain medications, and dehydration add to a person’s vulnerability. While some demographics are more susceptible—like older individuals, children, and people with chronic illnesses—it’s essential to note that even young, healthy adults are vulnerable to heat-related injury.

Federal law requires that employers protect workers from heat-related illness and sets out key guidelines for doing so. UG2 has combined those guidelines with an emerging understanding of best practices to develop a framework for prevention:

1. Ensure consistent access to water, rest, and shade. This includes activating cooling centers, and allowing newer or returning workers to gradually increase physical workloads and take frequent breaks as they build and gauge their ability to tolerate the heat.

2. Have a detailed plan in place for emergencies. Heat injury prevention plans should be detailed and frequently reassessed. Action items range from planning for outages/utilizing generators to knowing when to escalate a response and call 911. 

3. Train every employee on prevention, identification, and response. Ongoing training and reminders are critical, which is why UG2 incorporates heat-related illness prevention in every aspect of our industry-leading training and communications planning.

4. Schedule activities carefully. Capitalize on cooler windows of time, such as before noon or in the evening, and ensure that every employee knows to pace themselves with regularly scheduled breaks.

5. Work in teams. Provide every employee with radios and the information necessary to respond immediately if a teammate shows symptoms of illness.

6. Recognize the signs. Heat-related illness can have a rapid onset, even without an extended period of exposure:

  • Heat-related illness can begin with mild symptoms in the form of a sunburn, heat rash, or heat cramps including muscle pain and spasms.
  • The progression to heat exhaustion can include symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
  • As the body reaches extremely high temperatures, heat stroke symptoms can appear including odd thinking or behavior, slurred speech, seizures, and loss of consciousness.

7. Communicate key information. Communicate warnings in advance of expected heat waves. Post safety signs and reminders broadly and in multiple languages, such as those available from OSHA.

8. Don’t wait to take action. In an emergency, implement first aid procedures (cool down with water or ice), and call 911.

9. Advise employees to talk to their health providers. Certain medical conditions and prescription medications can put people at higher risk—or can influence the recommended types and amounts of fluid intake for an individual. 

Like every aspect of safety planning and injury prevention, adopting a formal set of guidelines is essential. If you have questions about planning for safety in your facility, contact us for more information today.

Get Best Practices and Insights

As we mark the second week of National Safety Month, UG2 is sharing a comprehensive new eBook about staying ahead of slips, trips and falls. Download our free eBook now for advice, data points and detailed checklists.

Prepare to Expect the Unexpected: How UG2 Excels in Emergency Preparedness

Keeping employees, tenants, and visitors safe in our managed facilities is a complex and evolving challenge—so much so that UG2 has our own dedicated team of safety experts who are deeply involved in refining our overarching practices and delivering ongoing training to every team member across the company.

We built UG2 from the ground up with a very intentional safety-first mentality—and saw our proactive approach pay off when we implemented our strategic programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In facility management, emergency preparedness requires a tiered response that we adapt to the unique needs of our customers, and continuously refine based on prompt incident reviews, advances in technology, and emerging best practices.  

Elements of a successful emergency response practice include:

Seamless communications. At UG2, we prioritize communications strategies among our teams and with our customers in everything we do. We often have to make sure our customers can effectively communicate emergency response-related messages to their constituents and teams that will be impacted, such as backup systems in the event of a power outage. A detailed emergency communications plan—internal and external—is a critical component of emergency planning.

Individualized preparedness planning. UG2 acts as an extension of our customers’ leadership teams by partnering with the customer in developing a plan that is not only informed by best practices but also tailored to the unique needs of each facility. We consider our customers’ workplace culture, practices, and staffing along with facility specifics and the physical environment. An effective plan defines every individual’s role in the response, details mission-critical functions, assesses vulnerabilities, and accounts for the changing needs of building occupants.

Drills, testing and inspections. Being proactive is essential, and our teams regularly inspect and test our customers’ security, fire, and life safety systems and ensure compliance with local regulations and safety codes. Preparedness demands that we go above and beyond those basics and regularly run through the emergency plans themselves, continuously refining them based on real-world testing and feedback from key stakeholders, and then communicating updates to all involved.

Systems integration. Having an expert facility services provider addressing all your facility management needs has numerous benefits, including the increased capacity for systems integration. That means, for example, connecting notification and emergency communication systems with fire detection systems, lighting, and HVAC sensors. Effective systems integration improves performance, allows for collection of critical data, and yields faster response times in a crisis.

24/7 mobile maintenance. UG2’s expert technicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to immediately respond to mechanical, electrical, and general maintenance issues that arise with an emergency. We have the capacity to deploy technicians professionally trained with special certifications in Universal EPA, Building Automation, and Infrared Scanning along with trade licenses in areas such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC. This not only advances safety, but it also minimizes downtime and the toll such interruptions take on your business and employees.

Having an incident free history doesn’t always mean a safe operation is in place, being prepared for an unexpected outcome is how we measure the level of safety in our managed facilities.

Safety and preparedness depend on advance preparation, which is why they are key topics integrated into all of UG2’s meetings and trainings—with management, subject matter experts, and facility managers involved in developing protocols and deploying action steps when a plan is activated.

Do you have questions about preparing your facility for emergencies and adverse events? Contact UG2 today, and we will happily connect you with one of our on-staff experts.

Facility Services Operational Excellence in Action

On January 1, 2022, UG2 began a partnership with an exciting new customer — one of the country’s largest veterinary schools. The expansive facility also houses a veterinary hospital and research center.

The specialized environment of veterinary science (including health care, animal husbandry and laboratory care) leaves no room for error in addressing needs effectively and proactively. From UG2 leadership’s initial meetings with the customer, we knew they were focused on infection prevention and control, the care and protection of both animal and human beings, operational excellence and in maintaining a pristine facility that protects the health of every animal patient, human visitor, student, medical staff and associate.

Having developed a thorough understanding of the school’s immediate and long-term goals, UG2 quickly brought in account director Elizabeth Lanzaro and an environmental services team who together had deep expertise in infection controls, environmental services, linen procedures, client services, operations leadership, health care, labor management, and strategic advising.

Because performance was a high priority from the outset, UG2 leaders partnered with the customer to initiate a quality score program. The new program utilizes detailed job tasking, computerized inspection software, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing, black light audit tools and customized periodic schedules that are adjusted to meet customer demands of the physical environment and procedure types. Performance is measured by the customer, UG2 and a third party reported back to the team to create a culture of accountability down to every member of the environmental services team who in turn understand their ability to impact the care and health of the patients.

When implemented programmatically, the program yielded an immediate impact, with a performance rate that has remained consistently high, and a culture focused on the elimination of carbapenem-resistant enterobacterales (CRE) as well as other common community acquired and/or health care associated infections (HAI) since the program’s implementation. CRE are different types of germs (bacteria) that commonly cause infections in healthcare settings. Examples of germs in the enterobacterales order include Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These germs represent a risk to our patients and to the public health.

With the right staff on board, Elizabeth and her team strategize daily with hospital and UG2 leadership to advance a wide range of improvements:

  • Focusing on a proactive/task-based work process versus an on-demand model of responding to issues after the fact.
  • Reducing dependency on a medication management provider through a proactive approach to meeting department needs.
  • Routinely rounding with staff to identify and address evolving support or training needs.
  • Working with key leaders to identify the right skill set for their environmental services staff—non-clinical healthcare staff who work to ensure a safe environment for everyone in the facility.
  • Completing extensive restoration and improvement to public areas, waiting areas, lobby entrance flooring and terrazzo flooring in surgical areas and wards and completing restoration of exam rooms, cages, emergency, and primary care departments.
  • Upgrading to innovative new equipment, training staff on a customized environmental services approach, and introducing a color-coded microfiber cleaning program.

Hiring to fit the culture, training to fit the program

Elizabeth has a team of 25 full-time employees who were carefully selected and trained to match the unique needs of this customer. They credit their success to getting to know each individual, placing team members in the right position and departments, and providing an excellent onboarding experience along with ongoing training.

“Creating a safe work environment is paramount to maintaining strong teams that work well together,” says Elizabeth. “It is essential that you welcome and promote diversity and inclusion, and that you work to create a culture of shared governance, accountability and respect.”

Elizabeth credits the strong, recurring training with the advancements her team has made in infection prevention.

“We are very proud of our training programs,” she says. “When we clean an area, we swab and test the area to see how efficient our cleaning has been. On the ATP equipment we use, 250 as a spore count threshold, so 249 and below is a passing grade. Our surfaces here are 50 and below, going down into the single digits is the staff’s goal.”

Leveraging UG2’s health, safety, and infection control protocols

UG2 implemented evidence based, data informed practices around employee health, safety, and infection control from ensuring standard precaution protocols and hand hygiene to operating high-performing disinfection processes and UV light delivering robots and to preventing slips and falls. The company’s deep expertise meant we were ready to hit the ground running when it came to the importance of ensuring pristine high-touch surfaces, effective laundry processes, and unmatched terminal cleaning.

The impact has been profound. A recent assessment by an independent auditor afforded the customer a cleanliness rating above the 90th percentile – a rare achievement in health care circles and near elimination in CRE. The accomplishments the customer has achieved by partnering with UG2 have not gone unnoticed in the field.

“Our customer is developing a reputation among the veterinary educational industry for having an excellent infection prevention program,” says Elizabeth. “Other universities are reaching out to them for guidance. They wanted to know how they accomplished such success and what programs are in place. The first thing the university leadership tells them is, ‘Partner with UG2.'”

Building a Culture of Learning

In a time when finding and retaining talented employees is as difficult in our industry as in many others, UG2 is grateful and proud of our strong employee retention rate. We have employees stay with us as they build their careers, and who remain—or return—through life changes, family challenges, and new educational achievements.

We often talk about our people-first approach. But what exactly does that mean when it comes to creating a workforce who commit, for the long term, to us, to each other, and to our customers?

Not only does UG2 treat employees as family, but we are also a company that trusts in training and mentoring. On the institutional side, that means offering formal and robust opportunities to grow skills, build knowledge, and become subject matter experts. UG2 excels in providing organizational offerings that range from customer service training to a dedicated UG2 Development Toolkit. We have strived to differentiate our employee development experience by investing in our very own training and innovation lab. The lab’s virtual platform means we can offer ongoing training to our employees no matter where they live and work, and the flexibility means they have the chance to fit those opportunities in with their busy lives. It also allows us to capture the insights of employees from across the country who bring a whole range of expertise and share their knowledge with the same flexibility.

But building a culture of learning goes beyond what you see on paper.

The mentorship aspect is a key component of a successful program. It requires a very intentional approach of recruiting employees who will embrace opportunities to mentor and to be mentored so that they can share, learn, and pass on knowledge. The flow of information stems not just from experienced veteran employees, but also from younger generations teaching more seasoned employees new approaches, technology and ways of thinking and problem-solving.

A Harvard Business Review study found that Gen Z employees are not only our most racially and ethnically diverse generation in history, they are also a generation that brings tremendous tech knowledge to the workplace, and one which thrives when they are truly engaged through two-way communication and problem solving. It also found that this younger generation of workers does best when they can see career paths and opportunities to grow in their futures. This knowledge and research has informed UG2’s mentoring program.

This means that in a sense, everyone is a mentor. We believe that no matter how new you are to your position or to facility services as a whole, you have a unique perspective and life experience that each one of us can benefit from. That is part of our commitment to honoring difference and diversity. It also serves as a continuous reminder that the newer generation of employees are our future leaders in the making.

In the same vein, UG2 recognizes that we continuously learn from our customers. We work to become citizens of their industries and integrate and adapt their best practices and preferences into our trainings.

Finally, a successful mentorship program committed to building future leaders and excellence in customer service must spend time passing on “soft skills.” Teaching people skills that enable being able to talk to anyone, to come out of the boiler room ready to connect, has been integral to UG2’s approach and success.

An employer can establish excellent training programs, but if you manage to build a team that is engaged and willing to learn and grow and help others do the same, your efforts will go much farther—and the impact, on your business and on the next generation of talent, will be profound.

Increase Efficiencies While Protecting Our Planet 

The benefits of running a facility that focuses on sustainability and energy efficiency are countless. Not only does a green building attract visitors and tenants, but it can also save your facility unnecessary costs. Building a facility management program that emphasizes sustainable practices might be less time-consuming and costly than you think, and your return on investment can make a huge impact. By implementing these tactics, you can run a more efficient facility while protecting our planet.     

1. Implement Occupancy & Motion Sensors 

Smart technology can play a major role in boosting sustainability in your facility. Sensors allow facility managers to detect the traffic of people coming in and out of a room or area without physically being present in the space. These sensors provide information to an automated system that informs an action. Occupancy or motion sensors can be incorporated in:  

Indoor Climate Control 

HVAC sensors make accurate adjustments based on whether they detect occupants in a certain room or space. This allows for a more accurate approach to reducing the energy consumption used for heating or cooling. For example, sensors could prevent energy from being used to blast air conditioning in an empty conference room. 

Lighting Fixtures 

Sensors also work in tandem with lighting fixtures by triggering lights to turn on/ off or dim in a space based on occupancy and movement. Not only does this save energy and costs, but it also prolongs the life of your bulbs or equipment so fewer replacements are needed.  

Cleaning and Disinfection  

It’s a given that your facility should be safe and clean at all times, but it’s also important to not overuse your resources and personnel when it’s unnecessary. Motion sensors in spaces like bathrooms allow for devices to detect movement and use this data to decide when cleaning and disinfection is needed. The more people that come in and out of a bathroom, the more often disinfection is automatically triggered.  

2. Switch to LED Lighting 

A simple, but reliable way to make your facility more sustainable is to switch to energy-saving LED lighting. Not only do these bulbs use less power, but they also last up to 12 times longer than typical bulbs, which means less waste and replacement. They even contain less harmful materials and are overall the most sustainable choice. 

3. Use Green Cleaning Practices 

Swap out your old cleaning products with green cleaning solutions made without harsh chemicals such as nonylphenols, phosphates, or sulfuric acid. Work with a facility services provider that complies with OSHA regulations and is consistent with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED specifications. Your facility is cleaned on a daily basis and by using green practices, you can better manage your resources and improve the well-being of those in your space.  

4. Schedule a Complete Energy Audit 

A complete energy audit can help facility management uncover problems that weren’t visible before, which can make a huge impact on your energy expenses. Issues with insulation, equipment functioning, or air quality can be tricky. Audit teams can help you create the best plan of action while considering the usage and occupancy trends in your space. This will allow your team to implement a tailored energy program that uses innovative solutions to help you optimize the operations of your facility while saving money and reducing your carbon footprint.  

Partner With UG2 to Create a Sustainability Plan 

At UG2, our teams are trained with the goal of treating our customers and the planet with the utmost respect and care. Our experienced staff can help you create and execute a plan for your facility that combines industry best practices with the latest innovations to ensure a clean, healthy, and sustainable space for all. Contact us today to learn how we can transform your facility.  

Thank you to the hard-working facility managers who keep our facilities healthy, safe and productive 

As we look back on a banner year of unprecedented growth and achievement marked by major milestones, like our ten-year anniversary and four years of success with our Training & Innovation Lab, we have never been prouder of the heroes who are the backbone of UG2.

I’m honored to be part of the UG2 family, because, whether I am seeking input from one of our industry-leading subject matter experts or helping to support the next generation of talent, I find that our employees are consistently:

Exceeding expectations in all they do

When it comes to making a difference, our teams go above and beyond their duties and responsibilities. Our customers share words of appreciation almost daily, but I know that the vast majority of our employees’ contributions happen out of the spotlight, without acclaim or accolades. These occurrences are by no means happenstance. Our employees are superstars because they subscribe to a very intentional work ethic and team approach that embraces our core values—and continuously builds on them.

It’s easy for companies to claim that they strive for five-star customer service, but UG2’s people-centric approach means we actually deliver on that promise, because we operate from a place of empathy and humanity. Our employees are adept at the soft skills that are essential for connecting with people, solving problems, and building true partnerships.

Staying proactive and prepared

Getting ahead of the problem is critical in facilities management. It’s also complicated—and requires a high level of skill, attention to detail, consistency, and a forward-thinking approach. We give our employees the training, time, and resources to prevent problems before they arise, and our teams always come through. That means our customers benefit tremendously, from cost savings and energy efficiency to increased productivity and communication.

Our employees support each other in these endeavors, embracing opportunities for cross-training, operating from a team approach, staying attentive to one another’s needs and challenges, and stepping in to provide support when an issue arises.

Innovating and sharing expertise

From formal and informal mentoring relationships to willingness to share knowledge through our Training & Innovation Lab, our employees are extraordinarily generous with their insights and experience. Across every area of service and every level of the company, team UG2 succeeds because we work together to find new ways to lead.

Those partnerships allow us to incorporate data-informed technology advancements and new innovations into our work, complementing our proven practices and longstanding industry knowledge.

Prioritizing safety in all we do

Safety is not an add-on feature at UG2—we build it into all we do, from the ground up. That means conversations about safety have a place in every meeting, check-in, training, and one-on-one briefing. We introduce safety in ways that focus on process, so that practicing safety measures becomes second nature.

Safety, of course, extends to maintaining pristine spaces through cleaner surfaces, sanitization practices and air filtration. UG2 excels there—largely because our teams met the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic with a passion for embracing new knowledge and adapting to get the job done right.

Advancing sustainability

UG2 is an industry leader in environmental stewardship, and that’s something our employees take particular pride in. They embrace opportunities to advance sustainability, from incorporating green products to requesting and offering training opportunities to promoting ideas for efficiency within the organization and with our customers.  

The impact of that commitment is evident in our use of safer cleaning products, machines that don’t create noise pollution, and high-quality filters that let you breathe easier.

The next time you witness a member of Team UG2 making a difference, please take a minute to let us know. We are thrilled to pass on the praise and reward their contributions.

A Methodical and Strategic Approach Defines Our Success

UG2 has had the tremendous good fortune of maintaining a deep and wide bench of talent amid fierce competition in the operations and maintenance industry. That record of success is much more than a happy accident. Our talent retention is grounded in the people-first approach touted by our founders that has guided steps taken and strategies pursued in the years since the beginning.

A Complex Challenge With Attainable Solutions

The skilled trades are by and large comprised of an aging population, and those retiring from the trades are not being replaced in adequate numbers. The longstanding problem grew worse on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic as labor shortages approached crisis levels across industries.  

UG2 has not been immune to these talent shortages, especially in light of our rapid growth over the past several years. We have had to be innovative in our efforts to attract and retain the best of the best, and—as with all of our successes—we hit our stride when we invite input from the people who know us best, our employees, and by truly listening to their perspectives and acting on their ideas.

The resulting and evolving approach is multifold, and includes:

Centering Our Core Values. When we launched UG2, we set out to develop the next generation of leaders in facility services and that goal has informed our every effort along the way. The qualities and core values we strive for—like demonstrating agility, embracing innovation, and becoming citizens of our industry and that of our customers—have helped keep us at the front of the pack when it comes to attracting and holding on to talent.

Building Key Partnerships. UG2 has always worked at being a strong and reliable partner to our employees and customers, and we have extended that effort to include partnerships with organizations and institutions that can help connect us to the up-and-coming generation of skilled employees. We work with schools to raise awareness about careers in facility services, extend apprenticeship opportunities, and lay out a clear career path with a solid future.


Prioritizing Training and Professional Development. Before an employee even starts on site with one of our customers, they complete comprehensive training that covers everything from customer service to safety and technical training. We leverage the offerings at our Training & Innovation Lab to transfer knowledge from experienced experts to newcomers, help entry-level employees build new skills to advance in their careers, and keep pace with the emerging technology that enables top-notch service. The lab’s virtual platform allows us to connect employees and trainers across the country. Rounding out our offerings is our UG2 Development Toolkit and workshops geared at helping team members reach their professional goals.

Promoting From Within. We succeed by seeking out the diverse voices and skills of employees at every level who, all too often, have traditionally been excluded from policy making, business development, and leadership positions. We excel by recognizing their talent, providing opportunities for advancement, and supporting their professional development. We prioritize promoting from within and supporting advancement among our incredibly diverse workforce.

Putting People First. Treating employees as family means recognizing the whole employee. UG2’s approach is rooted in an understanding of work/life balance. We support employees’ needs with part-time/flexible/overnight schedules and best-in-class benefits packages that ensure our employees can care for their families and themselves while also succeeding professionally.

Developing Relationships. Relationships are at the center of our success at UG2. We center a team approach, and we work to recognize and reward our employees efforts to do the same, from the industry veteran who takes the time to mentor a young person to the employee who steps up to help when they notice a coworker is overwhelmed. Team building at UG2 crosses over every level of the company in every office across our growing footprint.  

With events scheduled around the clock and thousands of people coming in and out, public venues pose unique challenges for facility management teams.  

UG2’s Senior Director of Operations, Greg Lanzillo shares some impactful insights in a recent FacilitiesNet article. In “The 3 A’s: Facility Services Playbook For Public Venues & Stadiums”, Greg stresses that to provide the best facility services, one must excel in the three A’s: Adaptability, Attention to detail, and being Always-on. 

Adaptability: The Show Must Go On 

One word to describe public venues is “unpredictable.” The number of people and events these facilities host changes every day. Ultimately, there are many factors that can contribute to an unexpected change in plans. 

Weather 

If rain or snow is in the forecast, entry times will be affected; attendees may arrive early to avoid traffic or late due to bad driving conditions. Staff will need to stay at gates longer to mop, display wet floor signage, and lay mats.  

HVAC Systems 

Doors will be open longer so the window for heating and cooling at entry points will need to be expanded, depending on the temperature. 

Demographics 

Events geared towards families typically generate a higher consumption of food and drinks which can quickly cause messes if not cleaned up promptly. These events also tend to produce more trash, so frequent pick-ups and emptying of trash barrels are needed. Sporting events attract more drinking, so it’s important to note that foot traffic and spills near the bar will be higher. 

Emergencies 

Unexpected situations are bound to happen in venues with such high traffic. Backed-up toilets can cause flooding in restrooms or entrance heaters can break down suddenly. These situations require redirection of patrons and clear communication.  

For public venues, being adaptable means having a show-must-go-on, all-hands-on-deck mindset.  

Greg highlights the best practices for adaptability: 

  • Cross-train staff. 
  • Plan for callouts. 
  • Recognize that no event is the same. 
  • Plan with multiple shifts. 
  • Be opportunistic about deep cleaning and preventative maintenance. 

Attention to Detail: Little Things Add Up 

When visitors arrive at a public venue facility, they expect to find a clean, comfortable, and safe space. Maintenance teams must think of every little detail before guests arrive to ensure the best experience possible.  

Greg shares some tips for ensuring things don’t fall through the cracks: 

Be guided by the patron’s experience. 

View your facility through the eyes of guests and ask yourself how you would feel in their shoes. Be on the lookout for anything that seems off and address it ASAP. 

Double down on cleaning hard-to-reach places. 

Much of the post-event cleanup at public venues takes place at night when buildings aren’t lit to their full capacity, meaning things can be easily missed. Make sure to get under seats, tables, or other hard-to-reach places during the daytime when visibility is better. 

Leverage technology innovations. 

Using sensors in paper towel and disinfectant dispensers can allow you to better understand when areas get higher levels of traffic and require restocking and recleaning.  

Assign tiers to janitorial tasks based on space and time considerations.  

Tier 1 might be locker rooms for example since cleaning is needed earlier and teams have high expectations for the areas they frequently use. Tier 2 may be areas where executive and premier guests arrive earlier than other visitors. Tier 3 could then be the general areas spectators occupy and Tier 4 would be the back of the house, which gets the least traffic.  

Focus on smooth hand-offs between supervisors on different shifts. 

Use a tag-out system and a fail-safe means for communication like Microsoft Teams, Slack or WhatsApp. 

Always-on: The Spotlight is Shining 

At a public venue, facility maintenance staff are front and center. Even when they’re not actively attending to a task, they’re always visible to both occupants and cameras all around them. Since staff are in uniform, they attract visitors who have questions or concerns – there is no real downtime when they are on the floor. 

Greg stresses the following factors in order to provide the best guest experience:  

Define what professionalism means for your venue. 

Establish what is expected of staff. For example, they can’t use their personal phones or smoke in front of guests. 

Provide ongoing customer service training and daily validations about the event on hand. 

Make sure staff know the proper way to interact with patrons. If they aren’t fluent in English, they should bring guests to a supervisor who can assist. Remind staff how to help guests navigate the premises.   

Describe how to handle radio call-ins. 

Staff members need to know when, how, and to whom they should direct patrons to for every situation or question that arises. 

Provide regular training for emergencies. 

This includes floods, fire frills, critical out-of-scope situations, and any other applicable circumstance.  

Set Yourself Up for Success by Excelling in the 3 A’s

Public venues are inherently difficult to manage, but Greg emphasizes that the right mindset, stellar preparation, and a customer-centric lens can ensure your teams are equipped to handle any possible challenges while creating memorable and positive experiences for all.  

Contact us today to learn how UG2 can transform your Public Venue.  

Our Operations & Maintenance and Janitorial Experts Share Insights

Conversations with members of Team UG2 reveal broad expertise in sustainability practices— a perspective and approach that goes beyond jargon and buzzwords. For many who have been in the industry for decades, “green” is simply a new way to describe the sensible, creative problem-solving that has always been a demand of successful facilities management (FM).

That perspective, combined with UG2’s commitment to embrace innovation and data-informed practices, makes for an approach to sustainability that is both a longstanding core value and an area where we are continuously working on the forefront of change.

Sustainability can be accessible, practical, and impactful.  Aspects of technical expertise, such as in the operation of electric motor controls, have been a core contributor to sustainability efforts since long before the language of sustainability entered mainstream lexicon. For example, regularly scheduled retro commissioning—fine-tuning a building’s systems to ensure they are running at optimal performance—is a vital part of an ongoing operations and maintenance strategy that delivers continuous return-on-investment.

Headaches and hassles can reveal new solutions. Battery load shedding and rolling blackouts can often wreak havoc on building and business operations—but these hassles have also yielded important innovations. From a technology and infrastructure standpoint, load shedding has pushed businesses to advance more efficient solutions which will benefit their bottom line in the long term. FM teams have found success by introducing battery backup systems and redundant power sources such as solar power and generators.

Advanced water conservation strategies are going mainstream. Facility engineers are well aware that a seemingly basic shift to auto faucets and auto flush can have a tremendous impact—for example, one high rise facility saw their water consumption reduced by half by introducing auto technology throughout the building. Now the industry is  striving  toembrace strategies like water saves, which recycle the water used every time you clean a cooling tower.  

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated the importance of facility services. We all experienced firsthand how facility services led the way in making spaces safer during the pandemic, from ensuring cleaner surfaces to enabling fresh air exchanges. The importance of partnering with skilled FM teams was underscored in a report from the consulting company Deloitte.  It  analyzed the impact of COVID on FM and identified a major shift in focus to performance over speed, resulting in an increasing number of key performance indicators related to operational excellence, quality, and overall outcomes. The same study found that the facility manager’s contributions and importance have gained prominence as the role shifted from an operational to a strategic position.

Getting tenant buy-in can take some creativity. The return to in-person work and the effort to strike a balance with remote work has had a tremendous impact on how built spaces are used, and facilities managers are key  sages when it comes to introducing efficiencies in line with those adversities. Essential to success is a proactive facility services approach that includes a strong communications plan that allows managers to work hand-in-hand with tenants on smart energy practices—especially when buildings are at lower occupancy.

Attentive and Customized Facility Services Solutions

At UG2, our organizational structure, with its regional Centers of Excellence, means you reap the benefits of having a regional partner with access to national resources. Our national footprint enables us to draw from leading-edge research, data-informed practices, and the latest in technology and innovation, while our people-first approach allows us to offer the personal touch of a local business—without the limitations.

UG2’s services are developed by industry leaders, field-tested and refined, then tailored to meet your specific needs. They’re delivered by a team of experts who get to know you and your needs and operate as an extension of your team.

As your regional partner, UG2:

Invests the time and effort it takes to know you, your industry, and your audience. Relationship-building is at the heart of our longstanding success, and we take particular pride in becoming a citizen of your industry.

Offers unmatched responsiveness and a deep bench of expertise always at your fingertips. Your team at your facility is available to you 24/7 – and so are management, the industry leaders and the subject matter experts who staff each of our Regional Centers of Excellence.

Delivers the talent and support you need—even in a difficult labor market. We know the challenges you face trying to maintain a qualified team; that’s where we excel—delivering you highly skilled, adaptable staff who can pivot to meet your rapidly changing needs.

Gives you more time to focus on your business. When you trust UG2 to manage the intricacies and details involved to deliver superb facility services, your team can focus on growing your business and concentrating on your core competencies.

As a national resource, UG2:

Offers best-in-class training through our Training & Innovation Lab. The lab’s in-person and virtual offerings help transfer knowledge from more experienced workers to those new in the trade. Trainings also enable employees to refresh or strengthen existing skills to advance their careers. They are offered access to new skills and certifications.

Optimizes costs to align with your budget. Leverage our investments in technology, equipment, process improvement, and contract negotiations to optimize your facility expenses.

Attracts the very best personnel with a wide range of backgrounds and talents and a deep bench of expertise. That adds to our capacity and ability to pivot and make sure your on-site team has backup in critical areas, including supervisors, management, and industry experts.

Continuously refines our practices with the latest technology and research. Our approach has always been to augment proven processes with state-of-the-art equipment and an emphasis on innovation and technology—core tenets that allow us to ramp up quickly when customers require enhancements to increase safety and security.

Meets the highest standards when it comes to safety. We center safety in every decision we take, and we train on it continuously so that our advanced safety practices become second nature to every employee.  

UG2 has grown a lot over the past few years—but our high quality and 5-star customer service has been consistent throughout. Our customers have the support from all of our teams, including our executive team. Our growth has been strategic and intentional, to ensure that every single customer benefits from all we have to offer as a focused regional partner with unmatched national resources.

Building Owners and Managers Association, Greater Los Angeles (BOMA-GLA) is a regional branch of BOMA, the leading trade association for those in the commercial real estate industry. BOMA has represented real estate professionals such as building owners, managers, services providers, and more for over 100 years. BOMA-GLA encompasses a multitude of commercial building types such as office spaces, corporate, industrial, medical, and mixed-use properties, and is one of the largest and most involved commercial real estate federations worldwide. 

When I joined the UG2 team as Vice President, Engineering for Southern California in 2021, I knew continuing to expand my professional network and develop relationships in my customers’ industry was crucial. I had been a BOMA-Greater Los Angeles member with prior organizations and it was clear how instrumental BOMA could be as an educational and social tool in the market. With a member base of over 2,000 professionals in the Greater Los Angeles commercial real estate industry, representing 125 million square feet of both industrial and office space, the opportunities BOMA-GLA offers are incomparable.

Fortunately, I was able to take part in the 2021 BOMA International Conference & Expo in Boston. Among the exciting festivities was a special dinner for those from the LA/Orange County area, which I attended with UG2 CEO, Lou Lanzillo. Right off the bat, Lou personally connected with the BOMA-GLA board and committed that UG2 would proudly serve as a platinum partner. The perks of being a platinum partner are exceptional. Guaranteed foursomes at golf tournaments, two tables and a 3-minute video at the TOBY Awards, registrations for educational events, power hours, and regional round tables are just a few examples. There are also incredible market exposure benefits such as social media features, placements on the BOMA-GLA website, and inclusion in monthly newsletters. 

I still remember my very first BOMA-GLA function; it was a trip to the GRAMMY Museum where I knew absolutely no one. This ultimately worked in my favor since I was able to start new conversations and learn about the people around me. That day, I made numerous connections and was recruited to get involved with the Codes and Regulations Committee. From that day on, I made sure to attend every networking opportunity possible. I could probably count on my hand the events I have missed in the past six years. 

For the past two years, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to serve as co-chair of the Code and Regulations Committee. It’s been spectacular watching the strides the committee has made in such a short amount of time. We have worked to increase participation and opened meetings up to BOMA members as a whole. We’ve held many successful educational events such as panel discussions. Our committee chair led an expert panel called “Adaptive Reuse: What Is It and What Do I Need to Know?” which addressed the opportunities and challenges that arise when changing the use of a property from commercial to residential or life science. Last year, I led a panel on Fire Life Safety which had a great turnout as well. The committee holds two educational events yearly – one in the spring and one in the fall. I’m eager to lead this year’s fall session. 

Nancy Breitman – who recently joined Team UG2 as Director, Strategic Partnerships & Solutions for Southern California – is another prominent member of BOMA-GLA. She began her BOMA journey in 2005 and stresses how instrumental it has been in growing her business network. She has met so many knowledgeable people who have, in turn, introduced her to others. In regards to the opportunity to make connections Nancy says “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. 

Nancy has also been on several BOMA-GLA committees. Last year, she was a member of the TOBY Awards committee and has served on social committees for events like spring flings and clam bakes. For the past 20 years, she has also worked on the toy drive committee. Annually, the committee coordinates with buildings to place boxes for tenants to donate toys, clothing, and food items to various charities in their community. Last year, they had an impressive participation where 200 buildings helped collect items for the toy drive. Nancy hopes to partake in additional committees in the near future and implement educational programs regarding mental health, wellness, brain functioning, and stress.

The opportunities presented by BOMA-GLA are immeasurable. The monthly roundtables are a great way to learn about industry trends and practices. We always make sure we have an engineer or UG2 member involved at each session. Another particularly memorable event UG2 took part in was “ChrisMix”, an annual celebration where commercial real estate professionals commemorate the holiday season by getting together to enjoy some festive food and drinks. It was a fantastic experience where everyone had a blast and at the same time, provided a lot of exposure for UG2. 

One of UG2’s core values is being a citizen of our customer’s industry and our industry. This means we are committed to staying up-to-date on relevant happenings, news, and practices. Our partnership with BOMA-GLA provides a unique platform that brings people together to network and establish long-lasting relationships and friendships within the industry. I speak for the entire team when I say the connections we have made and the educational opportunities we have participated in have greatly expanded our footprint in the commercial real estate market. Team UG2 is proud to support BOMA and the important work they do for our community and industry. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with BOMA-GLA and look forward to seeing what the future has in store.

Sources:

https://www.boma.org/

https://www.bomagla.org/

It is no exaggeration to say that our cleaners have moved our customers and their guests to tears. The stories hit our inbox all the time.

We frequently get notes and e-mails calling out a particular member of Team UG2 for going the extra mile. Many times, those incidents involve our front line cleaners coming through with some unexpected kindness in the act of performing their day-to-day duties. For example, our employees working at a higher education campus went above and beyond when an anxious mom, moving her son into his dorm, discovered a moldy refrigerator. In another instance, our cleaners helped, waited with, and comforted, a woman whose husband had a medical incident in the mall parking lot. And there was the time when our cleaners whose stellar work caught the attention of a business owner, who then wrote to us crediting them for his ability to keep his business going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Cleaning Week is an annual opportunity to recognize the value and importance of our janitorial employees—but of course, at UG2, we are reminded of their excellence and their contributions every day of the year. We couldn’t succeed without them, and we are often humbled by their commitment to our company and customers.

When we talk about our 2023 focus or our customer-centric approach and try to distill down the basic tenets behind our mission, we often find ourselves discussing the examples set by our people on the front lines—everyday acts that truly demonstrate our principles in real time. In the face of an incredibly demanding field, at a time when the stakes have never been higher in terms of health and safety, the members of Team UG2 just keep knocking it out of the park. And for every story that’s brought to our attention in a word or note of gratitude from a customer, there are thousands of similar gestures that happen quietly, without pomp or circumstance or any recognition at all.

For our part, UG2 leadership commits to continuously supporting our teams in every way we can conceive of, from being attentive and responsive when it comes to communication to equipping our employees with the latest innovation and technology. We protect them—and our customers—with the most rigorous safety planning and protocols in the industry. We offer ongoing professional development through our training and innovation lab, and many training courses and resources, and we take pride in offering real career paths and promoting from within.

We are grateful for the relationships our cleaners build with their coworkers and customers—and we are incredibly proud to have each and every one of them in the UG2 family.

UG2 Expands Business Development Organization in Support of National Growth

March 24, 2023 – BOSTON — UG2, a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated facility services, announced today it has expanded its business development team with key regional hires. Nancy Breitman, Kendra Horsfield, and Jason Jones join UG2 as Directors of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions. Together they will facilitate UG2’s growth by leading new business opportunities as well as developing relationships with existing clients.

Nancy Breitman, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, Southern California

Breitman started her professional path as an operations manager where she managed a 650,000 sq. ft. building and built relationships with 200 tenants. In 2013, she started her business development career at ABM Services where she had a successfully generated new business annually for her team. At Metro Services Group and Solid Surface Care, Inc, Nancy further developed her skills as a business development and client relations leader. Most recently she served as Director of Business Development and Marketing at Eco Green Industries, where she formulated sales and marketing initiatives to lead strategic plans. She will be based out of our Southern California office in Los Angeles.

Kendra Horsfield, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, Northern California

Following her college graduation from Northern Arizona University in 2018, Horsfield accepted a role as Business Development Manager at BluSky Restoration Contractors where she managed the Bay Area portfolio of multifamily, commercial, construction, and healthcare clients. Kendra is on the board of IREM San Francisco as well as Vice Chair of BOMA San Francisco’s Emerging Professionals Committee. She will be based out of our Northern California office in Sunnyvale.

Jason Jones, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, Midwest

Jones is an accomplished sales leader who began his career as a commissioning engineer and rose to a senior commissioning engineer. He managed new construction commissioning, energy audits, retro-commissioning, utility incentive projects, and HVAC equipment startups while training new engineers and obtaining project work. In 2017, Jason joined Aero Building Solutions as an Energy Solutions Manager where he led a team of engineers and was later promoted to Sales Manager where he implemented sales strategies to identify new markets. He will be based out of our Midwest office in Chicago.

About UG2
UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit https://www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

Elizabeth Lanzaro joined UG2 in May 2022 as account director at a leading veterinary teaching hospital, bringing more than 25 years of expertise in client services, operations leadership, labor management, and client-centric strategic advising.

After earning her BA degree in Business Administration from Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Elizabeth began her career in the hospitality industry at a 2,000-room Marriott in New York City. That first role launched her into the world of hospitality managing multiple accounts, multi-site operations, and international operations. Three years later, Marriott International sent her to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to open a new resort. Her success deemed the adjustment in her title to International Champion. When Marriott expanded to Latin America and the Middle East, Elizabeth was among the directors selected to implement Marriott’s standards and guidelines at the new properties. She served many roles at Marriot International from Director of Rooms, Multi-Unit General Manager, and Senior District Manager. Her 17 years in the industry afforded her the opportunity to travel to different places and work on different continents. In 2010, she transitioned from hospitality to healthcare, where she excelled for 10 years before joining UG2.

Elizabeth is a true ambassador of UG2’s core values. Acting as an extension of a customer’s leadership team has been at the heart of her success, and she credits her willingness to truly listen and attend to a client’s constantly evolving needs.

“Especially in healthcare, priorities shift,” says Elizabeth. “Staying attuned to what is important to the client and how the organizational goals change, keeping abreast of those changes and aligning yourself with the client to support new goals—that’s what makes a successful relationship.”

Listening and remaining attuned to the needs of others also allowed Elizabeth to promote diversity, equity and inclusion as a hallmark of her leadership since early in her career.

“I can honestly say that the most significant skills I have acquired are directly related to my many years of interactions with a very diverse group of people and cultures,” she explains. “I never underestimate the power of people. They are the force behind every goal and every initiative.”

Elizabeth takes time to get to know her customers and teams. She recalls when she worked at the hotel with many Asian staff, she carefully curated the schedule during Lunar New Year to ensure anyone who celebrated and wished for time off was guaranteed the holiday. Likewise, during Ramadan, she always offered employees who observed the opportunity to reduce or change their hours to accommodate fasting and family time. These examples offer just a glimpse of how truly listening to the employees she manages allows Elizabeth to understand and proactively accommodate their individual needs. Her team-oriented, emotionally intelligent approach has enabled Elizabeth to consistently build strong, resilient, satisfied teams who embrace challenges with gusto, support one another, and stay with her for the long haul.

Elizabeth’s success in the healthcare industry is a reflection of her willingness to go above and beyond and take a patient-centered approach to the work. Today, that continuous striving for excellence has already proven a huge boon to her UG2 client. Elizabeth and her team not only embraced the veterinary hospital’s goal to reduce hospital-acquired infections, but they also surpassed industry standards to become one of the cleanest veterinary hospitals operating in the US.

All of these attributes together, with a knack for solving problems and thinking outside the box, and a record of demonstrating integrity and respect in all of her interactions, made Elizabeth an ideal candidate to join UG2—and the admiration is mutual. UG2 appeared to be a good fit as she sought to join a company that shared her core values, and  coincidentally, she is also a lover of animals.

“When I met Jim Larkin on site here at the veterinary hospital, I immediately thought he was somebody that I could work with,” Elizabeth recalls. “And then I met Jonathan and I thought that he was also somebody that I really wanted to work with. What really convinced me was months later when I visited UG2 headquarters at Halloween.  was impressed with the people I met. That was when I felt like part of the UG2 family and that I had made the right decision and I was with the right company.”

It is great working with Elizabeth and UG2 is lucky to have such an empathetic and inspiring leader like her.

For the highest level of health and safety, rely on operations & maintenance to play a critical role.

Since COVID-19’s emergence, campuses have strongly emphasized deep cleaning and disinfection to keep staff, faculty, students, and their spaces safe, but janitorial measures are only part of the equation. The multi-level and multi-stage efforts needed to combat the risk of illness require collaboration among all sectors of integrated facility services.

Facility engineers play an extremely important role in protecting the health and wellness of everyone who enters a facility. To keep everyone safe, it is crucial that engineers develop and stick to an effective plan.

Listed below are just some of the operational initiatives you should include in your preparations, based on the UG2 ReNewSM Engineering4HealthSM program: 

HVAC Prep and Maintenance: These days, high indoor air quality is essential. Air filtration and safety checks are key for keeping staff, faculty, and students healthy. HVAC work is about far more than firing up the equipment, it involves extensive engineering expertise for upgrades, training on-site staff, and testing systems to ensure there are no potential issues like mold and bacterial growth that could pose a serious health hazard. 

Electrical Work: Electrical setup and maintenance are a big part of achieving operational efficiency, especially if more security controls are put in place. For example, a campus might have more access controls than in the past, to allow for greater distancing between students. A comprehensive engineering plan considers how changes in usage can affect overall efficiency and cost. 

Installation of New Equipment: As part of a comprehensive engineering plan, replacing older equipment that’s less efficient or doesn’t provide higher levels of health benefits and safety may be necessary. Also, many campuses have turned to touch-free options such as entry doors in areas like restrooms or shared kitchen spaces to prioritize cleanliness.

Plumbing Readiness: Similar to HVAC, campus-wide plumbing should be thoroughly inspected by engineering. This is especially true after long breaks where water could become stagnant—a potential health hazard that could have detrimental effects.  

How a building is maintained is crucial to the successful creation of a healthy campus environment. The UG2 ReNew Engineering4Health program offers best practices in addressing all aspects of a building’s operation, including systems like filtration, air stream disinfection, air exchange, plumbing traps, deep cleaning of cooling and heating systems, and maintenance of seasonal systems like air conditioning, among many others that maximize health and safety benefits, both now and into the future. 

Expanding Your Knowledge

As you consider your campus’ short-term and long-term success, don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to discuss your campus’s specific needs. If you’re in higher education, now is the time to build capability and resources, and UG2’s extensive experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational customers. 

Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need to function at the highest level while keeping safety your top priority. 

Honoring the Women at UG2

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, and this year’s theme of Embracing Equity is one that resonates across our company as UG2 continues to grow and evolve. When it comes to breaking down barriers in our historically male-dominated field, we are proud of our accomplishments and committed to even greater progress moving forward.

Advancing equity in our company and in the industry means putting in the hard work to identify the values that ground us. The advocates behind International Women’s Day describe it as making equity part of every society’s DNA. It’s what we mean when we talk about our foundational values and our 2023 focus — embracing an approach to work that centers the people and values that matter most.

From our new Senior Vice President of Information Technology to our janitorial cleaners, the women of UG2 are making change in ways large and small to break down barriers in the facilities space, and we couldn’t be more proud.

To honor the women who make UG2 a success story, we are have reached out to several individuals for their insights and inspiration from the leaders and role models who have impacted their lives and the ways women can support each other toward the goal of equity.

We are excited to share their experiences and perspective on our website and social media in the coming weeks—and we cannot wait to see how, each in their own way, they’ll be shattering glass ceilings in the year ahead.

Account Manager, Joshua Dannan, built his janitorial team from the bottom up through accountability, honesty, and kindness. 

UG2 was founded on a culture of excellence, and I stress the importance of culture, community and teamwork with all of our account managers. In a short period of time, Joshua Dannan has been able to transform the culture and increase collaboration within his team at a higher education campus.

Joshua recalls when he joined UG2, he had his work cut out for him because it was clear there were several areas of opportunities to improve. He noticed that there was a lack of collaboration even though many team members had even been with the university for 10 to 20 years. Through engagement with employees, Joshua noted that many felt undervalued or that they weren’t listened to by previous employers, which inhibited their ability to perform at their best. There was also a lack of cohesion since they have been through multiple facility services providers and management over the years. 

Joshua had a purpose of turning the culture on campus around by finding the root causes and creating a reliable team that was ready to problem-solve and work together. It was crucial that a relationship based on transparency and honesty was established with the university community from the get-go. Joshua began by walking through campus and talking to basically anyone who would listen, from students to staff, faculty, and university leadership. He emphasized UG2’s goals and core values while addressing any potential concerns so they could be handled with a plan of action.  

There are five leadership values Joshua focused on to build a passionate, dedicated, and hardworking (PHD) team: 

1. CARE

For many students, the university is their home away from home. This means that attention to detail and responsiveness is key. Issues should be prioritized and addressed promptly. Having a team that treats everyone and every situation with a caring attitude goes a long way to establishing a positive and respected reputation. 

2. CONSISTENCY 

Regularly talking to the university leadership team about concerns and how to address them builds trust in the community. If consistency isn’t a priority, issues can build up without being brought to attention, which can create unnecessary chaos.  

3. FOLLOW-UP 

Following through and circling back on work order requests creates a trustworthy team. Revisiting issues or concerns ensures that nothing is left unresolved, and relationships can blossom with different community members.  

4. COMMUNICATION 

A team cannot function properly without communication. Whether it’s interacting internally within the team, or talking with people within the campus community, good communication is one of the most important skills a team can have.  

5. HONESTY 

Honesty is always the best policy. Being transparent about timelines, prioritization, or areas that need improvement leads to better productivity. It also shows dependability and encourages others to be open to sharing their thoughts or ideas. 

Core Values in Action

In addition to the five leadership values Joshua draws inspiration from, he highlights the importance of UG2’s Core Values. Our values are what make us unique among other facility services providers. Joshua expressed that many of his team members were unaware of the core values and were excited to learn about how UG2 puts people first, which includes our customers and our teams.

While keeping these five leadership values and UG2’s Core Values top of mind, Joshua went above and beyond to get involved in the university’s community. After learning more about the campus community, he sprang into action and went to local churches to get donations for students in need, provided school supplies, attended sports games, and learned about campus events.   

He sought out employees who wanted to grow in the industry and develop their skills and responsibilities. Joshua believes in the power of mentorship and setting a good example. Shift leader, Anthony Gabby, caught his attention from the start. Joshua has been mentoring Anthony and having him handle complaints in order to develop his problem-solving, accountability, and customer service skills. Joshua describes how everyone on campus loves Anthony; his friendliness and hard work do not go unnoticed.  

Making his team feel valued is also important to Joshua. He has implemented an employee of the month program, frequently points out UG2 benefits with his team, and plans team lunches and appreciation events. 

It is clear that Joshua Dannan has made an incredibly positive impact on the university community and his team. Anthony calls Joshua “lucky number seven” because he is the 7th manager who genuinely cares about the janitorial team. Of course, Joshua emphasizes that the team still faces challenges and difficulties, but there has been extraordinary improvement since he started. He said the janitorial team is even ahead of schedule for the first time in almost a decade.  

We are so grateful to have Joshua Dannan and his team as part of the UG2 family. We are certain they will continue to make a positive impact on the campus community.  

Comparing the Similarities between Facility Engineering and Health Care

Paul Faleschini serves as an Engineering Manager in UG2’s Northern California region. In a recent article of Facility Management Journal, he shares the striking similarities between Facility Operations & Maintenance (O&M) teams and health care workers.

In “The Doctor is in: O&M Health Care for Buildings”, Paul outlines the importance of attention to detail, preventative maintenance, and wellness checks when it comes to managing facilities. Just like people, buildings need to be in a healthy condition to run optimally. It is up to Operations & Maintenance teams to act as doctors and diagnose issues before they cause irreversible damage or setbacks.

Paul highlights key  best practices to follow:

Daily Wellness Checks

The first step in ensuring building health is to perform daily system inspections. Facility engineering teams should encourage senior staff – similar to a doctor with the most experience – to take the lead. With experience, comes knowledge, and senior O&M engineers are able to quickly and accurately detect potential  problems. It’s also important to include lighting fixtures in these inspections since lighting can drastically affect the mood and productivity of occupants.

Breathability

In order to have a healthy building, Paul emphasizes that healthy air is crucial. People’s attention to air quality is even more prevalent since the emergence of COVID-19. Facilities should hire a professional air quality partner to perform assessments annually, similar to your yearly physical. Remember, restrooms should also be included in the process. Many facilities cut exhaust to lower costs, but this can lead to health problems.

Preventive Measures

Whether it’s drinking enough water, choosing healthy foods, or exercising, people take various measures to avoid illness and to stay healthy. Paul explains that in a similar manner, preventative maintenance is necessary to avoid equipment failures, which can a domino effect.

Pay attention to systems that can cause potential issues:

Sewage

Sewage systems are likely the most frequent disruptive failure due to both frequent usage and the number of items people flush down toilets and sinks. O&M teams often avoid restroom maintenance due to its unpleasant nature, but being proactive can save money and time. Routine maintenance should involve checking waste ejector systems and P-traps, cleaning drain lines, and annual hydro-jetting.

HVAC

According to Paul, HVAC systems are probably the second most common disruptive failure. Variables like changing occupancy and temperature changes can present risks. Be sure to clean air filters regularly, use the highest MERV rating , and program the right amount of air changes. Don’t rely on technologies like UV lighting to sanitize because they aren’t 100% proven effective.

Fire, Life & Safety

If fire lines are not properly cared for, the risks can range from disruptive to deadly. Unnecessary evacuations, flooding, and equipment damage could occur without proper attention.

That is why Paul stresses the need for O&M teams to create and follow schedules that align with industry standards, Preventative Maintenance (PM) recommendations, and other recommendations from civil authorities. Documentation and trending data are both important for keeping building systems healthy and at their peak performance. Ensure daily PM inspections are thoroughly documented by the O&M team.

Urgent Care

We can’t predict every health issue that will take place in a facility. That’s why problems need to be quickly but accurately diagnosed so an action plan can be put into place.

Diagnoses

Getting the right diagnosis is important for both people and building equipment. The majority of building systems use a building management/automation system (BMS/BAS) which provides performance data in real-time. If the system alerts engineers of poorly performing equipment, an inspection can take place using electrical meters, pressure gauges, and other tools to find the route of the problem. This could involve using a megohmmeter to inspect the motor windings of an electric motor or checking the refrigerant level of a poorly performing HVAC system.

Second Opinions

Just like a medical diagnosis, a second opinion can be quite helpful when attempting to pinpoint a problem and come up with a cure. Seeing the equipment issue in person and having a team of experts is key. This is especially true now that a lot of building systems are automated. Sensors don’t always detect what someone can see first-hand.

Palliative Care

When people are sick, they often find that their treatment can be very costly and the same applies to equipment. In many instances, O&M teams are faced with the choice of repairing equipment or letting it run to fail. This decision depends on the facility’s needs, the equipment’s expected life expectancy, usage trends, budget, and availability of parts. Paul stressed that if the decision is to run the equipment to fail, the safety and comfort of occupants need to be the top priority.

Investing in Wellness Makes Business Sense

When the pandemic forced many employees to work from home, it created a strong preference to not come back into the office, even when the risk of COVID-19 lessened. For many people, it felt safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, building management is still struggling to attract people to return to an in-person environment. Healthy buildings and health-related amenities are a huge deciding factor for tenants and employees.

FM teams know that keeping systems and buildings healthy leads to comfortable and safe work spaces which in turn, attracts occupants. One study even showed that tenants pay 4-7% more for healthy certified spaces.

All in all, when a facility is in poor health, it affects both people and businesses. Paul explains that O&M teams should view themselves like doctors for buildings. Following these best practices will ensure they are being proactive about maintaining the health of their facilities.

Want to learn more about healthcare for buildings? Access the full article here or contact UG2.

RESOURCES

andrewjensen.net/how-office-lighting-affects-productivity
health.ucsd.edu
Pew Research article

Service and offerings tailored to you and built to evolve your changing needs

It’s a demanding time to manage operations and maintenance for commercial office buildings. Fortunately, UG2 is more than meeting the challenge. We’ve leveraged our longstanding industry expertise and integrated the lessons learned through the pandemic for an Operations & Maintenance practice that is excelling on every front.

How do we do it?

An unmatched talent pool. At a time when finding skilled tradespeople can seem next to impossible, UG2’s high retention rate, highly competitive benefits, and practices like promoting from within, mean that we continue to benefit from the strongest team in the industry—and our customers do, too.

Responsive mobile maintenance. With a 24/7 response time, the mobile team is made up of expert, multi-craft tradespeople with access to the latest tools, equipment, and advanced technology. The team includes mechanics, licensed electricians, carpenters, plumbers, and HVAC technicians.

Deeply invested leadership. Everyone from our executive leadership on down is committed to customer excellence. That means supervisors are on site, getting to know every customer’s needs and challenges alongside the teams they supervise. UG2’s leadership also takes an active role in professional development of our teams through our Learn with Leaders program.

Incomparable communication. Transparency is essential to satisfied customers and to a successful workforce. We pride ourselves on a communication strategy that emphasizes listening more than speaking, explaining our processes, providing regular updates, taking accountability, and learning from feedback.

Industry-leading training. From well before their first day on the job site, we provide every employee best-in-class training, and we offer ongoing professional development. We launched our world-class Training and Innovation Lab to ensure every employee is working at the top of their game.

Unwavering accountability. Our management team is fully engaged in our teams’ processes and priorities, staying on top of day-to-day challenges and emerging issues, and communicating clearly and immediately if a problem arises. Our commitment to you includes bearing full responsibility for the operations of your site.

Cost-effective service and savings. Delivering value matters. Our deep bench of expertise allows us to manage operations efficiently and effectively. We customize our solutions to every facility and customer, so you get exactly what you need.

A safety record that shines. From our very first days, UG2 has put safety at the center of all we do. We reject the typical one-and-done approach to training and instead incorporate ongoing, leading edge safety practices, frequent refreshers for employees at every level, and an unparalleled safety audit program.

An emphasis on innovation. Our training and innovation allow us to offer advanced technologies. Each employee is a driver of continuous process improvement, so we always provide the best service and solutions to our customers.  

When it comes to operations and maintenance of commercial office buildings, our services and offerings are tailored to you, and built to evolve with your changing needs.

We understand that when we keep your facility operating smoothly and in pristine condition while delivering five-star service, not only do we stand out from our competitors—we make you stand out from yours. It’s a win-win—and the reason behind our 98% customer retention rate.

Optimize efficiency and lower costs by combining services

Over the past three years, as colleges and universities confronted the realities—and lingering impact—of the COVID-19 pandemic, many found that even with well-established in-house facilities management teams, turning to an outside facility services provider made sense. Campuses with hybrid in-house/outsource programs or multiple outsourced providers also found operational synergies in consolidating service contracts under one partnership. The right partner could respond with agility and innovation to a constantly changing environment.

UG2 has been privileged to deepen our relationships with those institutions as they’ve turned to us for additional support, like buildings and grounds or mechanical services. As in other industries, our higher ed customers are seeing that the benefits of combining services into an integrated facility services or full facilities management program go well beyond the cost savings:

An agile team. With a bundled approach, employees across multiple service areas get to know your needs, practices, and preferences. They can share information, respond immediately to issues flagged by another service line, and often are cross-trained to step in and support one another in a pinch.

Leading-edge tools, technology, and innovation. Collaborative problem-solving across teams drives innovative thinking and improves decision-making. Your management team has a big-picture view of your needs and challenges, and can cooperate on ideas, strategies, and solutions.

A bigger ROI. Working with a single, established partner for multiple services often allows you to make your budget go further. Streamlined operations can bring cost savings through labor efficiencies and a stronger self-performance model, and avoid waste and duplication of services.

A package tailored to your needs. Maybe you want to add mailroom services to your janitorial contract, or perhaps you are finding you have gaps in document management, event support, or stadium services. With a full spectrum of offerings available to choose from, you can work with our expert solutions team to identify priorities and map out the ideal combination of services.

Streamlined relationships and communication. With bundled services, you won’t waste time communicating the same messages to multiple vendors. UG2’s communication strategies mean that everyone is on the same page, always.

Consistent service delivery and superior customer care. With UG2’s team always working to set the new standard of facility services, our customers can count on employees who go above and beyond expectations. A single partner integrates into the fabric of your campus and becomes an extension of your leadership and mission.

Motivated, invested team members with a stellar record of retention. We take great pride in the talent of our employees. They bring a tremendous level of commitment to every customer. When a customer works with multiple service lines, that investment is magnified as our team gets to deepen their understanding of your goals, challenges, and priorities—inside and out. We become an integral part of your campus community.

Maximize efficiencies, overall experience, sustainability, performance and much more

Samar Kawar serves as UG2’s Senior Vice President of Information Technology. In Facility Executive’s recent article, she highlights the numerous benefits Facility Managers can reap by utilizing The Internet of Things (IoT). 

In “The Cost of NOT Investing In IoT”, Samar explains that too few facilities are using IoT to its fullest potential. With the data, insights, and automation it offers, it should be the obvious choice. But, in many cases, managers are intimidated by the concept of rapidly changing technology and the cost of implementing it. But, in reality, NOT investing in IoT can create much more damage than any potential costs or risks. 

START WITH THE STRATEGY

IoT can be used in many different ways, so it’s important to establish which areas are most aligned with your facility’s goals. Samar breaks down some common IoT uses:

1. OCCUPANT EXPERIENCE: COMFORT AND SAFETY

It’s not surprising that Covid-19 has affected how comfortable occupants feel about returning to office spaces on a regular basis. One study showed 87% of employees don’t want to return to their workplace full-time. Samar highlights that facility management must do everything possible to make spaces more inviting to occupants.

With fewer people occupying facilities, technologies like sensors and QR codes can help minimize the possibility of risks. Samar provides some examples:

  • Automatically alerting janitorial staff about restocking needs
  • Triggering heating and cooling systems
  • Controlling lighting based on occupancy
  • Detecting air quality levels
  • Submitting service request tickets via cellphones
  • Requiring QR codes to access specific areas
2. ENERGY SAVINGS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Not only does 35% of electricity used in the U.S. go towards commercial buildings, but roughly 30% of the energy buildings use goes to waste. Samar explains that IoT can help eliminate waste and costs. 

  • Smart thermostats can control temperature and lighting based on occupancy and trends.
  • Internet-connected window shades can be triggered by light levels to open or close. 
  • Sensors can help regulate indoor climate control in order to lessen power consumption.

Reducing emissions both helps the planet and marketability since many tenants consider sustainability to be an extremely important factor when leasing space. 

3. WORKFORCE ALLOCATION AND PERFORMANCE

The daily occupancy of a facility can be unpredictable. Because of this, facility managers need to be able to make efficient decisions about workforce allocation. In today’s world, workforce shortages are prevalent, so making the best use of talent is key.

Samar tells us that IoT allows facilities to adjust to real-time needs and enhance performance. An example of this is sensing the occupancy of areas to ensure janitors are not over or under-cleaning. Also, when equipment is connected to the internet, it can be monitored remotely so engineers can report to more urgent needs. 

When in-person attention is required, janitors and engineers can use Near Field Communications (NFC) tags that time/date stamp and log their location into a system so managers can track it. NFC tags can also track employee movement to measure productivity. 

4. PROLONGING EQUIPMENT LIFE

Samar explains that preventative maintenance is fundamental to minimize costs and keep equipment healthy for as long as possible. IoT helps monitor equipment, analyze trends, predict when components need replacing, and send alerts to technicians. 

Partner With an Innovative Facility Services Provider

With more extensive use of IoT comes a larger set of data which poses the risk of information overload. AI tools can sort through data to locate relevant points and generate suggestions. Data analysts or facility service partners can also assist in managing the data.

All in all, Samar reiterates that the smartest choice for facility management is to invest in IoT in order to lower costs, increase efficiency, and attract/retain tenants. Finding the right service partner with IoT knowledge and experience is the first step in creating a successful plan for your facility. 

For more information about how technology plays a crucial role in facility management, read the full article at Facility Executive, or get in touch with TeamUG2.

Resources

rs.ivanti.com/reports/ivi-2663-everywhere-workplace-report-2022.pdf

www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/about-commercial-buildings-integration-program

An Act of Kindness Turns into a Lifesaving Story                            

On a recent afternoon at a retail customer facility, Kim Randall, a TeamUG2 housekeeping supervisor, stepped up to help a senior shopper who was having trouble locating his car. Kim accompanied the man as he searched the parking lot. Little did she know that her commitment to going above and beyond in that moment, her coolheaded manner under pressure, and an extraordinary team effort from coworkers and bystanders would be monumental.

As the man suddenly leaned over and gasped for air, Kim and a bystander raced into action to support him. Kim summoned help on her radio, which immediately brought a security officer to the scene of the medical emergency, then called 911. 

The man’s wife had accompanied him to the mall and she had the support of housekeeping supervisor Samantha Holbrook as well as housekeeping employees Sabrina and Sara Churchill. The group retrieved the couple’s car for her and calmed and comforted the distraught wife as the mall’s security team provided medical assistance and directed the Asheville Fire Department to the scene. The man was ultimately transported to a nearby hospital.

Later, reviewing the reports and security footage of the incident and response, the mall’s director of public safety was in awe of the group’s effort. He wrote to us to express his gratitude for the team’s training, preparedness, courage, and compassion under pressure.

We are incredibly proud of the contributions of our team and thankful, as always, for the commitment from every member of Team UG2 to safety, support, excellence in service—and to treating everyone they encounter through their work as family.

Core values that resonate throughout all of our teams at UG2

Ten years ago, when we set out to build a company that would set a new standard in facility services, a small group of us talked through what would become our foundational values. Along with commitments to safety, exceptional service and putting people first, we discussed “citizenship.”

Citizenship, to Team UG2, begins with the best of intentions, and is at the core of building lasting relationships with one another and with our customers. I credit our purposeful approach to citizenship—and our exploration of what that means in our day-to-day work and long-term vision—with our extraordinary retention of both customers and employees.

At its core, citizenship involves:

Maintaining genuine respect. From the moment we consider bringing someone onto Team UG2, we are keenly aware of how that person engages with and appreciates the individuals and teams around them. Good citizenship means demonstrating genuine respect for one another, and includes respecting the property, rights, and perspectives of others. Respect is at the foundation of relationship-building, and is most critical to maintain even, and perhaps especially, in our most challenging moments. It’s what got us through the pandemic and made our company and our relationships stronger throughout the past decade.

Operating from a place of empathy. While respect and empathy might go hand in hand, these attributes hold some key distinctions. To have empathy is to remain open to the perspectives and experiences of others, to demonstrate compassion, and to show gratitude for our differences for the opportunity to learn from one another. It means listening more than talking, sharing instead of owning, connecting over isolating. At UG2, we know that practicing empathy makes us better citizens and better teammates.

Striving for continuous learning. Openness and flexibility in the face of change helped us to excel over the past several years and sustain a position of leadership in the industry. At the heart of this is the reality that we are all students of the world around us. Approaching new situations without assumption allows us to learn from and grow with our colleagues and customers. Whether it’s learning a new piece of technology, navigating new region, or striving to ask questions and reflect on the answers, this openness to embracing change is a quality that serves us in work and in life.

Embracing responsibility and accountability. Honesty, transparency, and accountability are vital to every community. Regardless of how many years of expertise we bring, we all face—and ideally, embrace—new challenges, and more opportunities for miscommunication and mistakes. Admitting to errors and correcting them without excuses is a sign of leadership and a practice that has been essential to our success.

Taking an active role. A complement to demonstrating accountability is being an agent of necessary and positive change. Anyone can be an armchair quarterback. Getting into the game, making plays, taking risks, reflecting on progress, and rethinking our assumptions sets us up for success. This is the route to making connections that strengthen community. From the start, UG2 chose the more challenging strategy. We believe the effort to be reliable partners, to be active in our customer relationships and with our workforce, will always be worth it.

Communicating effectively. Transparency is essential to a successful workforce – and that’s even more true in a crisis. From daily check-ins to site visits to meetings and surveys, we engage with each other and with our customers as an integral part of our regular routines. Citizenship requires connection, and connection can’t be sustained without open, honest, continuous communication.

Operating as a team. At UG2, we work hard to develop strong relationships, with each other and with our customers, that are established and nurtured for the long-term. We cultivate teamwork as essential to maintaining trust. As our response to the pandemic demonstrating time and again, we are much stronger together.

Citizenship is not something that happens organically. It requires both individual effort and shared collaboration and problem-solving. It demands commitment, self-reflection, and a willingness to correct course. I am honored to be a citizen of our industry and that of our customers, and I am humbled by all I have learned from employees, colleagues, partners, and customers as we work together toward this foundational value.

Engineering Insights for Your Facilities

Buildings are one of the top generators of greenhouse gases. Some studies say they account for 39% of the world’s total global carbon emissions. For years, there’s been talk about achieving net zero emissions in commercial buildings. Recently in the past 12 months, talk has turned to action.

More than 130 American cities have joined the Cities Race to Zero, a United Nations-backed campaign to rally urban leaders to achieve zero carbon. Cities in bell-weather states like California and New York have started creating plans and instituting requirements.

For example, San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan calls for eliminating onsite fossil fuel emissions in large existing buildings by 2035. And a study commissioned by New York City, which committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, found that achieving a net zero target would require making energy efficiency improvements to more than 900,000 buildings as well as electrification of heating and hot water in up to 642,000 buildings.

Even if you’re not in one of the cities that has already committed to reducing carbon emissions, it’s likely that at some point sooner than you think, your city will jump on board.

It All Boils Down to Boilers

Replacing the commercial sector’s predominantly gas-fueled boilers with electric equipment is a critical step on the path. It’s also difficult, costly, and time-consuming. Your ability to transition – and minimize the impact on facility operations – is directly tied to actions your organization takes now. That’s why I advise facility executives to start planning today for inevitable electrification. 

1. Use Preventative Maintenance to Extend Existing Boiler Life

Boilers have a life expectancy of about 20 years. Replacing or upgrading them can cost up to $2 million. Preventative maintenance is key to maximizing the time and value you get from the equipment. It should be part of your daily, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual maintenance programs, as specified by manufacturing guidelines.

You want to avoid having to replace/upgrade your gas boiler in the next several years, when perhaps five more years down the road you’ll be required by law to change to electric boilers. And go through another replacement.

Field engineers should gather temperature and load data on their daily rounds and use that data for performance trend analyses – which should be done regularly. If, for instance, a boiler that has been running at 70% load now has to run at 85% to hit a 30-degree delta between supply and return temperature, problems are clearly afoot and need to be addressed.

Make sure to also conduct Flue Gas Analysis for testing boiler emissions. This will also reveal information about corrosion, scale, and leaks.

2. Assess Options for Electric Boilers

Your goal should be to wait as close as possible to your city’s emission-reduction mandate date before replacing your existing boiler. Because electric boiler technology is rapidly advancing, if you transition too soon you risk installing a boiler that is out of date by the time the mandate arrives – and, therefore, not as efficient or cost-effective as it could be. 

However, you do need to start educating yourself on the latest technologies, and which would be best for your facility. Fully electric heat/cool chillers may make the most sense, but they require a larger footprint and the hot water output is 120-130 degrees at best. If your building’s heating load can handle 180 degrees output, you may be able to justify an electronic boiler. Keep in mind that electric boilers are lower cost and smaller footprint but could draw too much energy for larger facilities.

Before you make any decisions, make sure you know the building owner’s objective for the property, and whether it’s a long- or short-term hold. If short-term, they may opt for the less expensive new equipment. If they plan to sell even sooner, they’ll want to avoid replacements by doubling down on preventative maintenance.

3. Plan Ahead

Capital budgets are set 5 to 10 years out, which makes planning now for this expensive transition even more critical. In addition to capital expenses, keep these considerations top of mind:

  • Stay close to engineering: Work with professional engineers to understand your building’s amperage capacity and limitations. You need to know exactly what is feasible for the new boiler. For instance, if you have to up your amperage, can the building’s existing wiring handle it?
  • Budget for readying your facility: You may need to add in the time and cost it takes to replace Bus Duct and other downstream components to enable the new equipment. Also remember it could easily take six months to receive the equipment you’ve ordered, so plan accordingly.
  • Summer time: Any time there’s a major equipment change-over, there will be downtime. Best practice is to do this in warmer months, so you don’t have to shut down heating equipment when it’s cold outside.
  • Contingency plan: Make sure to include everything from technology and training to timing of everything so that you maximize the opportunity for success and minimize the impact on operations.

How We Will Work Together in 2023

The New Year is traditionally a time of reflection and re-setting—honing our expectations and commitments, refining our approach, and raising the bar on ourselves with new resolutions for the months ahead.

UG2 strives to revisit our core values and commitments throughout the year, from daily check-ins to staff meetings and retreats to trainings, evaluations and opportunities for advancement. We also embrace the smaller, one-on-one opportunities to help each other recenter, from our gratitude practice to our everyday interactions.

We are grateful for our success throughout the past decade—blessed with tremendous partners, colleagues, employees, and customers—and we also recognize that our accomplishments are no accident. They are grounded in the intentional awareness of our core values and regular reflection on how we can improve and excel.

As we enter the new year, we are taking time to think about our foundational principles, the core values that have deepened our relationships, advanced our success, and made UG2 what it is today.

Putting safety first. We center safety in every training, meeting, and conversation. The language and practice of safety are second nature to all of us at UG2, our exceptional safety audit program is incontrovertible evidence of that commitment.

Living with integrity and treating others with respect. Relationships are built in trust, and we strive for an ethos of respect and integrity in all our interactions. We lead with compassion and empathy, and we value—and reward—those attributes in every member of our team.

Valuing diversity and inclusion. Our employees’ diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, languages, and identities make for a diverse culture that is one of the most gratifying aspects of our company and our work. We strive, always, for openness and a culture of learning from one another.

Maintaining a methodical and disciplined approach to business. Every action has consequences, and seemingly minor decisions can impact our work and relationships far down the road. We aim to be thoughtful in our decision-making and reflective on our missteps.

Endeavoring to remain emotionally intelligent and team oriented. Our founders came together because they brought out the best in one another. We try to replicate and grow that quality in all our partnerships and relationships.

Thinking outside the box. When you are successful, it’s easy to become caught up in the practices you’ve seen success with in the past. But our world and our industry are ever-changing, and we promise to keep our approach to problems fresh but grounded in expertise and evidence. 

Going above and beyond with customers. Week after week, we hear from customers who take the time to express their awe and appreciation for members of Team UG2 demonstrating that our work is personal and we confront problems with empathy and humanity. 

Acting as an extension of our customer’s team. We work hard to understand our customers, their businesses, their industries, challenges, competitive advantages, and priorities. This practice has been at the heart of our growth and success.

Being citizens of our industry and our customers’ industries. We demonstrate excellence by immersing ourselves in the ins-and-outs of our industry and those of our partners. We cultivate an environment of curiosity, listening. and learning.

As UG2 enters 2023, we will continue to act thoughtfully and strategically. We will work to always elevate our practices, our outcomes, and our relationships by putting people first.  

Looking back on 2022, I am filled with awe and gratitude at the ways I have learned from my UG2 family.  

As a family, we all play a part. It takes intention and hard work, yet so many of you make it appear effortless. Our teams help and support each other with compassion and humanity. I have seen UG2 employees, customers, colleagues, and partners of all ages and backgrounds show up for each other when it matters most.

Let’s celebrate the lessons we have learned from one another over the past year. Here are some exceptional things I’ve learned from you all:

Tenacity, Grit, and Humility

You model tenacity, grit and humility when we take on new challenges or strive to become citizens of our customer’s industries. I see it in small but equally important ways such as when someone demonstrates patience when teaching and sharing something new with a colleague or when a coworker or customer offers compliments and confidence-builders to someone new to a position.

Courage and Leadership

I witness it when you model courage in bringing your perspective to a challenging conversation, when you model leadership in lifting us all up with your own success, and when you model humility in your willingness to acknowledge a misstep, or gratitude when you take the time to acknowledge someone’s hard work.

Thirst for Learning

An openness to learning is so important in our world today. I am grateful to those of you that bring a spirit of lifelong learning to tasks and initiatives both small and large.  

As we close out 2022, let’s continue to appreciate one another and continue to support one another. In a world that is ever-changing, let’s take solace in the fact that we will always strive to have one another’s back.

I’m going into this New Year with gratitude, hope, and excitement and I can’t wait to see what more we can achieve together!

I wish you and your loved ones peace and a 2023 filled with blessings.

With warm regards,

Lou Lanzillo
Chief Executive Officer

At UG2, when it comes to the core values guiding our work, we walk the walk. But don’t take my word for it. Here is a sampling of notes sent by customers expressing gratitude for the hard work and consideration our employees put into their work—and by our employees themselves sharing their appreciation for the opportunities they encounter as members of the UG2 family.

SAFETY

You seem to always send the best-of-the-best, and your staff’s attention to our protocols, proactive approach to maintenance, and utmost respect for safety above all else has made our work easier every day.

MISSION CRITICAL CUSTOMER

INTEGRITY AND RESPECT

I am grateful for the opportunities I have found at UG2 and especially for the ways you have encouraged me to pursue my interests and my education. Thank you for being a mentor and for always modeling the kind of treatment we all wish for from our supervisors.  

OPERATIONS MANAGER

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Seeing you all come together and problem-solve gives a new meaning to the word “team.” You each bring something unique and important to your work with us and I am grateful not only for your professionalism but also for your commitment to each other. You truly lift each other up!

SHIFT SUPERVISOR

METHODICAL AND DISCIPLINED BUSINESS APPROACH

Thank you so much for all you did to make our event a true success! People have been raving about it and that is in large part because you and your team paid attention to every detail. Our space has never looked so great!

COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER

EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT AND TEAM ORIENTED

You’ve been a truly great coworker and someone I could lean on when things got challenging. I’ll miss you in your new role but I know you earned it and will bring your team the same mentoring, guidance and especially humor we all came to love.

AREA MANAGER

ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

As you might have heard, we had a minor emergency yesterday when we double-booked a room we were counting on to administer an exam. It was Team UG2 to the rescue as your people noted another space that would work just as well on a quieter part of campus and quickly got it outfitted with the right tables and chairs—and even directed late arriving students to the right place. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

HIGHER EDUCATION CUSTOMER

WILLING TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CREATE LASTING IMPRESSIONS ON CUSTOMERS

Holding our first in-person event in several years was incredibly stressful, and we are so thankful to have had you on our team. You truly went above and beyond, handling issues before I even knew about them. Words can’t convey my appreciation. Happy holidays to you and yours!

PUBLIC VENUE CUSTOMER

ACT AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR CUSTOMER’S LEADERSHIP TEAM.

Thank you for handling the unexpected issues with the plumbing that came up during your shift yesterday. Knowing I could not get there quickly, it meant a lot that you were on top of it. You got the right people there right away and kept me in the loop. It helps to know you are there to step in and step up when it really matters.

CORPORATE CUSTOMER

CITIZEN OF OUR CUSTOMERS INDUSTRY AND OUR INDUSTRY

I’m writing to share how impressive and knowledgeable the UG2 employees have been in helping to get our athletic fields and facilities back up and running after a challenging period. With not a lot of time for onboarding your team, we expected to be working overtime, shouldering a lot more of the work ourselves. Instead, we found ourselves ready ahead of schedule, with every task checked off including numerous issues we hadn’t yet identified ourselves.

Bringing on UG2 has made all the difference to our own staff and especially to our student athletes and coaches who benefit every day from your team’s expertise. You have helped us ensure our facility and resources are the best we can possibly offer.

HIGHER EDUCATION CUSTOMER

A Decade of Facility Services Excellence

In 2012, I set out to create a different kind of company. A company that was founded on a culture of excellence in which people work collaboratively to achieve common goals, and never rest on their laurels. Creating a company that had “big company capabilities”, but with the personal “look and feel” of a privately held “family” company.

As I look back on the past 10 years, I’m in awe of what we have accomplished. We have set the new standard of facility services and created the next generation of leadership in our industry. It is incredible that we have truly accomplished exactly what we set out to do.

The handful of us who started UG2 10 years ago could not have predicted some of the biggest challenges that would come our way. But, with all our collective experience in the industry, we have what it takes to rise to the challenges and overcome them and separate ourselves from our competitors—and that is the true story of UG2.

We knew that building real relationships, treating our employees and customers as family, and striving always to identify and cultivate the next generation of talent would make us strong and innovative industry leaders. And boy, have these past few years tested that theory—and proven us right.

Back in 2020, at the onset of COVID-19, we were propelled into immediate action and our leadership in our industry became more important than ever. Never in my almost four decades in this industry have I seen the elevated demand in seeking high quality professional integrated facility services providers. Our team was ready to support our customers every step of the way navigating all the challenges and complexities of this pandemic. I am in disbelief at the number of times the world has thrown us a curve ball, and we have hit it out of the park. I am proud of our team for their resilience, passion, perseverance and commitment to our company’s mission and our customers.

In the day-to-day, hour-by-hour operation of our business, it’s important to step back at times and look at the big picture, of how we have impacted the industry and truly developed new standards of excellence.

But it is equally important to zoom in and look at the actions of the individuals who make us what we are today, from the industry veteran who takes the time to mentor a young person to the employee who steps up to help when they notice a coworker is overwhelmed to the customer who trusts us with a crisis and then takes the time to send a thank you note afterward. I can’t say enough how proud I am of the team and family we have assembled and the capabilities we have developed.

We have nurtured and deepened longstanding relationships and made way for treasured new ones. Our family is growing, and our work is changing, but our spirit remains the same. Thank you for being part of the UG2 story. I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish in the next decade together!

A Message from John Correia, UG2 Chief Operating Officer

As we approach the bustle of the holiday season and anticipate the hopes, ambitions, and aspirations of a new year, I am slowing down to reflect on the blessings, changes, and challenges of 2022.  

November 2022 finds us in a very different place than we were a year ago. At this time last year, I wrote about how the pandemic had pushed us to evolve, deepen our relationships, and renew our commitments to each other and our communities. The strengths we developed in those difficult times brought us to new heights of success in the months that followed, but we continue to grapple with the pandemic’s impacts even as we find our footing in a year of rapid growth and change.  

Just as we did through the early months of the pandemic, we have been challenged to reimagine our goals, reshape our expectations, and lift each other up as we climb. 

In moments of unpredictability, Team UG2 adapts and excels—because those moments challenge us to return to our core values and foundational principles. UG2 was built on the belief that we are stronger together, and that family and community come first. And it is in the moments when we truly support each other that UG2 shines—a virtue I witness and appreciate not just during this season of Thanksgiving, but 12 months out of the year.  

This Thanksgiving, as we start to close out another unpredictable year, I’ve never been more grateful for the people of UG2—the employees and customers who make UG2a family, who bring such deep commitment to solving problems large and small, who continuously set the new standards for service, and who remind each other of our unique strengths and talents. I am thankful for friends and colleagues who are unafraid to lean on each other, push each other to discover new horizons, and encourage each other in the expectation that, as long as we continue to build each other up, the best is yet to come. 

Facility Services Experts Share Insights

Sounds affect people in many different ways. A song that energizes one person drains another. Background music may be comforting or annoying. Some noises are so unsettling that they make us want to run for cover.  

When it comes to facilities management, guessing what sounds occupants and visitors may or may not like is an exercise in futility. That’s why the best approach to sound is to minimize it.  

The Impacts of Sound 

People are in your facility for a purpose, whether they are working, holding meetings, studying or shopping. Noise gets in the way of this. In fact, a Radius Global Market Research study showed that noise negatively impacts concentration levels, productivity and creativity for 69% of employees.  

Quality of work also takes a hit. Consider a study published by the British Journal of Psychology that asked workers to perform two tasks – the first in a quiet environment, the second with background noise. The accuracy of work decreased by almost 67% for the second task.  

It’s worth noting that these studies took place prior to COVID-19. In today’s post-isolation days – with so many people used to working remotely, and shopping and socializing online instead of in person – being around noises they can’t control might produce more detrimental effects. Many people find it more difficult to work onsite now than before. Even if they can tune some noises out, they must work harder to complete tasks because so much energy is spent on ignoring the sounds.  

Then there are loud, excessive noises that no one can tune out, such as ongoing building works and equipment noises. These can put people’s bodies through unnecessary stress responses, increasing heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. 

How to Minimize Noise 

Facility services providers are responsible for helping create spaces that are as free of noise intrusions as possible so occupants can focus on the job at hand. This means making sure ceiling air vents don’t rattle, equipment doesn’t clang, vacuums aren’t humming, and hammers aren’t banging away.  

Facility services teams should think of themselves as guests in their occupants’ environment, where respect for their audio privacy is paramount. After-hours cleaning is a good way to help deliver a distraction-free environment. When that’s not possible, and cleaning and repairs need to be done in occupied areas, make every effort to notify occupants in advance and accommodate their needs.  

Alarms are another big source of noise pollution. Preventative maintenance can help minimize the chances of them going off. Proactively look for signs of failing electrical equipment. Take regular readings during daily rounds so you can identify potential issues and schedule fixes before they become problems. 

In addition to the above, the CDC suggests these ways to reduce loud noises: 

  • Purchase low-noise tools and machinery 
  • Maintain tools and equipment routinely (such as lubricate gears) 
  • Isolate the noise source in an insulated room or enclosure 
  • Place a barrier between the noise source and the employee or occupant 
  • Isolate people from the source in a room or booth (such as sound wall or windows) 

For more tips on how to provide a more quiet, welcoming environment for tenants, students, and visitors, reach out to TeamUG2

The first annual event raised $10,000 to help fight kidney disease

At UG2, being involved in our local communities is crucial to who we are as an organization. We’re continually looking for new ways to give back and support meaningful causes. So, when UG2 Northern California team members, Matt Montanez (Engineering Manager) and David Montanez (Chief Engineer), told us about the 1st Annual Montanez Golf Invitational – in support of the National Kidney Foundation – we were thrilled to participate as a platinum sponsor.

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Matt and David to learn more about their journey to host their very first golf tournament in which they raised an impressive $10,000 to help fight kidney disease. This donation will go towards NKF patient programs that offer resources in a variety of ways, such as webinars, nutrition and education classes, peer mentor programs, a toll-free hotline, and more.

Supporting the National Kidney Foundation is especially meaningful for the Montanez brothers because their mother suffers from Alport Syndrome, a genetic kidney condition, which causes rapid damage to blood vessels in the kidney and can be fatal. Currently, she is in stage 5 of kidney failure and on dialysis treatment. Unfortunately, Alport Syndrome runs in their family, and they have experienced the loss of family members due to kidney failure.

The Montanez family has been involved with the National Kidney Foundation for years. Besides participating in NFK walks, Matt and David’s father used to host a charity golf tournament of his own where he invited industry engineers, tradespeople, friends, and family. A portion of the proceeds from the tournament went to support NKF. It was their father’s legacy of hosting golf tournaments and their mother’s own struggle with kidney issues that inspired the brothers to host their very own tournament.

Matt and David originally planned to host the tournament in 2020, but when the pandemic hit, it was put on hold. As people started to get vaccinated and mingle outside of their homes again, the Montanez brothers decided that 2022 would be the year to just go for it, even if they didn’t know what kind of traction the event would receive.

Planning the tournament was certainly a family effort. During our conversation, Matt and David thoroughly acknowledged that things would not have gone as smoothly as they did without the help of their wives, Dana and Jenny. They assisted with many components from logistics to helping with decor and making centerpieces to helping to check golfers in. When the hired photographer couldn’t make it to the event, Jenny stepped in to take pictures.

Matt and David were unsure of what to expect in terms of a turnout. Matt told us their original goal was to get 75 golfers and a $3,000 donation. But in the end, they had developed a waitlist, more than 120 guests showed up, and with help from their sponsors, they were able to raise $10,000 to donate. When asked about how it felt to make this contribution David said, “It’s great – definitely unexpected. But it’s nice to know the support is there, not only for us but for the cause.”

All in all, the tournament was a major success. Everyone had a great time playing golf, despite the rainy weather, and two representatives from the National Kidney Foundation were at the event to share information and tips for keeping your kidneys healthy. The representatives also helped Matt and David’s mother with some additional resources she could use during her treatment.

Even the impact the tournament had on strangers was extraordinary. Matt told us that people he had never met before reached out to him after the event to express their gratitude. Some of these individuals suffer from kidney disease themselves and were glad to see the Montanez brothers doing their part to support the National Kidney Foundation. Matt said, “It was really cool seeing the warmth from the industry – of people I know well and people I have never met before”.

The Montanez brothers are already planning for next year’s tournament. They are beyond grateful for how the event went and are even more hopeful for the next one. Matt and David were worried that the tournament would flop, but it turned out to be an amazing day, and the support they received from our industry was outstanding.

UG2 congratulates our own Matt Montanez and David Montanez on a successful tournament. We are looking forward to supporting the Montanez Golf Invitational each year.

Find resources about kidney health here: https://www.kidney.org/kidney-basics

Important Reminders for Your Facility Teams 

The cold weather months bring increased risks to facilities, and, as any facility manager can tell you, preparations must begin months in advance. UG2’s operations and maintenance teams continuously refine our approach based on experience, evolving best practices, and the particular needs of a given facility.   

For those still playing catch-up or wondering if their plan is thorough enough, the following strategies are essential when it comes to readying your team and your property: 

  1. Create a detailed plan in advance. Involve your team in its development, identify key players for every task, and develop a communications plan to document problems and progress. 
  1. Inspect HVAC systems and conduct routine winter maintenance. Check for and resolve air quality issues. 
  1. Test heaters, thermostats, and lighting systems. Be sure to prepare for future issues by stocking up on supplies in advance. 
  1. Inspect fire safety equipment from smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to valve hoses, water tanks, and pump houses; ensure that equipment is stored at the appropriate temperature and well protected from deep freezes. 
  1. Attend to idle equipment. Drain completely, inspect for needed repairs or replacement, winterize, and secure in protected storage. 
  1. Check pipe insulation. Inspect water, compressed air, and instrumentation pipe insulation for damage, wear and overlooked sections that may be exposed to freezing. 
  1. Inspect sprinkler systems. Be sure to engage an expert—wet pipe versus dry pipe systems require different maintenance approaches. 
  1. Prepare for power outages. Stock up on flashlights and batteries, portable chargers, and power banks, and have an electrician inspect generators, surge protectors, and smoke detectors. 
  1. Review and reinforce safety plans. Revisit safety precautions such as guidance for using space heaters and backup generators.  
  1. Emphasize transparency and communication. Firm up your communications plan, update and post emergency contact information, and make sure employees know where to report equipment issues or safety concerns.  

More best practices and insights are available for your facility. Contact us to discuss further.

Don’t forget to partner with janitorial & operations teams to make sure your facility is ready for anything. Learn about winterizing tips, snow removal, landscaping and more reminders for Janitorial and Landscaping teams. https://ug2.com/janitorial-landscaping-winter-preparedness-tips/

Gratitude—for our friends, family, and loved ones, for our UG2 family, our customers, our accomplishments, and for so much more—has always been foundational to our work at UG2.

In my own life, practicing gratitude has brought me peace and a feeling of being centered and complete. Whenever I stray from the practice and feel anxiety and uncertainty building, I know that returning to my daily gratitude prompts will help me right the ship.

For UG2, this past year has been one of tremendous growth. That gives us much to be grateful for, but the change that comes with growth makes the practice of gratitude—striving for calm and balance—ever more important. This reality was at the forefront of my thinking as I considered potential prompts for UG2’s annual Season of Gratitude.

On a personal note, as UG2’s Associate Vice President of Culture and Community, I have never been more grateful for the care and connections I experience daily in my work. I dedicate this year’s Season of Gratitude to each and every one of you who has found new ways to shine a light on the small joys and immense talent you experience and witness from your peers and colleagues. Thank you for magnifying and multiplying the gratitude effect.

Some of my favorite prompts from this year’s gratitude challenge include:

DAY 4: FRIENDSHIP 

Today’s the day to focus your attention on the friends who brighten your world. Who has been by your side no matter what? Who can you always call or message to chat? Who puts a smile on your face? Have you made any new connections or rekindled some relationships in the last year? (It’s also a good day to let those friends know how much you care about them!) 

DAY 5: WORK 

Work-related gratitude might be a challenge if you don’t love what you do but try to consider how work makes your life better. It provides income, and it can challenge, inspire, and excite you. Today, reflect on how you’re fortunate to have a job to go to. How does this experience improve your life or help you in some way? 

DAY 6: OPTIMISM 

For today, we’re all about optimism. It might seem an odd thing to be thankful for but imagine if you never believed that something good could happen; you’d never be inspired to do anything. Is there something you feel particularly optimistic about?  

DAY 16: FOOD 

Food is one of the most amazing things in life. It allows us to connect with people, explore different cultures, discover new places, and create memories and experiences. What food(s) are you grateful for? Is there a family recipe that is special to you? Is there a specific cuisine you adore? 

DAY 17: ART 

Art is everywhere we look. What types of art do you enjoy? Have you ever made art? Which artists do you most admire? Today’s the day to look around and notice the art in your life. Think about the creations that make you feel most inspired and share them with others today. 

DAY 22: COMFORT 

No matter your age or where you are in life, comfort is something we all need. What does comfort mean to you? Is it a person? A place? And object? Take some time to think about what provides you with a sense of comfort and security. 

Throughout the month of November, as I spend a few minutes each day expanding my practice of gratitude, I will get an extra boost  of motivation stemming from the knowledge that so many of you are joining me in mind and spirit. Wishing you all a gratitude season filled with an abundance of joy, hope and peace. 

How to Prevent a Negative Impression

First impressions are important so it is wise to pay attention to the sensory experience in your facility. That experience begins the moment they arrive at your property. Everything must be clean and pristine, from landscaped grounds, spotless walkways and orderly lobbies to elevator buttons, table tops, hallways and bathrooms. Customers must have the sense that their comfort is your goal.

Every encounter customers have with facility services staff must also be excellent. Those team members are the face of your organization. They probably have more interactions and make more impressions on guests than anyone else. Whether occupants are signing in, asking for directions, submitting a request or reporting a spill, they need to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect, and have their issues addressed immediately, sincerely and professionally. 

The last thing you want to hear them say, or cause them to think, is, “Wow, that left a really bad taste in my mouth.” Bad impressions of any kind can wreak havoc – especially if they cause people to leave your facility or, if they’re not able to leave due to their work or studies, avoid certain areas. Some might voice their displeasure on social media where everyone can hear about it.

Literal Bad Tastes

Facilities can also leave actual bad tastes in people’s mouths.

Think food. If you’re eating chicken, pasta with pesto sauce, fried rice, or a spicy burrito, you want the food to taste like you expect. Not like the equipment it was cooked in in the cafeteria, the smell lingering in the air, or the last dish that was heated in the break room microwave.

Properly maintaining equipment, including air exchanges, is critical. Recycling fresh air pulls out occupant-generated smells that can affect how food tastes.

Improperly or infrequently cleaning food preparation and storage equipment can also affect how food tastes. That’s why it’s so important to pay special attention to how and when food areas are used.

When people visit your facility, their senses give them a gut feel about how they perceive your organization. And whether literally or metaphorically speaking, you want them to leave with a good taste in their mouth.

Find out how UG2 can help you create experiences that keep people coming back and enjoying their environment – and their food.

Get in touch with TeamUG2.

UG2 Selected for Its Innovative Solutions and 5-Star Level of Excellence

PRESS RELEASE

October 18, 2022 – BOSTON, MA – UG2 today announced that it has been awarded the contract to provide janitorial services at Gillette Stadium, home of the six-time world champion New England Patriots and New England Revolution. The leader in integrated facility services was awarded the engagement based on its innovative solutions and proven ability to deliver a pristine environment with a 5-star level of customer service.

“Everything UG2 delivers, from our unique approach to our carefully curated solutions, is focused on ensuring exemplary facility services in a “post pandemic” world. We’re thrilled and extremely proud to partner with Gillette Stadium to deliver the superior janitorial services their world- class destination venue deserves,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of UG2.

“We want everyone who visits Gillette Stadium to have an amazing and memorable experience. Janitorial services are key to making this happen,” said Jason Stone, Vice President of Site Operations, Kraft Sports + Entertainment. “UG2’s commitment to excellence was apparent from the start. Their fresh approach with employee and customer focus, innovative equipment and solutions, and hands-on management style set them apart. Already, they’ve clearly elevated the level of janitorial services at Gillette Stadium, with facilities that are noticeably clean and pristine.”

UG2’s engagement with Gillette Stadium began April 1, 2022. UG2 also provides janitorial services for Patriot’s Place, an open-air shopping center adjacent to Gillette Stadium.

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is headquartered in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

Highlighting UG2’s Diverse Workforce Through Hispanic Heritage Month

UG2 would be nothing without our incredibly diverse and passionate workforce. From day one, we have been committed to celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization. Although our team represents a wide variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, languages, and cultures, we all come together to accomplish our mission of providing the best customer experience in the facility services industry.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which occurs annually from September 15 to October 15, serves as a perfect way to honor our hardworking UG2 family. Many of our team members originate from Spanish-speaking countries and bring with them their own unique experiences and outlooks.

In our recent social media spotlight series, we were able to highlight UG2 employees from seven different Spanish-speaking countries: Alex Romano (Operations Manager), Claudia Rodriguez (Account Manager), Hagen Corona (Operations Manager), Nelson Zelidon (Stationary Engineer), Yaisel Lacher (Supervisor), Stefhania Agudelo (Onboarding Specialist), and Artemio Vasquez (Floor Care Utility).

We invited these stellar employees to share some fond memories and traditions from their home countries.

What is something you miss from your country?

Artemio (Mexico): The traditional Mexican dish of Mole Oaxaqueno. It’s prepared with many different ingredients which gives it a special taste. The ice cream is also a favorite. It comes in a variety of flavors and can even have a smokey taste depending on the type.

Alex (Argentina): All the homecooked Argentinian meals, especially empanadas!

Hagen (Guatemala): The food and culture.

Do you have a favorite tradition from your country?

Claudia (Chile): Chile’s independence Day, Fiestas Patrias. The celebration lasts almost a week and family and friends get together all over the country to eat, drink and celebrate. Some typical foods that people enjoy during the festivities are Empanadas and Anticuchos (a meat dish). There are also celebratory drinks like the famous Pisco Sours, Piscola (Pisco liquor with soda over ice), and Terremoto cocktails (wine, pineapple ice cream, and grenadine).

Yaisel (Cuba): Traditional Cuban food, like a roasted pig.

Nelson (El Salvador): Semana Santa, which is Easter week. In El Salvador, people put a lot of effort into celebrating annual traditions.

Do you have a favorite Hispanic song or musician?

Stefhania (Colombia): The song “La Tierra del Olvido” by Carlos Vives.

We are proud to honor all that our UG2 Hispanic American employees contribute both to UG2 and this country as a whole. Our people are our best asset and we continue to celebrate their diverse backgrounds and accomplishments every day.

How to Keep Your Campus Safe and Running Smoothly

Matthew Randall, UG2’s Director of Facilities, recently published a timely article on facilitiesnet discussing back-to-school season—and the key components to earning stellar grades in facility management on campus.     

In “Get Ready For Back-To-School With A Facilities Management Score Card,” Matthew offers a checklist of items to keep in mind that is tailored to the unique circumstances facility managers face in the current climate. Students, faculty, and staff are navigating a complete return to campus while COVID-19 continues to hover and, potentially, cause disruption. Still, facility managers can leverage the expertise gleaned over the past two-and-a-half years to earn top grades across the board—and finish the semester with high marks.  

Safety is at the core of Matthew’s guidance, which touches on a number of considerations and strategies:  

Health and the Community Nature of Campus Life 

Creating and maintaining connections has never been more important to students, faculty and staff. Encouraging community while keeping people safe involves particular attention to disinfection protocols. Matthew highlights best practices to consider. 

  • Give common spaces a break. When possible, close off common spaces for 24 hours to allow HVAC systems a chance to mitigate airborne particles.   
  • Stagger the schedules of mission-critical employees. Assigning alternating shifts for key staff will decrease the possibility that essential players will be waylaid by an outbreak at the same time.  
  • Track visitor activity with sign-in stations. This practice allows you to follow up with someone who tests positive by targeting appropriate disinfection protocols.  
  • Continue to prioritize disinfection. Make sure teams are systematic about cleaning and consider leveraging digital tracking technology such as Near Field Communication (NFC) tagging. 
  • Stay well-stocked. Keep supply chain challenges top-of-mind and at a minimum, store a month’s supply of key custodial supplies.   
  • Broadcast your care and attention. There is a public relations aspect to facility services. Use signage, targeted communications, and even “Disinfection Team” t-shirts for custodial staff to let visitors know their safety is your priority.

Optimization of Operations and Maintenance

Your O&M team relies on you for help with the challenge of keeping equipment up and running while keeping costs in check. Matthew shares the strategies that have worked for him.

  • Prioritize preventative maintenance. Don’t let your plan fall through the cracks.
  • Tweak equipment for efficiency. Make sure equipment is operating within its design specifications and monitor for emerging issues.
  • Track equipment lifecycle. Base replacement decisions on historical data rather than waiting for something to go awry.
  • Optimize energy consumption. Leverage your Building Management System, follow schedules and use motion sensors.

Worker Safety as Top Priority

Packed, busy campuses can make for added safety hazards. Matthew shared some of the safety strategies he has refined over his career.

  • Guard against distraction-related injury. Remind workers to pause the task they are engaged in if someone interrupts.
  • Avoid injury from repetitive motion. Organize equipment, systems, and schedules to minimize risk.
  • Conduct Job Safety Analysis. Make sure your existing JSAs are aligned with your current environment.
  • Be strategic about signage. Use signs to mitigate risk in appropriate locations without overwhelming the space.

Like all members of our leadership team, Matthew is happy to share the wisdom he’s gained with experience. Are you looking for more guidance on earning top grades in facility management this semester? Read the full article at facilitiesnet, or contact Team UG2

Helpful Reminders from UG2 Facilities Experts

Facility managers can barely say goodbye to summer before they are looking ahead to “the most wonderful time of the year,” a.k.a. the havoc of winter. Even in states that don’t typically get much snow, the potential for extreme weather is real, and that makes preparation key for everyone.

While winter preparedness activities span all our service areas, UG2’s janitorial and landscaping teams face particularly demanding challenges. Team UG2 experts have pulled together some tips to get you moving on your own preparations. It’s never too early to start!

  1. Schedule a walkthrough. Stroll the property with responsible stakeholders and note potential problem spots, areas in need of repair, and safe places to stow plowed and shoveled snow.
  2. Get your plan in place. Meet with your team, review lessons from last winter, and update your plan accordingly.
  3. Stock up on supplies like fuel and de-icers. Take inventory and making sure there are abundant amounts especially since there are still supply chain delays plaguing the country, so ordering early is key.
  4. Designate a weather watcher. Identify a forecast master who is  responsible for monitoring the weather outlook and triggering plans.
  5. Set up snow removal. If your facility or campus can’t handle the snow from a major storm, establish a contract with professionals who can handle it—well ahead of time.
  6. Clear away debris. Every walkway, entry area, parking lot and rooftop should be cleared of clutter, trash, and potential hazards large and small.
  7. Trim trees and mulch landscaping. Tag overgrown or unhealthy tree branches for removal, winterize your irrigation systems, and layer three-to-five inches of mulch over vulnerable garden areas.
  8. Protect your greenscape. Make sure to give grass and gardens a wide berth when preparing to pile up snow that could contain harsh additives like ice melt, salt, and sand.
  9. Repair cracks and potholes in pavement. This goes for concrete structures of all kinds.
  10. Survey your rooftops. Flush gutters, secure flashings, clear drains, examine tar seals, and check for cracks and dips wherever snow and ice could accumulate.
  11. Inspect every piece of equipment. Make sure blowers and plows are in tip-top condition, and order replacement parts for any items that require frequent fixes.
  12. Winterize windows and doors. Arrange for an energy assessment, inspect your facility for gaps cracks, and install storm windows, weather stripping, and weather-appropriate entry mats.

This serves as a reminder and isn’t an exhaustive list even though it is quite long!

Partner with facility operations & maintenance teams to make sure you are fully prepared. Learn about inspecting equipment, maintenance, pipe insulation and other recommendations for O&M teams: https://ug2.com/winter-prep-strategies-operations-and-maintenance/

Why You Should Pay Attention to the Human Sense of Touch

We’ve all experienced the “yuck” factor that happens when pushing elevator and microwave buttons or door handles and coming away with sticky, dirty fingers. Not only do we feel a bit disgusted, but we also worry what germs we may be catching. After all, if one or two things are dirty, everything is suspect.  

Facility services teams should always be focused on keeping their buildings clean and pristine. Now, with so many people back in offices, on campus, and returning to restaurants and entertainment venues –new COVID-19 variants are still circulating so you need to be even more vigilant.    

One survey found 42% of workers are worried about returning to the workplace for fear of contracting COVID-19. Combine that with peoples’ strong (76%) preference for working from home, and it’s clear what janitorial mishaps can be costly: low occupancy, lost tenants, and lost revenue.  

More People in Fewer Spaces 

And what about the impact of hybrid work, which seems to show no signs of slowing down? Many people who come into the office just a few days a week will no longer have their own desk. About 52% of companies expect to shrink their office space over the next three years, largely because of remote and hybrid work. This is sure to increase the amount of hotel desking, with people using any available desk.  

You may be surprised to learn that desks are one of the germiest places in the office. They have about 21,000 bacteria, viruses, and fungi per square inch. That’s 400 times more than a toilet seat. The more people share desks, the more germs there will be.  

Frequent, Proactive Cleaning 

Clearly, frequent and proactive surface cleaning is a must. Facility services teams can determine just how often based on occupancy levels, highly trafficked areas, and by simply observing.  

As a result of COVID-19, many custodial organizations are now using high-level disinfectants on high-touch areas. While this is good for maintaining healthy environments, it can also create a residue that feels strange to the touch. To avoid this, follow-up with another lower-level disinfectant that smooths out the surface and feels clean.   

To alleviate concerns and help people to feel more comfortable while in your facilities: 

  • Keep hand wipes at the ready. Have them available at building and room entrances so occupants can grab them to wipe desks, door handles, buttons, café tables, and other surfaces. 
  • Put door hangers on every office door that say “Please Disinfect” on one side, and “Space is Clean” on the other. Employees leaving the room can flip it to the “Please disinfect” side. When they return, they’ll see “Space is Clean” and feel better using the facility.   
  • Be visible. Have your custodial staff clean areas and wipe down surfaces when occupants are present. As the old adage “seeing is believing” infers, people will feel more confident that you’re working hard to keep them safe. 
  • Use signage. Don’t be afraid to post signs suggesting occupants and visitors wash hands and wipe surfaces. Studies have shown that diligent washing, wiping and sanitizing can help office workers reduce their rates of cold, flu and stomach illness by up to 80%.  

To learn how UG2 is making facilities across the country clean and pristine, get in touch with TeamUG2

PRESS RELEASE

September 20, 2022 – BOSTONUG2, a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated facility services, today announced it has expanded its leadership team with key IT and HR veterans. Samar Kawar joined as Senior Vice President of Information Technology, along with Edgar Colon as Vice President of People. Together they will facilitate UG2’s growth by hiring and retaining the best talent and ensuring UG2 has the advanced technology systems that employees need to drive business forward.

“UG2 has always prided ourselves on being an innovative, entrepreneurial organization. It’s what enables us to deliver the superior facility services our customers deserve,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., CEO of UG2. “Samar and Edgar are both highly accomplished, out-of-the-box thinkers and leaders who will enable us to continue growing to meet customer demand, while giving our employees the tools and support they need to excel.”

Samar Kawar, SVP, Information Technology, UG2

“Facility services is fast-becoming a technology-driven industry. To be competitive, not only must companies implement advanced technologies for customer-facing programs, but also for the systems internal employees depend on,” said Kawar. “I joined UG2 because of their clear commitment to using technology to streamline processes and spur innovation. I’m thrilled to be part of such a forward-thinking, tech-savvy organization.”

Kawar brings 23 years of executive IT and Operations experience at facility services and SaaS companies to UG2. She is a strategic technology leader with a proven track record of heading enterprise IT operations, developing technology solutions, building infrastructure, and optimizing data analysis. She has extensive experience directing cross-functional teams to drive strategic business initiatives and digital transformation, streamline business processes, and advance innovation. Prior to UG2, Samar held leadership positions at Able Services and ABM Industries and was CIO and VP of IT Operations at PointAcross. She earned a B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science at University College London.

Edgar Colon, Vice President of People, UG2

“Businesses can’t thrive if they don’t attract, train, delight, and retain the best talent. With today’s economic and labor realities, excelling at all of these is more critical than ever. UG2 understands this intimately. They’ve created a strong, family-like, and supportive culture that is rare in this industry. That’s why I’m so excited about joining the team,” said Colon. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the company to ensure UG2 remains an amazing place to work as we continue growing.”

Colon honed his expertise during his nearly 20 years in human resources, at companies ranging from 600 to 7,000 employees. He brings wide-ranging experience in strategic and operational HR to UG2, including talent acquisition and retention, labor and employee relations, benefits, policies, and a demonstrated ability to adapt and innovate HR practices. A trusted partner to CEOs, CIOs, Finance and IT teams, Colon joined UG2 from Lupoli Companies where he was VP of HR. He formerly held HR positions at TJX Companies, Schnitzer Steel Industries, and Autajon Group, among others.

About UG2
UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit https://www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

United: Inclusivity for a Stronger UG2

Let’s celebrate! September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. This serves as a time to honor the culture, history, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino/a or Latinx Americans. Hispanic heritage is a rich and widely diverse subject with many different layers. Plus, did you know that the U.S. Hispanic population is this country’s largest minority? 

First, let’s go over some definitions. 

Hispanic refers to a person who is from or is a descendant of a Spanish-speaking country. Latino/a or Latinx refers to someone who is from or is a descendant of a country in Latin America.  

Officially, Hispanic heritage recognition actually only started as a week-long observance.   The celebration was first introduced in June of 1968 by Congressman George E. Brown. With the Civil Rights Movement in full swing, more Americans began to recognize the numerous multicultural groups in the United States, including the country’s Hispanic population. Hispanic Heritage Week was brought to a national scale the same year by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was not for 20 more years until the week was extended to a 30-day celebration under President Ronald Reagan. It was enacted into American law under Public Law 100-402 on August 17, 1988. 

So, you might be wondering why the celebration does not begin on the first of the calendar month. Well, September 15 serves as an important date for many Latino cultures. It is the independence anniversary of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Chile and Mexico’s independence days as well as Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) also fall during the month. 

UG2 relishes the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month each year.

This year’s theme—Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation—is particularly fitting for our organization and mission. Diversity, Equity, and inclusion is a part of our core values: “Our employees’ breadth of ethnicities, backgrounds, languages, and identities make for a diverse culture that is one of the most enriching, robust aspects of UG2.” 

We are thrilled to again join the effort to honor and promote the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Inspired by the theme of National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022, we have adapted the theme United: Inclusivity for a Stronger UG2 to capture and celebrate the ways our diverse workforce has made for a stronger foundation since UG2’s inception.  

Every day, in all we do, we benefit from the contributions of a diverse community of employees nationwide who take tremendous pride in their Hispanic heritage. These employees are part of the fabric of our organization, and we are grateful to have the benefit of a wide range of perspectives, experiences, skills, and talents.  

Our philanthropic efforts from coast to coast include support for organizations that help our Spanish speaking employees with everything from English-as-a-foreign-language classes to professional development, civic and business education. UG2 is proud to support a breadth of organizations that support Hispanic communities like  English for New Bostonians which recognizes ESOL leadership in businesses and the community 

Internally, the UG2 family supports our employees with robust training, professional development and leadership opportunities and an emphasis on promoting from within. We are committed to continuing to honor the countless contributions of our Hispanic American employees with a warm and welcoming workplace that invites our employees to share their culture and traditions. 

Sources:

6 ways to celebrate hispanic & latino heritage month
12 ways to celebrate hispanic heritage month
hispanic heritage month – september 2022
hispanic heritage month

Key Factors for Success in Facility Services Outsourcing

Outsourcing facility and janitorial services can bring tremendous benefits to any organization, including streamlined business processes and reduced long-term costs.

But a multi-tenant building filled with real estate firms, law offices, and investment funds have very different needs than a life science company that has much more stringent protocols, specialized equipment, and sensitive lab areas.

When it comes to facilities and janitorial management, life science stands apart. That makes it even more crucial to find a partner that understands these major focus areas:

Maintenance of Sensitive Environments

Unlike offices and public spaces, life science encompasses areas like clean rooms, vivariums and labs with complex biological safety levels. These require not just the correct combination of cleaning products, but also the correct standard operating procedures and protocols.

For example, janitorial services can’t just be “extra careful” in lab spaces. Those individuals must be trained and follow precise protocols with personal protective equipment, utilize cleaning solutions and equipment that will not have a negative effect on ongoing projects, and work at a pace that emphasizes precision over speed.

That leads to maximization of product or research yield, so risk of contamination is mitigated. Errors made in this environment could lead to massive loss of time and/or money from the potentially significant negative impact on human health care and ongoing projects.

Collaboration and Communication

Working with life science organizations requires a high level of teamwork with a customer’s facilities team to ensure adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), as well as a proactive approach to ensuring uptime. Just as the industry itself is unique, so too is every organization within that industry.

Because of that, communication is key. Not only does that help prevent problems, but better collaboration creates a basis of risk reduction. For instance, perhaps a piece of equipment seems askew from where it’s usually placed. Alerting lab managers immediately could prevent disaster—but that’s only possible if you have a team that knows where that equipment should be in the first place.

Training and Safety

Spaces like labs and clean rooms don’t just have different equipment or furnishings than other places, they require specialized understanding and professionals who can set up, maintain, and clean them correctly.

That involves upfront training and certifications, but that’s just a starting point. Those facilities and janitorial professionals must receive ongoing training, including extensive safety protocols, and that training must include specific needs for each type of life science customer. Just as important is continuous knowledge of industry trends through conferences and seminars.

At UG2, we see each life science customer engagement as an opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise in the industry, and to maximize the resources already in place, so customers can develop strategies that are proactive and meaningful.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.

Tips for Facility Services Teams

Paul Savarino serves as Vice President, Engineering Services, Southern California for UG2. His recent article in Facility Executive offers a guide to exceeding expectations when it comes to customer service in a hospitality facility.    

In “How To Make Hospitality Customer Service Shine,” Paul underscores the importance of keeping customers happy—and ensuring they’ll not only return for a future stay, but will share their positive experience to friends, family and colleagues. He outlines strategies for making sure building engineers are part of a comprehensive effort to treat guests as a hotel’s most precious assets. As Paul points out, facility engineers have more touchpoints with guests—and therefore can have a greater impact on their experience—than anyone else on site.

Paul outlines a range of best practices that include making sure everyone is aligned on:

Putting guests first. Experts say that first impressions form within seconds—and have a lasting impression. Thus, the first-15-minute “warm welcome” guests receive is paramount, from walking into the lobby to entering their room to evaluating amenities, including TV, lights and shower pressure. Whether working front or back of house, every task facility engineers approach must begin with the mindset that the customer comes first.

Prioritizing guest room interactions. A call to the front desk to report an issue should garner an immediate response. An engineer should arrive within 10 minutes to demonstrate the guests’ importance. Engineers should be well trained to greet and treat guests respectfully and to read them and respond appropriately, gauging whether the guest is inviting conversation or expecting a quick, conversation-less response.

Taking ownership of issues. To truly delight customers, an engineer responding to an issue should go the extra mile and check back with the guest later to confirm the issue has been resolved. In fact, if a guest mentions being dissatisfied with any other aspect of the hotel, the engineer should take steps to proactively address the problem on the spot.

Attending to public area interactions. Remind engineers that they’re always on the job, even when not attending to a specific task. If they spot a guest walking through the hotel who looks confused, they should ask if they need help. If the guest asks for directions to a particular room or area, escort them to their destination. If the guest raises a question they don’t know how to answer, bring them to someone who will.

Preventing problems from the outset. Back of the house responsibilities means making sure that everything customers see, touch, and feel is working properly, including:

  • Room Amenities: Well before a guest arrives, engineers are responsible for making sure that everything in a room is up and running — making sure batteries in the room are functioning properly, the TV and remote work, electronic drapes open and close, shower pressure is powerful, hot water is plentiful, sinks are working, and nothing is clogged.
  • HVAC:  Avoid an overly hot, cold, or humid room in advance by ensuring the HVAC system is working properly and that guests can control the temperature. Equipment should have no rattling vents, loud motors, or strange smells. Preventative HVAC maintenance such as replacing air filters, cleaning air ducts and coils, and checking supply air temperature are critical to keeping guests comfortable and happy.

Do you want to learn more about how to stand out from the competition when it comes to customer service? Read the complete full article at Facility Executive, or contact Team UG2.

Gain Insight From the Data Analysis and Reap the Benefits

Industry experts attribute a whopping 70 percent of an asset’s lifetime costs to energy and maintenance expenses. That data lends new urgency to the importance of life cycle cost analysis.

Calculating life cycle cost helps you minimize waste and streamline operations. When it comes to facility management, those calculations are essential to identifying the most efficient and cost-savings approach to operations and maintenance. On the flipside, overlooking life cycle cost analyses brings risks of lost productivity, emergency repairs or replacement, downtime, not to mention safety.

Life cycle cost analysis takes into account expenses such as:

  • Acquisition and procurement
  • Fuel and energy
  • Operations
  • Maintenance
  • Capital-replacement
  • Loans and financing
  • Construction
  • Repairs
  • Restoration
  • Rehabilitation
  • Updates and modernization

This multi-layered approach might sound complicated—which is a significant reason why building managers and owners tend to avoid it. But partnering with a trusted industry expert can make all the difference. A professional with true expertise in facility management will generate a more accurate analysis that accounts for line items like the time and costs associated with transporting and installing new equipment.

You’ll not only get a data-informed analysis that will save you time, money, and energy, you’ll learn aspects of life cycle valuation that will inform future decision-making well beyond the property or project at hand.

Other benefits of life cycle cost analysis include:

  • A better-informed, long-term maintenance schedule that makes the most of employees’ and technicians’ time as well as avoids peak operating periods.
  • Accurate repair budgets to inform capital and strategic planning.
  • Timely budgeting for water and utilities that accounts for rate of usage and consumption.
  • More precise guidance around stocking replacement parts, tools, and equipment.
  • Strategies for conserving energy and reducing related costs.

Perhaps most importantly, turning to life cycle cost analysis allows you to prioritize safety, stay in compliance, stay ahead of problems and repairs, which will have a positive impact on every owner, resident, customer and visitor.

5-Star Facility Services to Help Campuses Thrive

For many of us, no matter our age, September recalls the back-to-school sentiments of a fresh start, a clean slate, and new experiences.

At UG2, we are grateful for the opportunity to live the true back-to-school “reset” year after year. Of course, our work with higher education facilities takes place year-round, and we’ve been working all summer to get campuses ship-shape and sparkling in anticipation of the upcoming school year.

As summer comes to a close, we couldn’t be more ready to welcome back faculty, staff, students, and visitors. The complexities of maintaining safe and beautiful campus communities give UG2 a chance to really shine. Here’s how we keep the polish on.

Attention to detail combined with big-picture prevention. Beautification and preventative maintenance of buildings and grounds, electrical and lighting expertise, conditions assessment and capital planning—the list goes on, and we have experts tuned in and ready for every level of service to anticipate the constantly evolving needs on campus. We stay on top of immediate needs while never losing sight of the long view.

Rigorous, proven processes. From incorporating the most rigorous safety standards for all we do to continuously building on our understanding of best practices around deep cleaning and sanitization to air filtration and preventative maintenance, we rely on systems and processes that meet—and exceed—the highest standards in the industry.

Hands-on management. Much of our senior leadership have been with the company since its inception—and in the industry for decades before that—but their seniority doesn’t mean they’re far removed from the day-to-day efforts and challenges of the work. In fact, we are hands-on, in-person, and very present in supporting our employees, resolving issues, and fine-tuning our approach. 

Innovative, sustainable solutions that save time and money. From using eco-friendly chemicals, championing green initiatives, and offering energy audits to delivering the latest technology for data management, maintenance, and reporting, UG2 leads the way in combining forward-looking problem solving with an emphasis on sustainability, efficiencies and cost savings.

Specialized service. Campuses have needs that set them apart from other facilities, with multiple facility types, spaces that remain in operation 24/7, and high levels of interpersonal engagement. We not only take those differences into consideration, we’ve developed deep expertise in tailoring our services to fit their unique needs.

Personalized attention. Students thrive when they experience education in a community environment, and a successful facilities management approach must embrace and reflect that reality. Our teams and supervisors get to know your campus well, and our low turnover rate means you can count on familiar, friendly faces who understand your campus culture and take pride in our work—and yours.

UG2’s approach to facility management for higher education institutions has yielded longstanding working relationships with colleges and universities of every size across the country. It also contributes to our customer retention rate of 99%. Learn more about how UG2 could serve your institution’s needs, get in touch with us today.

The Right Facility Services Provider Can Make a Huge Difference

When considering the move toward bringing in an outsourcing partner, the fact is that emotions can run high for in-house staff. Some might think they’re being replaced, or that an outsourcing company will bulldoze all of their carefully constructed operations procedures. Some in your organization may not even be able to articulate why they’re feeling unsettled about it, they just know it will be a change, and that’s enough to make them bristle.

We get it. And it’s crucial to find a partner that gets it and takes ownership. In a new outsourcing arrangement, experience is key to handling not just the everyday tasks, strategic initiatives, and workforce needs, but also the emotions that come along with it.

In addition to that major consideration, there are other top factors to consider when you’re assessing whether an outsourcing partner will be a good fit for you:

  • Expertise in your specific industry or field, with a list of customers to prove it, and knowledge of the processes unique to your industry.
  • Certifications and experience that go above and beyond the bare minimum; an outsourcing partner should have a strong emphasis on ongoing education and training.
  • Well-articulated mission statement that puts customers first and establishes the outsourcing provider as a customer-centric company.
  • Desire for collaboration, not replacing existing staff; “partnership” shouldn’t be a meaningless term in their marketing materials, but instead, a driving focus.
  • Labor relations experience: an engaged, productive workforce doesn’t happen by accident, it’s the result of informed and proactive measures that significantly reduce the risk of labor problems.
  • Alignment with existing leadership infrastructure; also, the ability to add to that leadership in meaningful ways that maximize the power of an organization’s knowledge base and strategic direction.
  • Emergency preparedness protocols and response; An outsourcing partner should have a proactive mindset, rather than a shorter-term, reactive process that doesn’t anticipate changing needs.

Most of all, a partner should be exactly that: a partner. Collaboration and trust is an essential element for this, and an outsourcing provider should be able to detail the ways in which processes and procedures will be shared, not replaced.

At UG2, we see each customer engagement as an opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise, and also to maximize the resources already in place, so that customers can develop strategies that are proactive and meaningful.

Outsourcing facility services isn’t about bringing in more subcontractors and dealing with the potential headaches that come with that move. It’s about creating a partnership that brings both short-term benefits and long-term advantages in a way that advances efficiency, strategic thinking, workforce productivity, and mission-driven initiatives.

It Could Make or Break a First Impression

When people enter your facility, there are many things you want them to notice. You want them to see how clean it is, how orderly the lobby and rooms are, how surfaces sparkle. There are also things you don’t want them to notice. Topping the list? Smells that make people wrinkle their noses.

Smells are one of the impactful senses we have. But too often, buildings smell stale, musty or, in some cases, pungent. Even cleaning products can be off-putting when their odors are overpowering. And as the CDC has noted, some can be hazardous to health.

Strong smells may make people avoid certain places in your facility. Or, in today’s world when everyone is hyper-aware of cleanliness and health risks, they may leave the facility and choose not to return.

The Most Common Problem Areas

Odors can impact every part of your facility. For instance, carpets or even nearby dumpsters can infiltrate the air with bad smells. But certain spaces – like bathrooms – are more common offenders.

In one study, 77% of respondents said smell is the first thing they notice when they go into a bathroom. In men’s restrooms, urinal cakes are one of the biggest culprits. Custodial staff sometimes pile them up to mask the smell, but the high-perfume scent can be overwhelming.

Other areas where smell can be an issue are custodial closets. If used supplies and buckets of dirty water are stored there, their smells can seep into the hallway. In older buildings, sewer smells can also come up through custodial closets and from other sources.

And what about food areas? People don’t typically think of them as places that give off unpleasant odors. But nobody wants a cafeteria that smells like grease or when break rooms and surrounding office spaces smell from the microwaved fish or popcorn. Not only can the smells be offensive to the point where people start to eat and congregate elsewhere, they can also distract people from their tasks at hand.

Fresh Smells Have Far-Reaching Impacts

Facility services teams should aim for the highest air quality with a fresh-smelling environment that is free of pollutants. Not only is this comforting to occupants, it can positively affect their moods and performance.

For instance, studies reported in Scientific American show that odors affect how people think and behave. They found that people who worked in the presence of a pleasant-smelling environment reported higher self-efficacy, set higher goals and were more likely to use efficient work strategies than participants who worked in a no-odor environment.

Pleasing smells were also found to improve vigilance during tedious tasks, whereas foul odors impaired people’s judgments and lowered their tolerance for frustration.

Preventative Maintenance Eradicates Foul Odors

Preventative maintenance and frequent cleaning go a long way towards helping your facility stay odor-free. Here are a few of the practices UG2 staffers are adamant about following:

  • Cleaning bathrooms regularly so you don’t have to use urinal cakes to mask smells, and taking care to use strong – but not potent-smelling – cleaning products everywhere in the facility.
  • Containing and eliminating odors that would otherwise seep out of custodial closets by emptying pails of dirty water, adding water back into sewer traps, and ensuring appropriate air filtration systems are in place.
  • Paying special attention to maintaining HVAC equipment, using MERV 13 filters, and scheduling frequent fresh air exchanges.
  • Maintaining kitchen equipment, filters, and ducts so the mechanicals don’t break down, and keep air circulating so that cooking smells can be whisked away.

Fresh-smelling facilities are inviting. They provide a sense of cleanliness and can even help lift people’s moods and make them more productive and energized. 

Want more tips on how to make your facility even fresher? Contact Us

Best Practices for a Proactive Strategy

Adverse weather events are of increasing concern among our customers. Fortunately, UG2 has a deep bench of expertise when it comes to preparing our people and properties for major storms like hurricanes. Our approach includes a tiered response that we adapt to the unique needs of our customers, and continuously refine based on incident reviews and emerging best practices.  

Leadership and listening are both important tools in any facility management situation. While Team UG2 excels at operations, maintenance, and janitorial services across the board, hurricane preparedness demands that we look at all of those services through a different lens.

Our customers in hurricane zones benefit from UG2’s strong emphasis on planning, communication, and coordination. Our managers and supervisors continuously follow the weather and share information, updates, and evolve plans with our employees and with customers.

Employees are prepared to take action well in advance of an oncoming storm, ready to store and secure property and the many objects that can quickly become projectiles like umbrellas, outdoor chairs and tables, trash cans and equipment.

A Safety-first response

Since forecasts generally provide three to four days of advance warning for inclement weather, UG2 supervisors’ first move is for management to step in and enable our employees to first take care of their own personal needs, from evacuating family and pets to safety to securing their personal property and belongings. Then, supervisors identify the employees with the expertise and availability to staff the front line for the response, often arranging for them to stay in a nearby hotel to ensure both safety and accessibility.

Preparedness tasks are varied, from storing and securing property to monitoring flooding potential, arranging sandbags, clearing drains, checking equipment and batteries, conducting review of the properties for unexpected debris, fueling vehicles, and filling gas cans, all while carefully monitoring the path of the storm.

We tap the expertise of different teams by keeping employees on standby and maintaining continuous communication, with plans and alternative actions lined up depending on how the storm evolves. Of utmost importance is our ongoing communication with our customers, both to inform and update them on the situation and to gather new information and emerging concerns to pass on to our employees leading the response on the frontlines.

Safety and preparedness depend on advance preparation, which is why they are key topics integrated into all our meetings and trainings, with several layers of management involved in developing protocols and deploying action steps when a plan is activated.

Do you have questions about preparing your facility for adverse weather events? Get in touch with us today, and we will happily connect you with one of our on-staff experts.

First impressions form quickly, last long and are very hard to overturn. Studies have shown that it takes less than 27 seconds of meeting someone to create an impression. The same thing happens when people walk into your facility.

Impressions are formed through 5 senses: sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. A positive encounter can contribute to your success. These days, everyone expects facilities to be clean and comfortable so it’s important to take all the measures you can to keep your facility feeling pristine clean and safe.

In our 5 senses blog series, we’ll look at each of the senses and how to make them shine, starting with Sight.

Seeing is Believing

What do people see when they drive onto your campus, walk into your building, and step into your restrooms? Are the lawns manicured? Is the parking area well-lit and free of debris? Are floors sparkling? Is signage clear?

When it comes to sight, lots of little things can add up to create a positive or negative impression. One piece of trash on the floor may go unnoticed, but four or five won’t. Smudges on a glass door may be forgiven, but not if they’re followed by overflowing trash bins.

Your facility’s appearance can have larger impact on visitors or occupants than you may realize. For instance, one study found that in offices where employees thought cleanliness was lacking, 72% said their surroundings made them less productive. Nearly half (46%) took longer lunch breaks and spent less time in the office, and a quarter said they took sick leave because their surroundings were depressing.

Remember also that tenants and visitors may adjust their behavior to fit the environment they’re experiencing. Seeing your facility service team mopping spills right away, wearing fresh, clean uniforms, or straightening out a chair as they pass through a room, may inspire others to keep their surroundings clean and orderly.

Here are just a few of the ways UG2 ensures our team continually creates the best visual impression for your facility:

  • We communicate regularly so everyone understands what each of our customers expect in terms of facility cleanliness and staffing.
  • We discuss how to best interact with your facility’s occupants and visitors, including how to listen and react to their feedback.
  • We encourage our team to take their jobs personally, to care about the smallest details, and we recognize and reward them when they do.
  • We are proactive in order to deliver the highest standard of facility services.
  • We adjust schedules based on your occupancy and traffic.
  • We conduct cleaning and landscaping inspections, review results with our team and yours, and course correct whenever needed.
  • We provide staff with the best-suited cleaning and landscaping tools and technologies, so they have everything needed to make your facility shine, inside and out.   

Learn Why Companies Choose to Work with UG2

Many of UG2’s longtime customers and partners include the industrial customers that keep our country moving. We bring an unmatched understanding of the ways that even small-scale equipment failures, sanitization breakdowns, and power outages can derail the systems and processes these businesses rely on for hours, days, or even weeks.

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain issues are already impacting their work every day, these customers can’t afford to absorb unavoidable missteps. That’s why they turn to UG2 for highly specialized services, tailored to their needs, with our teams of expert employees who take their job seriously and stick with our customers for the long haul.

Why industrial and manufacturing customers rely on UG2

Impeccable safety practices. UG2 puts safety first in all that we do—with fine-tuned processes that don’t compromise productivity. Every UG2 team member is rigorously trained on safety best practices and is committed to protecting the health and safety of your employees, your environment, your operations, and your data.  

Innovation and technology. We work at the leading edge of innovation and technology in facility services. In fact, that commitment is one of our core values. Whether its barcoding, critical alarm monitoring, computerized maintenance management, or electrostatic disinfection spraying, we continuously refine our approach to incorporate emerging tools and processes.

Personalized approach. Our team gets to know your business inside and out, so that we can adapt our best practices to your specific needs, incorporating a detailed understanding of your standard operating procedures. Ongoing training and low staff turnover make for reliable service and seamless support.

Optimized deep-cleaning practices. Our certified Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) cleaners and supervisors excel at everything they do. From deep cleaning and disinfection to waste stream and recycling to green cleaning and quality management reporting, our processes and practices set the industry standard.

Minimized downtime. We understand that the lost revenue tied to downtime can be devastating to a business. Our low turnover rate means we attract and retain the most highly skilled technicians, certified and trained to keep your equipment running smoothly with preventative maintenance.

UG2 brings deep expertise across the board when it comes to our industrial services, from operations and maintenance to janitorial, from enhanced cleaning and disinfection to mailroom services. We take pride in our work—and yours.

Maximize Your Resources and Work Smarter

Reduced Risk

No matter what your industry might be—whether you’re manufacturing products, teaching college students or operating a high-rise office building—you face risks related to your facility services program. If you’re taking a reactive approach, those risks can not only seem overwhelming, but also threaten the health of your organization.

Being able to anticipate potential risks and proactively address them is a distinctive aspect of experienced operations and maintenance, as well as facility services professionals, providing wide-ranging benefits long into the future. With the right outsourcing partner, you should be able to meet regulatory compliance demands, keep engineering licensure up to date, prevent asset downtime, implement innovations related to improvement, put sustainable cleaning practices into place, and use key performance indicators to fuel risk management.

A knowledgeable outsourcing partner can also handle labor relations and union matters and implement comprehensive safety programs—two aspects of operations that, if handled poorly, could scuttle any organization’s efficiency and productivity.

For example, safety requires more than just following regulations and having protective equipment available. It necessitates comprehensive and ongoing training that encompasses risk management and OSHA rules, to put best practices in place. UG2 considers safety a top priority, which is why we track metrics, refine training programs, and keep up with the latest tools and processes that make every workplace the safest it can possibly be.

Expanded Capabilities

While it’s true that you can bring in subcontractors for numerous facility services tasks, what about a C-level executive? Or can you find a strategic thinker who specializes in risk management and can assess your organizational structure to find productivity gaps? What about a trainer who understands the nuances of your team’s skillsets and can teach them cross-functional abilities that keep your workforce costs controlled?

With an experienced outsourcing partner, you don’t spend your days acting like the head of HR, constantly trying to find the right talent, hire, train, and review their performance. You simply reap the benefits of access to technical expertise and a deep bench. For example, at UG2, we implement training programs for staff development based on customer needs and bring in highly skilled executives who have specialized in strategy for decades.

This approach expands capability significantly, producing profound results and productivity gains.

At UG2, we see each customer engagement as an opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise, and also to maximize the resources already in place, so that customers can develop strategies that are proactive and meaningful.

Outsourcing facility services isn’t about bringing in more subcontractors and dealing with the potential headaches that come up. It’s about creating a partnership that brings both short-term benefits and long-term advantages in a way that advances efficiency, strategic thinking, workforce productivity, and mission-driven initiatives.

How Each of the 5 Senses are Important in a Facility

John Harris, Director of Facilities Management and one of our resident experts, recently shared some intriguing insights in a recent issue of FMJ.

UG2’s stellar reputation for customer service is no accident. We consider every aspect of customer experience on both the micro and macro levels, including some details that might surprise you. In the article, John discussed how customer experience begins the moment a person steps onto a property and takes in a space through their senses.

A customer’s sensory experience of a space can lead to a range of reactions from lingering and recommending the space to others, minimizing time spent there, or avoiding the space altogether. John explained the key points for facility managers to keep in mind:

Sight: It’s all in the details. As you would expect, a facility’s appearance makes a huge impact. In one study, 72% of employees said they were less productive in an office environment where cleanliness was lacking. Nearly half took longer lunch breaks and a quarter said they took sick leave because their surroundings made them feel depressed. What helps? Details like fresh flowers and potted plants, orderly lobbies and green water filter lights demonstrate a level of care that resonates with every visitor.

Smell: Fresher is better. Stale-smelling environments and those emitting too-strong scents of fragrance or cleaning products are all a turnoff for visitors. Air quality matters now more than ever, and people prefer spaces that smell naturally fresh and free of pollutants. Frequent cleaning, well-maintained HVAC equipment, the use of MERV 13 filters and frequent fresh air exchanges all make a major difference. Special attention to cafeterias, restrooms, and custodial closets is essential.

Sound: Strive for quiet. Research has found that noise negatively impacts concentration, productivity, and creativity. FM teams should take a broad approach to reduce unpleasant sounds. That means ensuring air vents do not rattle, equipment doesn’t have any loose parts, vacuums don’t disrupt, and hammering isn’t happening while people are trying to work. Managers can help by scheduling cleaning off-hours when possible and prioritizing preventive maintenance.

Touch: Keep it smooth. Surfaces like elevator buttons, counters and desktops are an immediate turnoff when they are sticky. That makes frequent cleaning a must. Facility managers should be aware of the cleaning products in use, and ensure they aren’t leaving behind sticky residues that collect dust and grime. Effective ways to counter the problem include keeping hand wipes at the ready and using door hangers that say “Please disinfect” on one side and “Office is Clean” on the other.

Taste: Consider the literal—and the metaphorical. No one wants their meal to taste like the equipment it was cooked in or the last dish that was warmed in the microwave. Properly maintained equipment, including air exchanges, makes a difference in food preparation and the overall experience of visiting a facility. And, in a literal and figurative sense, facility managers don’t want customers, visitors, tenants or employees leaving a space with a bad taste in their mouths. For more guidance on keeping customers happy in your facility, read the full article at FMJ, or get in touch with TeamUG2.

Mitigating Slips, Trips and Falls

From cafeterias contending with kitchen grease to sports arenas managing the discarded trash of thousands of fans, UG2 has built expertise across the continuum of facilities in mitigating slips, trips and falls.

As we mark the fourth and final week of National Safety Month, we pulled together some of our most important strategies for preventing these incidents.

Repeat, revisit and reinforce. At the core of preventing slips, trips and falls is recognizing the need for constant fine tuning and reinforcement. You can never remind a person too many times, or in too many ways. Maximizing safety means continuously revisiting workplace safety cultural assessments.

Stay well supplied. From cones, caution tape and readily available ladders and dollies to professional degreasing products and operable radios that allow employees to immediately report hazards, equipment is a key component of every safety plan.

Ensure adequate lighting. A single broken bulb can interfere with people’s ability to see steps, navigate changes in flooring and avoid obstacles and hazards. This basic element of an effective safety plan is easily overlooked because it’s not always handled with the urgency it deserves. We are seeing more and more sensor motion lighting; however, these lights do not always turn on right away when entering a dark space. Make sure the motion sensor has a quick timer and is pointed in the right direction.

Assess and address flooring hazards. Part of your regular safety protocol should include assessing, flagging and mitigating tripping hazards like entryway mats, elevation changes and the intersection of different flooring materials.

Check your signage. You can’t rely on a simple “wet floor” sign to caution passersby. Much like advertising, signs need to catch attention and create enough recognition to change behavior. Make sure signs are secure, easily read, offered in multiple languages, and accompanied by illustrations. The more frequently you change signage the more engenderment you’ll receive.

Keep staffing sufficient. Managing these ever-changing environments means having the right number of employees on hand—and making sure they are trained in all the particulars of that specific facility.

Train staff on JSA and hazard recognition. Facility managers should conduct regular hazard recognition training for all employees, hold refresher courses—and instruct employees on the proper way to handle a situation when peers are reviewing best practices.

Enforce rule about mobile phone use.  When employees are walking or working, they should not multitask and remember to pause before taking a call or checking a text. Much like distracted driving, behaviors around cell phone use must be constantly reinforced to be effective. Always have one hand for stair railings!

Implement site best practices. Physical safeguards in a building, campus, or warehouse space can go a long way toward preventing falls. For example, managers with an eye toward safety might install railings on both sides of wide stairways and introduce metal grates in areas where debris and/or water tends to collect.

Integrating these steps into your regular routines can go a long way toward preventing slips, trips and falls. If you have questions about hazard assessments or best practices when it comes to safety, let us know!

Injury and Risk Prevention

A true safety culture is difficult to achieve—and virtually impossible to sustain without an overall workplace culture that fosters positive relationships and outcomes in which safety programs and policies are baked in to the day-to-day operations. But striving for an injury-free program is a worthwhile investment that will eventually pay for itself, enabling you to save your employees pain and loss wages, and prevent lost production and decrease stress. A culture of safety allows you to excel in serving tenants, customers, residents and visitors in the ways that matters most.

Here’s how to get there.

Incorporate job safety/hazard analysis. Inspections, audits, and surveys should include risk and hazard assessments, permit to work audits, and job safety analysis audits. Creating a culture of safety means including a documented safety  audit at every site visit—no exceptions.

Discourage shortcuts. Taking shortcuts is a very human reaction that, in our heads, is about being more efficient. However, cutting corners is often an impulsive decision. Counteracting that inclination requires training, refreshers, reminders, and behavior checks in the moment.  

Create a culture that rewards doing things right. Deadlines should never take precedence over safety. Make sure employees, supervisors and managers prioritize a job well done over a rushed job. Recognize them for taking the time to do the task right the first time, not the second.

Support a team culture that allows for checks and balances. Since safety is everyone’s job, you should encourage employees to step in when they see a coworker cutting corners, taking risks, or prioritizing speed over attentiveness. Saying “Let me get you a dolly,” might feel awkward, but it’s much better than dealing with the aftermath of a preventable injury. Engaged management from the CEO to your hourly employees will help foster this team culture.

Make reminders visual. Use signs and drawings to remind people there’s a right — and wrong — way to approach tasks. Consider jobs which are vulnerable to corner-cutting and create a bold campaign that gets attention.  Once these high-risk tasks are known, share them with the larger workforce, not just your team.

Look at leading indicators. Leading indicators can help us predict problems and counter the habits that make us fallible. These include paying attention to data like changes in safety ratings, risk assessment ratings, as well as observed behaviors like the percentage of people wearing hard hats on a site.

Don’t discount near misses. To prevent today’s near miss from becoming tomorrow’s accident, encourage employees to report them. Review the near miss and any related behavior that explains it with the rest of your staff so they can avoid similar situations down the road. Reward employees are highlighting a near-miss is the first test in foster a healthy relationship of reporting them to supervisors.

Share lessons learned. Taking corrective action after an incident is essential. Consider what follow up your organization takes, beyond reporting, and ensure you are taking steps to share lessons learned with current and future employees.

Cultural change around safety requires open, ongoing, and targeted communication. Rewarding consistently safe behaviors, conducting trainings, offering employee surveys about safety and tracking training completion rates are all elements of a strong injury prevention plan.

Operations & Maintenance Tips For Your Facilities

From vulnerability to mold issues to COVID concerns to overextending the grid, your HVAC and refrigeration systems warrant expert attention year-round — but we are entering the season that really taxes these systems.

We asked our TeamUG2 experts to weigh in with their best tips for preparing your systems for summer:

Stay on top of the guidance. Best practices have evolved over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Building owners and managers should review and understand the newest guidance from the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) on air exchanges within a space, temperature, humidity and pressure relationships, filtration requirements, and the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) to protect building occupants.

Take steps to increase air circulation and filtration. Ask your facility services partner what more you can do to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, including the advice that facilities maximize the use of outside air.

Replace, upgrade and seal filters. A full assessment of filters includes those in air handling units, VAV boxes and fan powered terminal boxes. You can also look to increase the minimum efficiency MERV rating value on air filters. (ASHRAE recommends MERV 8 or higher) You can also tape the seams of your filters with duct tape to keep unfiltered air from penetrating coils.

Perform a deep cleaning. Disinfect cooling and heating coils and condensation pans, as well as all parts of a system involved in air exchange. Cleaning coils with an antibacterial cleaner will mitigate the risk of many viral contaminants making it to the airstream.

Consider Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI). This strategy uses ultraviolet light to disinfect HVAC coils in large air handlers, killing microorganisms including mold, flu viruses and bacteria on coils, surfaces, in water and in the airstream. The approach is to improve indoor air quality, provide clean, efficient HVAC operation, and reduce maintenance and energy costs.

Coat floors in mechanical and equipment rooms with microbiological paint. This low-cost, high-impact strategy reduces dust and other particulates that can get into the building’s air handling system. Not only does this type of paint kill multiple types of contaminants upon application, it also makes surfaces resistant to microbes for years afterward.

Install/change your water filtration media. If you don’t currently have water filtration, this is a great time to install them. This will eliminate potential contaminants, such as those that develop when water sits stagnant in a system and can turn into a potential legionella risk.

Identify the right level of cooling and ventilation for unoccupied areas. Whether you’re responsible for a school that’s closing up for the summer or an office that is partially occupied post-COVID, low-cost corrective measures and increased attention to preventative maintenance and energy management systems can reduce energy costs and prevent mold growth.

Workplace Impairment Awareness and Prevention

Much of safety is about prevention—and that includes paying attention to factors like mental distress, stress and fatigue that detract from our ability to focus and operate safely.

Every one of us is juggling external stressors, and many of us are carrying more than ever given the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and recent world events. These stressors impact us at our very core and affect our ability to prioritize basic needs like a good night’s sleep, regular exercise, and healthy meals.

Effective safety programs must incorporate an understanding that our employees are leading complex lives, caring for other family members from young children to aging parents, and juggling countless other worries and responsibilities. Outside stressors that impact our mental health and wellness can cause distraction and make us vulnerable to accidents and mishaps, and their ripple effect can impact the safety of others, too. 

UG2’s emphasis on wellness acknowledges this reality and recognizes our employees’ whole health. For supervisors, promoting a team environment that emphasizes mutual care and respect, making the time for regular check-ins, and taking both formal and informal opportunities to connect, communicate and listen, all have a role in being a strong and effective manager. Our leadership trainings teach managers to be tuned into indicators like lower morale and disengagement that may signal when employees need more support.

When it comes to caring for our employees, we place a premium on supporting their goals and efforts to pursue personal and professional growth. To that end, our trainings encourage supervisors and managers to cultivate talent by identifying, engaging, and empowering employees around their interests and career objectives. Our regular check-ins are therefore multipurpose, allowing supervisors to check on employees’ overall health and wellbeing but also to help with motivation, growth, and development.

UG2’s ongoing efforts to encourage self-care include promoting awareness of emotional wellbeing and strategies to stay mentally healthy. Our events, gatherings, milestone markers and celebrations often include opportunities for employees to experience the positive impact of connection, meditation and gratitude practices.  

While we prioritize wellness and mental wellbeing in our community culture, we know that stress and related concerns often stay hidden. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental or emotional distress that is impacting your day-to-day life, please reach out. Talk to a supervisor or trusted coworker, or find resources for a range of issues here.

Prevent Workplace Injuries

UG2 emphasizes safety in all we do, which makes National Safety Month an ultra-important tradition for highlighting all the measures we can take to protect TeamUG2, including employees, customers and residents or visitors.

This year, Week One of National Safety Month focuses on preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A leading cause of workplace injuries, MSDs can creep up on you because they often build up over time.

A safe work environment is crucial to reducing MSDs. When you are at home and spend an hour changing the drain trap under the sink, you might experience some soreness afterwards. But if you are putting your body into a strained or vulnerable position day after day as part of your job, even if your positioning is just 10 percent wrong, the impact is cumulative—and the damage is much harder to undo.

For UG2 employees, risky, repetitive motions might take the form of someone dragging a heavy trash barrel or pulling storage items off a high shelf without taking proper precautions. Whether an employee is working with us as an engineer, mechanic, janitor or technician, the risks and behaviors that can contribute to developing MSDs are ever-present.  

The Current Risk Factors Compounding Vulnerability to MSDs

Spreading awareness of evolving risk factors is an integral part of prevention. In the current climate, added risk factors include:

  • An aging workforce means cumulative job effects are catching up
  • Pandemic precautions that asked employees to keep distance from each other, leaving people less likely to get a coworker’s support for a team lift.
  • Interventions like back braces that offer a false sense of security and lead employees to take more risks. Using braces or other personal protective equipment should be a reminder that there is hazard you are trying to mitigate.

Regular Training + Routine Reminders

AT UG2, we know the remedy for these risks is multi-layered. Our approach incorporates:

  • An unmatched training and safety program that every employee completes before their first day on the job
  • Annual refresher trainings that reflect our evolving best practices and a data-informed understanding of risk and prevention
  • Reminders communicated at every opportunity, from morning check-ins to weekly meetings to one-on-one reviews
  • Access to well-maintained equipment from carts and dollies to forklifts and power jacks.

We are also at the forefront of adopting tech innovations such as injury prevention systems that use video to record employees performing tasks to allow them to assess how their skeletal system is functioning and identify stress points in jeopardy.

Safety is at the forefront of every conversation we have at UG2, and we incorporate it into all we do—every staff meeting, every site visit, every decision we make. That is what we mean when we talk about putting people first.

If you’re considering making the move toward outsourcing facility services, here’s a key checklist.

When considering the move toward bringing in an outsourcing partner to a life science company, the fact is that it can take time to build trust.

In large part, that’s because life science is unique as an industry. It requires maintenance of sensitive environments, a high degree of collaboration, ongoing communication, specialized training and safety, and knowledge of industry trends.

Because of those factors, it’s crucial to find a partner willing to earn that trust and take ownership. Here are some key things to consider when you’re assessing whether an outsourcing partner will be a good fit for your life science organization:

  • Expertise in life science, with a list of customers to prove it, and knowledge of the processes unique to your industry.
  • Certifications and experience that go above and beyond the bare minimum; an outsourcing partner should have a strong emphasis on ongoing education and training.
  • Customer-centric provider that understands the needs of life science environments and a company with a well-articulated mission statement that puts customers first.
  • Desire for collaboration as a driving focus, with examples of the results  from collaboration for life science customers.
  • Labor relations experience is crucial. An engaged, productive workforce doesn’t happen by accident, it’s the result of informed and proactive measures that significantly reduce the risk of labor problems.
  • Alignment with existing leadership infrastructure and the ability to add to that leadership in meaningful ways that maximize the power of an organization’s knowledge base and strategic direction.
  • Established strategy for a pandemic or unforeseen circumstances. An outsourcing partner should have a proactive mindset, rather than a shorter-term, reactive process that doesn’t anticipate changing needs.
  • Depth of resources for emergency response when needed, in order to maintain operational continuity.

Most of all, a partner should be exactly that: a partner. Collaboration and trust are an essential element for this, and an outsourced facility services provider should be able to detail the ways in which processes and procedures will be shared, not replaced.

At UG2, we see each life science customer engagement as an opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise in the industry, and to maximize the resources already in place, so customers can develop strategies that are proactive and meaningful.

Outsourcing facility maintenance and janitorial services are about creating a partnership that advances efficiency and drives strategic thinking, while also employing risk mitigation and established protocols.

Want to learn more about what UG2 offers? Let’s have a conversation about what you need, and most of all, where we can provide value for your organization.

Key Advantages in the Short Term

Although outsourcing relationships bring notable long-term benefits, that doesn’t mean you won’t see some shorter-term ones as well. Particularly when you bring on a knowledgeable, insightful partner with experience in your industry, you’ll likely find two key advantages:

Cost Savings

One of the biggest sticking points for many organizations considering outsourcing for the first time is the perception that it will be a budget buster. That may be especially true if you’re envisioning bringing in several different companies that specialize in certain parts of facilities management.

Good news: It doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, you can save money with the right outsourcing provider.

In-house operations and maintenance (O&M) programs often add up to 30% or more to program costs due to overtime charges and inefficient subcontractor arrangements. You may be bringing in professionals in a piecemeal fashion—a plumber for one issue, an HVAC company for another, electrical experts for yet another—and paying the price, literally, for addressing emergency problems that could have been avoided through more strategic planning.

The same scenario can happen with janitorial services, especially if you’re relying on partial outsourcing for those tasks. Much like O&M, taking a more strategic approach that’s proactive can give consistent results that drive up tenant and occupant satisfaction.

With an experienced outsourcing partner, all of these ad hoc costs can be wiped out by moving away from an out-tasking model. Not only do you save money by eliminating vendor calls, but you also significantly cut down on overtime, and tap into the benefits of volume discounts, lower equipment purchasing totals, and much more streamlined—and affordable–maintenance procedures.

Improved Service Delivery

Addressing issues as they arise is a problematic approach. Although some degree of reactive maintenance will always be necessary, conducting root cause analyses when these issues arise will proactively prevent them from happening again.  That’s what turns your facility services program toward a strategic approach, leading to much better operations overall.

With experienced facility management teams, service delivery isn’t about simply tweaking a few procedures here and there, and dealing with minor problems as they arise. Instead, it relies heavily on process improvement, implementation of best practices, thorough inspections, removing productivity roadblocks, anticipating cleaning and disinfection needs, and more.

Although a full facilities management approach provides extensive long-term benefits, shorter-term gains can also be notable. That’s especially true with a facilities company that can tailor services based on your unique needs. When those are addressed, you get traction toward process improvements that deliver ROI and a seamless transition.

Learn more about UG2 facility services. Let’s have a conversation about what you need, and most of all, where you can go from here!

Along with prioritizing safety and treating employees as family, UG2’s founding principles included a commitment to creating the best training and professional development programs in the facility services industry.

Launching a state-of-the-art Training and Innovation Lab three years ago moved us lightyears ahead of the competition in that endeavor—and our foresight positioned us to keep our teams and customers trained, up to the moment, on rapidly-changing COVID-19 knowledge and practices when the pandemic struck.  

Today, we are taking a moment to express our congratulations to all who have contributed to the thriving center of knowledge that our training and innovation lab has become.

We are proud and grateful that:

  1. Our robust virtual offerings allow us to deliver training to our employees across the country, and also helps tap the best talent to deliver those trainings, wherever they are located.

  2. When COVID-19 interfered with in-person training—even as it made training  more crucial than ever—we had the systems in place to take every training virtual and to continuously update our offerings with new protocols.

  3. Our team leaders and subject matter experts relish opportunities to mentor, teach and train others in longstanding best practices and the newest innovations. In fact, several new additions to our professional team expressed their desire to join UG2 specifically because of our unmatched reputation for training and professional development.

  4. The lab helps us fulfill our foundational promise to avoid the typical “one and done” training approach. Our ongoing trainings aren’t just refreshers—rigorous continuous education is at the core of our delivery model.

  5. We continuously learn from our customers, integrate their industry’s best practices and preferences into our trainings, then continue to build on and share that evolving knowledge.

  6. The lab and our overarching reputation as the premier facility services organization when it comes to developing our employees has allowed us to expand our workforce with top talent all along the pipeline even as competition for talent is at an all-time high. 

  7. We drive efficiencies, innovation, and knowledge with an ever-expanding curriculum, with topics as broad as Chilled Beam Technology, HVAC Basics, Variable Frequency Drives and Tenant Condenser Water Systems.

  8. Our employees continue to impress with their hunger for deeper training and new industry knowledge. They report that our approach to training, professional development and promoting from within are a key factor in our high retention.

  9. Complementing our best-in-class training is our UG2 Development Toolkit and workshops geared at helping team members to both “take the reins” when it came to their own development and to assist managers in supporting their team.

  10. We learn from others too, and research and promote ongoing additional opportunities for team members to train on topics such as Delivering Effective Feedback, Managing Conflict and Leadership Presence.

The Training & Innovation Lab allows experienced workers to transfer knowledge to those new in the trade and enables less experienced employees to advance their careers with new skills and certifications. It is an integral part of our multi-faceted approach to developing those we call PHDs: passionate, hardworking, and dedicated—and we are grateful for every one of them.

Introducing Joe Lettiere, Engineering Manager, UG2 Subject Matter Expert

As UG2 expands opportunities for new and existing customers across the country to benefit from our services, we are thrilled to have Joe Lettiere helping to lead the charge in Chicago and the Midwest region. Joe brings incredible depth of expertise to our commitment to deliver the highest level of facility services along with engineering, janitorial, workplace solutions and mission critical support.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Joe’s early background in sales as an account representative was a foundation for his dedication to providing stellar customer service. Once in the trades and completion of his apprenticeship, he rose through the ranks to his current position as an engineering manager. He’s overseen as many as 28 properties and 140 union and non-union employees at a time—and won the admiration of virtually everyone he worked with along the way.

What keeps you so invested in and passionate about this work?

I am passionate about the relationships that I’ve built over the past 20 years. My customer retention since day one in the industry has been 100 percent. I still have relationships with partners I started with 20 years ago.

There is a small community in this industry. That means that any respect you get is earned by your word, how you treat people and what you have done. Mutual respect and friendship keep those relationships going, and because of those relationships I have a plethora of help—experts to reach out to, whenever I run into something new, I can turn to those relationships with industry experts to assist with any challenge.

What have you found is the key to maintaining those strong relationships?

From my perspective, I’m always a guest wherever I go. I’m a guest in a building. I’m a guest to a customer. I’m a guest to an owner. I have to make them comfortable enough to trust me with their multi-million-dollar properties and have faith that I can help run it appropriately with the engineers who are in the building day in and day out.

It’s also about being present, in front of the customer and employees, making sure they get the support they need. It’s about building that relationship with each individual person you encounter.

My mom said when I was a kid, “You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” I just have to listen to what the customer and staff needs, so that we can provide the best service possible.

How do you stay current with your expertise?

I’ve had many mentors and colleagues that have helped me along the way. They may have a different approach and I am constantly picking their brains to get to the best practices out there. I’ll never know everything and it’s a strength being able to ask for help.

I’m involved in Chief Engineers of Chicagoland and I attend all the industry events. I am active in Local 399 and I’ve recently gone back to school. I continue with industry courses, seminars and have continuously tried to further my education.

What’s your out-of-work life like?

I spend most of my free time chasing my kids around to all the sporting events they are involved with. I’ve been married for 14 years and have 4 children. We love to travel and experience the country through road trips with the kids. When I’m not traveling or chasing my kids around, I just enjoy having a drink or two with family and friends.

Each year on World FM day, the global facilities management community takes time to celebrate the profession and its successes.

For this year’s theme, Leading the Sustainable Future, we talked to some of our leading subject matter experts about the evolution of sustainability efforts.

Matt Montanez, Engineering Manager

“When I was 27 years old and one of the youngest chief engineers in San Francisco, I had a crew of five people for a 650,000 sq. ft building, and we took our energy score from 92 to a 98 within the first year.”

We also saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in utility bills just by changing the way we ran the building, with a retro commissioning of all equipment. The electric and gas provider here actually taught a class on retro commissioning, energy efficiency, and energy saving ideologies using our building as a case study.

Jon Legnitto, Engineering Manager

“I’m passionate about water chemistry because historically it is often overlooked. Staying on top of it is not only the smart thing to do environmentally, it also makes everyday maintenance easier and extends the equipment lifespan.”

COVID has pushed us to think differently about sustainability. Initially, we focused on maximizing the use of outdoor air. Now, we are helping customers understand how they can operate their buildings more efficiently when buildings are at lower occupancy rates due to hybrid or remote work.

Paul Faleschini, Engineering Manager

“Back when I was an engineer in the field, we saved six months’ worth of water in a 50-story high rise by implementing water saving measures and automating all water faucets and toilets. A major trend today is filtering and reusing the water from cooling towers instead of dumping 1200 gallons every time you clean them.” 

Battery load shedding backup systems have been the trend over the last several years, and implementing them has become more feasible for building owners and managers. In our region, from August through January, you have what they call load shed period with premium charges for peak demand use. Buildings are innovating by setting up battery banks with stored energy to avoid those peak periods.

Best Practices for Building Owners, Property Managers and Facility Managers

Whether you are responsible for the maintenance of a data center, luxury apartment building, corporate office space, or a sprawling university campus, true preventative care is the key to excellence in facility services.

Routine care, done well, can avert minor mishaps and major disasters. Here’s how to get the most from your investment.

Engage an expert — and build a relationship

You begin with a partner who has a strong track record with customers and demonstrated experience in your field. Then, ensure the team assigned to your space gets trained and onboarded for your specific space. Working with a facility services expert with a record of retention means less turnover – and turmoil – in your space.

Take data centers, for example. Our specially trained teams know that every customer needs a rigorous preventative maintenance schedule, tailored to the customer’s space, addressing CRACs, generators, chillers, RTUs, humidifiers and more.

Familiarity with your facility combined with a focused attention to detail will ultimately allow you to focus more on maintenance and less on time- and cost-consuming repairs. UG2 facility managers often walk the property every day checking for issues that need attention. Seemingly minor concerns like a crack in pavement or a dripping facet can easily become major inconveniences if they go unaddressed.

Avoid costly repairs, lost productivity, and potential injury

The cost savings benefits are clear when you compare timely replacement of a worn valve to flooding from a major leak. But the benefits of true preventative maintenance run much deeper. You and your team will operate more efficiently when you are not bogged down with unanticipated repairs. You will avoid disastrous down time that dampens morale, impacts productivity, and wreaks havoc on your schedule for days, weeks or months.  

Preventative maintenance is also a core component of a strong safety program. Stair and walkway hazards become trip-and-fall risks. Damaged doors, windows and infrastructure can pose a threat to building security. And emergency situations in your facility increase the likelihood that you’re exposing untrained staff to take risks in addressing issues beyond their expertise.

Put your best foot forward, convey competence – and shine

The concept of “curb appeal” has taken on new meaning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any evidence that suggests a property is less than pristine and well-cared for can undermine the confidence of tenants, guests, visitors, and employees.

Conversely, maintaining a facility with stellar services helps you create a welcoming space, establish trust, build a reputation for excellence, and set yourself apart in your industry.

An added bonus: Many routine maintenance tasks result in changes that improve systems efficiency and save energy, making for a greener environment. Ask your facility services provider to include energy assessments in your routine maintenance schedule.

Thoughts from Ethan, a Future Leader in the Making

At UG2, family comes first. We’re a family-owned company, and that warmth and camaraderie shines through in everything we do. That motto recently took on a very important meaning thanks to eight-year-old Ethan Luce.

Ethan loves to hear about life at work from his mom, Kat, our Boston-based Vice President of marketing and communications. Like most kids, he picks up on bits and pieces of what’s going on at the office.

Unlike most kids, though, he created his very own PowerPoint presentation all about why he wants to work at UG2 someday, too. He definitely has his mom’s knack for communicating.

“Ethan was up late tonight and would not go to bed until he finished an important project. He didn’t tell me what it was until after he completed it,” says Kat, who’s usually the one up late working hard on important projects. 

Here are a few highlights from Ethan’s presentation:

“That UG2 lets kids who are the children of people who work for UG2 come into the office.”

We value our employees’ diverse backgrounds, families, pets, and hobbies — and we love to see UG2 kids, especially on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

“How much people work really hard to make the company better.”

It’s true! At UG2, we pride ourselves on going above and beyond to create lasting impressions for our customers. It’s one of our most important core values.

“The generous people who work there.”

At UG2, we’re emotionally intelligent and team-oriented, and that means being generous with both our expertise and our time to bring out the best in one another.

“That the whole UG2 group is one big family, and I’m part of that family.”

At UG2, our sense of camaraderie, teamwork, and mentorship creates an atmosphere where everyone feels valued: yes, even kids!

It’s not all business for Ethan, though, at least not yet. In his spare time, he loves football, basketball, soccer, baseball, Roblox, and of course, TikTok.

But when he’s ready, Ethan’s professional future looks bright.

At UG2, we pride ourselves on being citizens of our customer’s industry. Regional HR/Business Manager Maria Tueros personifies that commitment: In addition to bringing a devoted touch to her 20-year career, she’s president of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) organization — a role that’s professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling.

With more than 1,000 member companies and growing, BSCAI serves a meaningful role in the building services industry. BSCAI offers networking opportunities, seminars, educational programs, certifications, and more. It enables Maria to keep current on issues and trends affecting the industry she loves while mentoring the next generation of building services professionals.

“Regional building service contractors should join the chapter to focus on the state of the market for commercial buildings, network together, and respond to hot-button issues and how they impact service contractors, property managers, and building owners,” she says.

Maria’s chapter presidency provides an inside look at challenges and opportunities in the building industry before they happen, which gives her an edge on the job. Right now, she says, it’s important to focus on the development of technology — “which will mean keeping an eye on the future to know which skills you’ll need to secure a safe job and how to get there in the first place,” she says.

She urges contractors to stay flexible and “increase value on educational knowledge and new technology advantages and/or opportunities for our industry growth and market competence.”

This is especially important as the building industry strives to attract top talent in spite of market changes, particularly during recruitment.

“This requires adapting to new professional trends and industry needs,” she advises.

Ultimately, “I would like to focus on continued growth [and] to bring and attract new BSCAI members and other industry partners to take advantage of the great opportunities, capabilities, and high-end resources to succeed and reach the next industry level,” she says.

This leadership role is a natural fit for Maria, who treasures mentorship in her personal and professional life. Her mantra is “people do not care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

“I love to help women reach their goals and to provide advice to new, young professionals,” she says — either on the job at UG2, volunteering with BSCAI, or enjoying a cup of coffee on her front porch.

How Commercial Buildings are Leading the Way

Commercial office buildings and properties are the pulse of our cities and suburban centers, and, after two years of upheaval and uncertainty, their robust return is delivering communities a much-appreciated sense of normality and optimism.

Visitors, tenants and employees are back, and they deserve to be welcomed by pristine workspaces, gleaming conference and kitchen spaces, neatly kept trash and recycling areas, and well-stocked and sanitized restrooms. Ensuring that even the highest-traffic areas remain squeaky clean builds confidence, comfort, and a competitive advantage for our customers. TeamUG2 account managers, porters and janitors are out front and ready to ease concerns about safety in the workplace.

Day after day, long before visitors arrive and well after the last employee has gone home for the night, TeamUG2 professionals are taking expert care of commercial properties, from Class A office buildings to office parks and lifestyle centers.

Our teams bring the benefit of having worked on the frontlines through the pandemic, adapting to new information and refining best practices. As thought leaders, we take pride in sharing our insights so that the industry and larger community can benefit from all we’ve learned.

Here’s how TeamUG2 is making commercial building maintenance better than ever: 

360-degree cleaning services. We continuously refine our cleaning practices to respond to changing conditions and to your evolving needs. We excel at everything from core services like restroom, conference room and kitchen disinfection to specialized offerings like green cleaning/LEED Compliance and quality management reporting, and waste stream and recycling.

Stellar operations and maintenance. Our O&M track record is unmatched, and we have an expansive menu of services to meet your needs, from plumbing and electrical to wastewater treatment and critical alarm monitoring. We hire and train top talent, provide ongoing professional development, and boast an employee retention record that outshines our competitors — so our front-line employees and their managers know their role inside and out.    

Responsive tenant services. We know that today’s environment demands that you maintain a competitive advantage as you work to attract tenants or employees and keep them happy. Our à la carte menu of services allows you to tailor our expertise to your precise needs, from event coverage and moving services to snack wall provisioning to concierge and workplace services to porter services.

Meaningful adoption of innovation and tech. Data and technology are becoming more and more integrated with building management systems. Staying on top of our game means understanding how data analytics can drive preventative, corrective, and predictive maintenance. We know that different customers have different levels of in-house expertise when it comes to using data, and we prioritize taking the time to interpret and communicate an understanding to tenants, property managers and stakeholders.

Elevated services for a higher level of confidence. UG2 ReNew was developed to keep everyone safe by minimizing risk of infection and ensuring that we are taking every measure to protect our customers and their visitors, tenants, and employees. The program delivers heightened levels of cleaning and disinfection along with maintaining adequate levels of staffing with employees who are specially trained in the services our customers rely on.

When it comes to the big picture, what makes these services work is our willingness to work with you. Together, we can come up with an effective plan to give your property the attention it requires, so that you can focus on your core business.


While every industry has unique needs when it comes to facility services, life science environments are in a class of their own.

Fortunately, so are we.

Our life science customers benefit from our breadth of experience in maintaining sensitive environments. Partnering with UG2 means expanding your team’s reach and gaining expertise in risk management and compliance, streamlined business processes, and reduced long-term costs.

We’ve built long-term partnerships with the companies at the forefront of technology, medicine and innovation. How do we excel in such unique, demanding environments?

Our teams are specially certified to work in life science environments, with niche expertise in everything from room pressurization and fume hood disassembly to glass washing and inventory restocking to sterilization and vivarium care. We have an unmatched track record in specialties like HVAC, clean power supply, plumbing, wastewater treatment, formal lab services, and cell culture.

We leverage our advanced training modules — and yours — to build an in-depth understanding of your space. We start with highly motivated and extensively trained teams, and then we provide them with the time and opportunity to master your standard operating procedures and unique process needs. Our employees continuously build on their institutional knowledge of your facility — including your people, processes, and equipment.

We take ownership. In these high-stakes environments, accountability must go beyond self-performance checks. We build safety into all we do and take responsibility for our work every step of the way, prioritizing transparency, and communication so that our customers are never left in the dark. We partner with you closely to maximize prevention and to anticipate and reduce risk. 

We tailor our team and services to your needs. Our expertise extends outside the lab. Some customers require a C-level executive, a risk management expert, or an expert in process refinement. Our teams can turn to highly skilled executives and managers who have decades of specialized experience.   

We put safety first in all we do. UG2 was built on a foundation of safety first.We incorporate safety checks and communications in every action and interaction, and we enforce rigorous safety standards tailored to every property and facility we service.

Your workspace is important to your mission — and ours. That’s why we structure our services to ensure pristine facilities, sound protocols, and a productive, mutually beneficial relationship for the long-term.

Feel Confident with Facility Services Experts You Can Trust

More and more businesses are dipping their toes into return-to-work scenarios, and while some employees are excited by the prospect of reuniting with their colleagues, reconnecting with their workspaces and cutting down on the video meetings, others are understandably feeling more hesitant.

Throughout the pandemic, UG2 has been on the frontlines of making spaces safer—from schools and universities to office buildings, public venues, retail establishments and more. One thing we know for certain is that information is power. That’s why we’re taking this opportunity to review some of what we’ve learned over the past two-plus years and share how it informs our confidence in our approach to protecting our customers, their facilities and the people who rely on them.

Preparedness pays off. Because we built UG2 on a foundation of safety, we have always prioritized PPE and skills-building around specific resources and technology. We had deep reserves of supplies at the onset of the pandemic, and our employees were already well-versed in adopting different protocols to meet the varying needs of our customers.  

Innovation and technology lead the way. Our approach has always been to augment proven processes with state-of-the-art equipment and an emphasis on innovation and technology. Those core tenets allowed us to ramp up quickly when customers required enhancements like mobile geofencing or touchless technology to increase safety and security.

Training and reinforcement. From our very first day in business, UG2 was committed to developing the most highly trained teams in the industry. Before they even begin working with customers, our employees have been through extensive training, and we build on that knowledge continuously. That means when situations require a shift in practices, we can introduce the change seamlessly and we have the processes in place to assess progress and reinforce learning.

Adaptability is essential. The pandemic served to demonstrate just how nimble TeamUG2 can be. Our employees were already accustomed to cross-training and adjusting because we continuously refine our practices. That proved essential with ever-shifting guidelines and mandates, and time and again, our teams showed that they were more than up to the task.

Communication allows for true customization. We take pride in developing custom services for our customers, and our ability to do so allowed us to bring in best practices and adapt them for different facilities — or for a single facility’s evolving needs. Tailoring processes and protocols to our customers’ needs instead of relying on a cookie-cutter response means a safer in-person experience for everyone.

To mark Women’s History Month and celebrate the contributions of women in the industry, we asked four accomplished members of TeamUG2 for their insights on thriving as women in the workforce—and inspiring others along the way.

If you know our business or saw their spotlights on our social channels, you might already know that Iris, Ema, Betty and Maria represent the best of UG2—deeply committed to their work and to their colleagues, with a TeamUG2 approach that means always making time to support and advocate for others.

These four exemplary professionals know the difference it can make to have a strong woman as a role model. In fact, when asked to name the women who inspired them, all four cited their own mothers’ influence.

As Director of Payroll, Union Benefits & Employee Services in Boston, Iris Stymiest cherishes the opportunity to support peers and colleagues. She assures women who are early in their careers that their hard work, compassion, passion and drive will pay off. She also offers a gentle reminder that a woman’s worth isn’t measured by the number of hours invested in everyday career tasks.

After 23 years in the industry, Los Angeles office manager Betty Cortez is known near and far as a trustworthy colleague of impeccable integrity. She brings the wisdom and compassion of a first-generation American who has navigated her career while caring for her family and creating a welcoming home. A role model for many, Betty says, “Be proactive and don’t wait for others to get the work done. Take charge—and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Ema Uepi, Assistant Facilities Manager in Redwood City, has been with UG2 for more than half of our existence. She has logged many hours advancing our success through her vital contributions. A champion of diversity, she models excellence and empathy in all she does. To the many women who see her as a mentor, she says, “Holding back is allowing room to second guess yourself and your abilities. You want to be confident and committed in everything you do.”

Our Mid Atlantic Regional HR/Business Manager Maria Tueros strives for continuous improvement while also generously supporting and lifting up the people around her. Maria’s drive and competence were reflected in her success renewing her HR certification on top of excelling at work and caring for her three children. Maria advises women starting out in their careers, “Reach your dreams. Set up a plan, be patient, and your goals and objectives will be compensated.”

ON FINDING BALANCE

BETTY: “As a grandmother of 2 young kids, I look forward to spending quality time with them. It can be at the park, beach or in the back yard.  I enjoy my time with my husband and my daughters.  It doesn’t matter how old my girls are, they will always be my babies.”

IRIS: “I love a good book, sometimes a simple read, audible books during long commutes to decompress. My family centers me and for that I’m grateful. They allow me the flexibility I need so when we spend the additional hours in the office or weekends they understand. And that reduces the stress in my life and allows me to enjoy building the balance that works for me.”

EMA: “Spending time with family, to recharge both my physical and mental energy.” 

MARIA: “I like to escape to the beach and relax—my ‘me time’—enjoy nature, do walks and bike occasionally.”

The past two years brought into sharp focus the essential role facility services and janitorial staff play in our economy, and our health and well-being.

Those of us in the industry already knew of the incredible behind-the-scenes dedication demonstrated by our TeamUG2 pros. The pandemic gave us a crystal-clear reminder of how fortunate we all are that our essential workers have our backs —and it also magnified our gratitude for our customers who partner with us and entrust us with this critical work.

Our cleaners are the best in the business.

You don’t have to do the math to know how much value our teams bring to our customers’ (although we are always happy to show you the numbers!). It works out because we provide our janitorial teams with industry-leading training, resources, professional development, and support — while they bring a level of care, commitment, tenacity, and unflappability that frankly leaves us in awe.

Working for TeamUG2 means mastering all of our own best practices as well as the processes and practices we tailor to individual customers’ needs. Being on our team also requires the ability to pivot and re-train to meet the demands of ever-changing protocols.

Our management teams gain their experience from the ground up.

UG2 prides itself on hiring from within. Developing talent at every level benefits our employees and our customers, because it means that the professionals running your project or site bring first-hand knowledge to their roles.

These opportunities for advancement allow us to attract and promote top-tier talent, leading to exceptional leaders who outshine the competition and go the extra mile to surpass your expectations.

We deliver state-of-the art technology and innovation along with proven practices.

We strike the right balance with a “keep it simple approach” that is accessible and scalable – and informed by the latest innovations and technology. Our data-informed, transparent services give customers exactly the level of insight they require to be confident their facilities remain safe, welcoming, and squeaky-clean.

From deep cleaning and disinfection to waste stream and recycling to green cleaning and quality management reporting, our processes and practices set the industry standard. And every move we make is driven by rigorous safety standards informed by ongoing training and the latest research.

We’re incredibly proud to partner with you.

Our people-centric approach means that our employees and our customers tend to stick around for a long, long time. That allows us to learn your organization and your industry, to excel at what we do, and to build the strong relationships that make us so proud to be on TeamUG2.

UG2 Takes Pride in Delivering the Highest Standard of Facility Services

Pitchers and catchers are all warmed up, fans are excited to be back in the stands, musicians are rescheduling tours postposed due to COVID, and college seniors are getting ready to toss those caps in the air. As fans and families get ready to gather and celebrate, UG2 is the team behind the scenes, keeping every surface safe, secure, welcoming, and gleaming. 

Our Public Venue work is an enormous source of pride for UG2 employees (and for their sports-and-arts-minded family members!). From convention centers and concert venues to theaters, sports arenas, and campus gathering spots, we have the inside line on everything it takes to keep high-volume spaces operating flawlessly.

Delivering unmatched services around the clock

Our customer-first focus means we can service your venue 24/7—which is essential for industries where maintaining the flow means working in the off-hours. Our efforts begin well before an event as our teams spread out to wipe down and disinfect seats, get restrooms sparkling clean, unload deliveries, and stock supplies.

During your events, we stay ahead of the supply game, making sure your guests have everything they need before they need it. We are always on-hand to mop up spills, empty trash receptacles, and clear away debris.

When the event comes to an end, our clean-up crews are already on the floor, returning your facility to pristine conditions—all ready for the next event.

Because public spaces endure a lot of wear and tear, our teams are experts at building customized, adaptable schedules to ensure ongoing maintenance, prevention, and deep cleans.

Leveraging exceptional teamwork and training

At UG2, we recruit strong team members and support them with specialized training to make them even stronger. Our level of training is unmatched in the industry—from ensuring every employee knows the best practices for their specific role inside and out, to cross-training teams to prevent any gaps in service, to tailoring our trainings to your specific needs as an industry and institution.

We have an incomparable retention rate because we treat our employees like family, which means you benefit from skilled, committed professionals who care about the work they do every day.

A scope of work that goes above and beyond

We often get notes of gratitude about our employees going “above and beyond” in the moment. That attitude encompasses our overall approach to our work. In fact, our vast experience allows us to continuously revisit and refine our services, and to offer customers specialized support from fan engagement and giveaway facilitation to emergency response and tailored support for special international events.

Our partnership with you means you can count on communication and transparency – and know that we are equipped to handle whatever needs arise in the moment.

Celebrating the Tradition of Mentorship

UG2’s Co-Op Program pays homage to our mission as we look to cultivate the next generation of leadership in the facility services space. We are incredibly proud of the stellar young professionals from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who recently completed our two-month program: Facilities Engineering Co-Ops Evan Sullivan and Thomas Veasey, and Environmental Health & Safety Co-Op Amanda Robinson.

UG2 owes our tremendous success to our own strong tradition of mentorship, our Co-Op Program goes well beyond providing critical hands-on experience, advancing the students’ understanding of our broader organization and its complexities. Select members of TeamUG2 worked closely with the Co-Ops to provide professional guidance and instruction, share insight into the operations of our organization, and deliver insight into our corporate culture, values and principles.

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy was founded in 1891 to educate the best and brightest serving in the merchant marine and in the military services as well as those who serve the interests of the Commonwealth, the country, and the global marketplace. Its students embody honor, discipline, responsibility, and leadership — and Evan, Thomas and Amanda are no exception.

The students thrived in their respective roles and had high praise for their experience with UG2, expressing appreciation for the “great hands-on experience every day along with great teaching,” the fact that they “improved upon problem-solving skills tremendously,” and the mentorship of the UG2 engineers who made themselves available to provide “helpful detailed lessons.”

We are grateful for this partnership with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and, having worked with these students, have the highest admiration for the school’s graduates.  We cherish the Co-Op Program as a valuable way to give back and to share knowledge, experience and expertise through experiential learning and hands-on practice. We are honored to help create pathways to professionalism for these future leaders on their journey transitioning from the collegiate to the professional world.

Upon their departure, one Co-Op wrote to us, “Thank you for an amazing experience!”

We feel the same way!

PRESS RELEASE

March 10, 2022 – SUNNYVALE, CA UG2 today announced it has opened a new office in Northern California.  Following on UG2’s recent West Coast leadership announcement, today’s news includes the hiring of five additional industry experts to meet increasing demand for UG2’s integrated facility services. The office, based in Sunnyvale, expands the company’s West Coast presence, and comes on the heels of UG2’s recent launch of its Los Angeles Center of Excellence.

“UG2’s client successes have led to tremendous demand for our services by organizations throughout Northern California. Customers are attracted by our unique approach to facility services as well as our industry leading platform and resources to support the delivery of pristine and healthy facilities in a post pandemic world. In addition, they are excited by the integrity and passion we bring to their engagements, and our commitment to going above and beyond for our clients,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., CEO of UG2. “I’m excited to welcome our new team members, each of whom bring extraordinary experience to UG2 and will be invaluable in enabling us to support our clients.”

UG2 provides Northern California organizations with superior engineering, janitorial, life science support services, production maintenance, mobile maintenance, workplace solutions and critical environment support services. UG2 is thrilled to announce the addition of these new team members, who bring extraordinary experience to the company and the Northern California market.

  • Steve Collins, Senior Director of Business Development Operations
  • Liza LaVoy, Manager, Operations Support
  • Paul Faleschini, Engineering Manager
  • Jon Legnitto, Engineering Manager
  • Matt Montanez, Engineering Manager

UG2’s new office is located at 1292 Kifer Road, Suite 805, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

For more information, contact UG2 at 408-479-1835, and check out our services at https://ug2.com/northern-california

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

Recognizing International Women’s Day and realizing the theme #BreakTheBias is in part about taking action to do things differently.

The commitment to doing things differently is inherent to the founding of UG2 and it manifests in actions big and small, from treating employees and customers like family to staying privately owned so we can make decisions that aren’t just driven by the bottom line.

In a historically male-dominated industry, UG2 owes much of our success to the women who have contributed to our organization at every level. We succeed by seeking out the voices and skills of women who traditionally have been shut out of policy-making, business development and leadership positions. We excel by recognizing their talent, providing opportunities for advancement, and supporting their professional development.

Here are some ways UG2 works to #BreakTheBias:

Providing training, professional development and leadership opportunities. We lead the field in educating and training our employees, and that includes sending women to events such as the Pennsylvania Conference for Women and the Texas Women’s Leadership Conference. We prioritize promoting from within and supporting advancement among our incredibly diverse workforce.

Sponsoring the efforts of outside organizations that are working to advance equity. We are devoted to supporting the work of other organizations who share our values, such as English for New Bostonians, Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network and DC-based Jubilee Housing, which is women-founded and women-led.

Partnering and subcontracting with minority and women owned businesses. Diversity is a core value we hold in the highest regard, and that extends to our external relationships and professional dealings.   

Seeking out and honoring women’s voices and input. Taking responsibility means inviting and acting on feedback. UG2 offers every employee ongoing opportunities to provide input, from listening sessions to one-on-one check-ins to anonymous surveys.

Prioritizing work/life balance. Treating employees as family means recognizing the whole employee. We coordinate part-time/flexible/overnight schedules and comprehensive benefits packages that ensure our employees can care for their children and aging parents while also thriving professionally at UG2.

We have more work to do, in our own organization and in our industry, too. We are particularly proud that UG2 Associate Vice President for Culture and Community Lauren Lanzillo is taking on the role of Co-Chair of BOMA’s Emerging Leaders Committee, where she can help #BreakTheBias as she engages, inspires and advocates for the next generation of women in our industry.

PRESS RELEASE

Expands team to meet growing Southern California demand for UG2 services

March 2, 2022 – LOS ANGELES, CAUG2 today announced the launch of its Southern California Center of Excellence in Los Angeles to meet growing demand for superior integrated facility services. Following on UG2’s recent West Coast expansion announcement, today’s news includes the hiring of nine additional employees. UG2 now has seven Centers of Excellence, located in Los Angeles, Northern California, Boston, Washington, DC, New York City, West Palm Beach, and Chicago.

“Southern California is an extremely important market for UG2. Our expertise and services uniquely match the needs of the area’s commercial, life science, technology, retail and hospitality industries,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., CEO of UG2. “By hiring some of the most talented people in the region, we’re ensuring that UG2 will continue to deliver the high-quality services our customers deserve, while we continue expanding our reach.”

The Center of Excellence provides Southern California organizations with engineering, janitorial, life science support services, production maintenance, mobile maintenance, workplace solutions and critical environment support services. UG2 is thrilled to announce the addition of these new team members, who bring extraordinary experience to the company and its customers.

  • Betty Cortez, Office Manager
  • Ana Castillo, Assistant Office Manager
  • Kara Camiolo, Senior Proposal Manager
  • Marcus Ellingson, Engineering Manager
  • George Mirzayan, Engineering Manager
  • Chris Pierce, Engineering Manager
  • Pete Salazar, Engineering Manager
  • Kurt Sitzman, Engineering Manager
  • Michael Carmean, Assistant Engineering Manager

UG2’s new office is located at 700 S. Flower Street, Suite 2526, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

For more information, contact UG2 at 213-737-1006, or visit our web page: https://ug2.com/southern-california.

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Technology, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

An example of UG2 excellence without exception

Friends and customers of Team UG2 know we are continuously striving to exceed expectations and raise the bar on all things facility services. Our latest achievement to that end is a major one, and we’re proud enough to want to shout it from the rooftops.

By earning the ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard and CIMS-GB with Honors Recertification, UG2 retains its place in a prestigious class of highly respected cleaning organizations.

The select organizations who achieve this status are recognized by a rigorous team of independent assessors for excellence in:

Quality systems Team UG2 continues to uphold our commitment to leadership in innovation, technology, and quality control; we continually assess and refine our systems and processes.

Service delivery We treasure our customer relationships, and it shows in our 98% customer retention rate — and in the notes, feedback, and expressions of gratitude we receive throughout the year.

Human resources We tap the greatest talent, and make sure we supply our teams with everything they need to succeed, from best-in-class benefits to opportunities for training and advancement.

Health, safety, and environmental stewardship Safety is at the core of everything we do at UG2 – every hire, meeting, check-in, and process change.

Management commitment Responsibility begins at the top. Our founder and leadership are personally involved and deeply invested in the professional success and satisfaction of every member of Team UG2.

Green Building We do our part by leveraging green cleaning practices, limiting the use of aggressive chemicals, and emphasizing the reduction, re-use, and recycling of plastics.

What does it mean for you?

CIMS-GB Certification means customers can trust that a service provider will get the job done. It lets you know that our management systems and processes have been independently assessed, that we deliver the highest level of service, and that we are able to reduce costs by operating efficiently. CIMS-GB Certification also enables our customers to achieve points under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.

The bottom line: UG2 continues to excel, overperform, surpass expectations, and set new standards in facility services.

PRESS RELEASE

Industry Veteran Dennis Giblin Joins UG2 as National Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions

February 23, 2022 – BOSTON, MA – UG2, a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated facility services, today announced it has hired industry veteran Dennis Giblin as National Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions. Dennis is charged with helping to accelerate UG2’s growth as the company continues to break new ground in facility services.   

“We founded UG2 to raise the bar in how facility services are delivered. Through innovation, dedication to excellence, and the hiring of extremely talented professionals, we’ve been able to provide value to our customers while growing our business,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., CEO of UG2. “Dennis has tremendous expertise and deep relationships within our industry. He will be invaluable in helping us expand to meet growing customer demand. I couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the UG2 family.”

“I’ve watched UG2 grow over the years with much admiration and respect,” said Dennis. “Now, as part of company, I’m excited to collaborate with my colleagues and help UG2 expand its reach even further.”

Dennis is a dynamic sales leader with 20 years of success in driving revenue and improving sales team performance. In addition to his strong business acumen, Dennis is known for building and maintaining close and mutually rewarding relationships with clients. As UG2’s National Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions, he is responsible for growing regional markets across the nation and managing the regional sales teams that are focused on single service lines in the Commercial, Corporate, Retail, Public Venue and Multi-family residential industries. He is also responsible for overseeing business development operations.

Dennis comes to UG2 from Able Services, most recently having served as National Vice President of Business Development. Dennis began his career at Able as an Engineering Manager before moving into sales, in the roles of Director, and then, Vice President of Business Development.

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

UG2 Understands the Complexities of Facilities and the Built Environment

Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of a facility is a complex undertaking in a constantly changing environment. Mastering it requires getting to know the unique needs of every customer as well as every facility, and adapting our processes and approach to meet them.

With everything from critical environments and life science to retail spaces, UG2 excels in the face of this challenge because we built our business from the ground up with a customer-focused approach. You’ll hear plenty of companies tout their customer service commitment, but, as with everything we do at UG2, we have the data to back it up — strong subject matter experts at every level of the organization and a 98% customer retention rate.

What explains our ability to excel?

Delivering value to every customer Our well-established expertise and long-term view of customer relationships allows us to manage operations efficiently and effectively, in the most cost-effective manner. We excel at asset and energy management solutions as well as capital planning, and customize our solutions to every facility and customer, so you get exactly what you need — no more, no less.

Keeping ourselves and our teams accountable Our management team is fully engaged in our teams’ processes and priorities. We value transparency and communication as much as you do, so we stay on top of day-to-day challenges and emerging issues. Our commitment to you includes bearing full responsibility for the operations of your site.

Prioritizing training and quality management. We regularly provide every employee best-in-class, ongoing training to ensure they stay at the top of their game. We use leading quality management solutions to monitor workflow in real time and address potential issues in the moment.

Putting safety at the center of all we do. Our proactive approach to safety incorporates ongoing trainings and refreshers for employees at every level and an unparalleled safety audit program. Every decision we make, every training and meeting we hold, begins and ends with an emphasis on safety.

Investing in state-of-the-art resources and equipment We hire and develop the most committed and highly-skilled engineers and maintenance technicians —and then we equip them with the tools, technologies, and innovations they need to keep your facilities running smoothly.

Because operations and maintenance looks different for every customer, we tailor our services to your unique and evolving needs. Without strict service line silos, UG2 can readily leverage lessons learned and best practice between O&M management teams of every industry. This gives every customer the full backing of our knowledge and technical assistance regardless of how big or how small their operation is. At the heart of our success is the relationship and the trust we build with our customers, which informs our approach, our processes, and every decision we make.

Success Achieved by Working Hard and Making a Positive Impact

Imelda Martínez Hernández’s hard work, generous support for her peers, cheerful demeanor and stellar reputation with customers have propelled her up the professional ladder at UG2 since she first joined the company in June 2021.

After starting with UG2 as a night custodian, Imelda earned promotions to night lead and day site lead before her most recent advancement to site supervisor.

Imelda takes tremendous pride in her work and loves helping her team succeed. Our customers have frequently expressed their deep appreciation for her, and West Coast Regional Operations Manager Alex Romano shares their gratitude for Imelda’s contributions.

“I was really happy to be able to offer Imelda this position,” said Alex. “It’s rewarding to see someone grow into a role where you know they will have a positive impact for customers and for our teams.”

Imelda was thrilled to accept the promotion and cannot wait to take on the challenge of her new responsibilities. She hopes her fellow employees working on the front lines in this challenging time are motivated by her story, and that it helps them dream big— because, as she says, “Anything is possible!”

Imelda lives in San Diego, and when she’s not busy providing above-and-beyond service to every UG2 customer she encounters, she loves spending time with her close-knit family.

When she looks ahead to her future with UG2, she is most excited about helping and supporting the up-and-coming generation of UG2 employees, and witnessing how they grow and thrive in the company, as she has.

How UG2 Stands Out Ahead of Our Competitors

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc and caught our communities off guard in many ways, UG2 had long-established processes that enabled us to respond quickly and effectively on behalf of our janitorial teams and customers. Our mission — which includes setting the standard of excellence for facility services — left us well positioned to assess and implement data-informed best practices as understanding of the virus has evolved.

Our success in keeping our employees and customers safe by developing COVID-specific practices and protocols reflects the commitment to service and innovation that are foundational to UG2.

Here’s how we stand head-and-shoulders about the competition:

Hiring and training the best talent. Delivering the highest quality customer service starts with valuing our own people. Our very low turnover is a testament to how we treat our teams. We recruit employees who care about their work; provide them continuous training, mentoring, and opportunities for advancement; and prioritize hiring from within.

Adapting quickly to local, federal, and customer-specific guidelines. Our communications with our teams and customers have always prioritized emergency planning, safety preparedness, process improvement, and ongoing training. Incorporating our customers’ specific needs and practices into our approach is just one example of UG2 acting as an extension of our customers’ leadership teams.   

Utilizing only the highest-quality products and delivering sustainable cleaning practices. Our bench of cleaning products and chemicals includes those that are not only proven to be highly effective, but they also comply with OSHA regulations consistent with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED EB-OM’s specifications.  

Implementing UG2 ReNewSM. We launched UG2 ReNew to ensure we are taking every measure to protect our customers and their visitors, tenants, and employees. The program delivers heightened levels of cleaning and ensures that we maintain adequate levels of staffing with employees who are specially trained in the services our customers rely on.

Prioritizing technology and innovation. UG2 works to stay on top of technological innovations and to apply existing technologies in new ways, from communication chips embedded in badges and self-checks on facial recognition clocks to disinfection tracking with QR codes and air quality monitoring through wall sensors.

Emphasizing proven processes. Process is quality control and that is a differentiator that sets us apart from the competition. Long before COVID, we were keeping our teams well-supplied in PPE, cleaning, and janitorial products; continuously training employees on best practices; and conducting ongoing assessments to refine our approach.

Above all else, we are proud of our transparency, communication, and deep relationships with our customers, and we are grateful for the partnerships we continue to build on with long-time janitorial customers and newcomers to Team UG2.

PRESS RELEASE

Privately-held facility services leader adds industry veterans, opens new California offices to meet growing demand

LOS ANGELES, CAUG2, a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated facility services, today announced the addition of four industry veterans to its West Coast operations. Jeff Palmer has joined the company as Senior Regional Vice President, along with Stu Collins, Vice President of Building Maintenance; Paul Savarino, Vice President, Engineering Services; and Evan DuBose, Regional Associate Vice President of Engineering. With more than 65 combined years of industry expertise, they will lead UG2’s expanded services throughout California, as the company continues growing aggressively to meet customer demand.

“Nothing is more important to UG2 than delivering innovative facility services that exceed client expectations. Our ability to do this time and again while maintaining an unwavering commitment to client success, has made UG2 a trusted partner for organizations of all types and sizes, and helped propel our company’s growth,” said Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., CEO of UG2. “The tremendous expertise and high integrity that Jeff, Stu, Paul and Evan bring to UG2 will enable us to continue expanding our reach while raising the bar in facility services excellence.”

UG2 was founded to transform how outsourced facility services are delivered. The company innovated processes that foster continual excellence, implemented the industry’s most effective best practices, and was built from the ground up to enable proactive and highly responsive service. UG2’s expertise, nimbleness, size, and independence make it uniquely suited to providing world-class, customized facility services that scale when clients need to, easily accommodate new requirements, and deliver superior results.

Jeff Palmer, Senior Regional Vice President, Western US & Midwest

“UG2 takes a fresh approach to facility services. They earn their clients’ trust every day by being fully accountable and transparent, and never resting on their laurels,” said Palmer. “As a private company, they empower employees to go the extra mile to exceed client expectations, and are deeply committed to employee career development and training. I’m proud to join a company of such high caliber and excited to help accelerate UG2’s next phase of growth.”

Palmer joins UG2 from Able Services, overseeing UG2’s engineering operations throughout the Western United States and the Midwest. A graduate of the California Maritime Academy, Palmer has more than 25 years of facility management expertise at numerous commercial office buildings and hospitals throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. A former union member with more than 15 years’ experience negotiating labor union agreements, he has been integral in building strong relationships between clients and facility services staff. He is a member of BOMA, IFMA, CoreNet, and IREM.

Stu Collins, Vice President of Building Maintenance, California

“UG2 is renowned for delivering exceptionally pristine and safe environments with a five-star service level. This, combined with its ability to continually stay ahead of the curve, make UG2 a stand out amongst providers,” said Collins. “I couldn’t be happier to join the company and contribute to its success.”

Collins honed his expertise while advancing from project manager to division manager to senior director of operations in facility services organizations. Prior to UG2, he worked at Able Services covering both Southern and Northern California markets and managing over 35 million sq. ft. of commercial real estate space. He is well-versed in union negotiations, implementing building inspection and safety platforms, and employing scope adjustments, communication strategies and the latest disinfecting protocols related to COVID-19. Collins has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Dundee and is a member of BOMA.

Paul Savarino, Vice President, Engineering, Southern California

“UG2 combines the best of two worlds – the feel of a small familial company that prioritizes client and employee relationships, and the comprehensive services, advanced technology and scalability of an industry leader,” said Savarino. “I’m looking forward to helping this highly talented team expand its penetration into the integrated facility services business and other industry verticals within California.”

Savarino oversees UG2’s engineering staff for the region, working closely with clients to ensure best-in-class service and highly satisfied occupants. He has over 30 years of experience in facility services, working with premiere office and hotel properties throughout the Los Angeles region, including Beverly Hills Hotel, Ritz Carlton, La Quinta Resort, and New York Palace Hotel. Savarino has managed more than 80 million square feet of class A office, retail, and hospitality space in the Southern California region. As a strong leader, he also has broad experience in project implementation and delivery, and a deep expertise in maintaining, enhancing, and ensuring the smooth operation of high-profile properties. Savarino is a member of BOMA, IFMA and IREM.

Evan DuBose, Regional Associate Vice President of Engineering, Bay Area and Pacific Northwest

“To build mutually successful relationships with clients, you need to engender trust, operate with integrity, invest in your employees, and set clear and high expectations. UG2 sets the standard in all these areas,” said DuBose. “I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and help UG2 and our expanding customer base reap the rewards from our partnership.”

DuBose brings more than 25 years of facility services expertise to UG2, where he directs engineering for the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Most recently he served as Regional Engineering Manager at Able Services, responsible for oversight and management of 400+ employees and several large commercial and hospital facilities. DuBose began his career as a journeyman engineer at ABM Industries before moving to a facilities manager position at Applied Materials.

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. Founded in 2012, UG2 is based in Boston, MA with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, West Palm Beach, and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit UG2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

Gregory Smith serves as Critical Facilities Manager for UG2. He recently published an article on facilitiesnet.com sharing important insights drawn from his expertise in HVAC, critical systems, and facility management.    

In “Your Data Center’s Most Valuable Asset: Critical AC Units,” Gregory notes that the tremendous heat generated by data center servers increases the risk of electrical issues and equipment failure—with potentially devastating consequences. Even a power loss of less than a second can jeopardize data and cost companies millions of dollars.

Making the case that Critical Air Conditioning Units (CRACs) are the MVP of the data center, Gregory outlines optimal temperature and humidity levels for data centers – 70 degrees and 50 percent, respectively. He discusses the design strategies that enable CRACs to maintain those ideal conditions, and shares best practices for ensuring CRACs are well maintained and properly utilized.

Those best practices include making the effort to:

Practice true preventative care. Routine temperature checks aren’t enough. You need a detailed preventative maintenance schedule for CRACs, generators, chillers, RTUs, and humidifiers. Building maintenance software and a secondary loop provide critical backstops.

Account for your data center’s unique environment and issues. Your awareness of potential weather-related occurrences specific to your area should inform your plan. That means having systems for rerouting and draining water if you operate in a flood zone, and activating supplemental air systems in the event of a heat wave.

Partner with a 24-hour service provider. Keeping HVAC and electrical systems at leak performance requires round-the-clock service from trained, certified mechanical technicians who specialize in your equipment—and oversight from an onsite supervisor.

Be proactive about energy savings. Consider using cooling curtains to isolate areas of your data center. Change filters regularly to keep CRACs operating efficiently, and look into the use of fans to pull in cold, treated outside air to supplement cooling systems.

Engage an expert partner. Data facility center management is a niche skill, and best practices are changing all the time. You can benefit tremendously from a committed partner who excels in their field and is proactive and transparent, providing you access to their continuous maintenance management system and issuing daily reports.

When issues arise—and alarms are raised—at data centers, urgent messages go up the chain to alert executive leadership across the company. Preventing such incidents saves all parties from the stress of entering crisis mode unnecessarily.

Operations & Maintenance Expertise At Your Service

Staffing shortages are impacting businesses across industries, overwhelming a workforce that has endured nearly two years of pandemic-related pressures. But UG2’s expert facility services teams are here to fill in the gaps with highly skilled, reliable professionals who are trained to act as an extension of our customers’ teams.

When employees are absent due to illness, quarantining after a potential exposure, or operating shorthanded because of hiring slowdowns, UG2 is augmenting staff with coverage that allows our customers to operate seamlessly, and safely—even covering for an entire staff for weeks at a time.

Our Mobile Maintenance Team: 24/7 On-Call Expertise

Whether you need us for a few weeks, or just a few hours to handle an unexpected issue, our Mobile Maintenance Team brings deep expertise to you. Every technician we bring on is trustworthy, reliable, and committed to partnering with you and getting you through a rough patch.

Our customers rely on our Mobile Maintenance teams for both general maintenance needs and highly specialized services. Team UG2 technicians are highly skilled in a range of areas, with special certifications in Universal EPA, Building Automation, and Infrared Scanning, and trade licenses in electric, plumbing, carpentry, and HVAC.

Because maintenance emergencies can happen any time, our teams are available around the clock, every single day of the year.

Leading the Way in Safety

Safety has to remain priority one when staffing shortages or equipment issues interfere with your operation. At UG2, we build safety into every job description and every meeting. Even before they begin working for UG2, our technicians are trained on a range of OSHA-required subjects from chemical handling to slip, trip, and fall preventions.

We provide our employees with additional site-specific training based on our customers’ requirements. And we continuously review, reinforce, and reward safety performance—which is why our OSHA ratings outperform the industry average.

Exceeding Your Expectations

UG2 was founded on a culture of excellence and customer-first approach to doing business, and our Mobile Maintenance facility services are a testament to those values.

Our technicians go above and beyond not only to meet your needs, but to exceed your expectations. We credit our commitment to relationship-building and service delivery with our unmatched customer retention rate of 98%.

Whether you have a late-night equipment malfunction, or a weeks-long staffing issue, you can count on a professional response, customized to the way you operate.

Embracing Each Step Towards a Successful Career

Kevin Arzu had plenty of experience managing customers and employees when he joined UG2 in February 2018. He had spent three-and-a-half years as a store manager in technology retail, and had demonstrated tremendous success increasing his store’s sales, profit, and conversion rate.

“I’m a little bit competitive,” he laughs. “I took a store from having a conversion rate of 8% a month to a steady 13%. It was a hard road, but the biggest thing is finding the right people. One thing I’m grateful for at UG2 is it’s kind of the same thing – you want to find the right person to do the right job, and I was able to bring that experience into my role here.”

Well before coming on board, Kevin knew firsthand that UG2 was a company that invested in its employees for the long term. His wife, Nereida Barbosa, has worked her way up from cleaner to account manager with the company.

Despite his previous management experience, Kevin chose to start as a cleaner in the Boston Back Bay area.

“I was initially hired to be a manager, but I had been out of the cleaning industry for a few years,” he says. “I took a step back and asked Greg Lanzillo, my operations manager at the time, if it was okay for me to go up the (career) escalator ladders, learn the rules, and get a better understanding of what we do.”

Kevin spent nearly nine months working for Jose Lagares, who quickly saw Kevin’s potential and served as a key mentor in supporting Kevin’s advancement through the company.

“Jose challenged me to see what we were missing, to find the inconsistencies,” says Kevin. “He is just an awesome guy who can help people see things as a coachable moment versus just being told how to do their job.”

Looking to challenge Kevin, Jose put him in charge of a project, and Kevin embraced opportunities to not only learn and excel at his own job but to pay close attention to others’ jobs and how they approached them. His attention to detail along with his penchant for problem solving proved essential when Boston experienced back-to-back snowstorms and Kevin proved himself adept at crisis management, prioritizing jobs while juggling equipment issues.

That hard-earned success brought a new opportunity: working with Alex Pena as assistant area manager for his portfolio of 50+ buildings.

“It gave me a bigger horizon,” says Kevin. “I was able to experience what a manager would do on a day-to-day basis managing multiple accounts. It gave me almost two years of great experience, and then working with Alex when COVID-19 happened was an even greater learning experience. I learned more in-depth about using the right chemicals and avoiding cross contamination and got a better understanding of what we do here and how to be successful.”

When Kevin eventually earned another promotion to his current position, account manager, he wanted to give back by spending time with his replacement, Christian Aguilar, to convey some of what he had learned along the way which is what he had experienced from his own colleagues and mentors.

“One thing I will say about UG2 is the way that I was received when I came on board,” Kevin says. “It was always open arms. It was always, ‘Hey, listen, do you need this? Do you need that?’ And that’s what made me fall in love with the company.”

Gratitude, Fortitude, Inspiration and Hope

As I look back on 2021, I am awed and inspired by what we have accomplished together—and by the care and character you have demonstrated in all that you do. A year marked by uncertainty and loss reminded us of what matters most: the people and values that keep us grounded in our everyday lives.

This year, we finally got to reconnect, to begin to come together again. With a new perspective, renewed purpose, and the confidence that we are surrounded by people who care. Now we are going into 2022 stronger than ever. 

At UG2, we often talk about family and community. Today I am thinking about the many individuals who make up our community.

To our customers, we thank you for entrusting us with work that matters, and for bringing meaning to a challenging time.

To our employees, every one of you brings unique talent, perspective, experiences, and commitment to our organization. You also each quietly shoulder your own worries and burdens even as you show up for our customers and each other. We have accomplished extraordinary things together, and I know great things lie ahead.

I am so grateful to each of you for the commitment you bring to your work and our teams. As we close out 2021, let’s vow to remember the lessons it has taught us. Let’s continue to appreciate one another and continue to support one another.

I’m going into this New Year with gratitude, hope, and excitement and I can’t wait to see what more we can achieve together.

I am blessed to have you as part of the UG2 family. I wish you and your loved ones all the love, health, and happiness in the world.

With warm regards,

Lou Lanzillo

Chief Executive Officer

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Commercial Building Leaders Discuss Their Perspectives in Recent Webinar

Regional operations manager Dave Pergola recently joined fellow leaders in the field for the webinar Commercial Building Engineers: Addressing the Challenges of the Moment. Dave shared his perspective on a range of issues related to data and technology, today and in the future.

Hosted by BuildingEngines, the discussion captured UG2’s unique approach to partnering with our teams and customers to deliver solutions that work in an evolving climate.

Dave touched on a host of challenges and successes for today’s engineers. Here are some highlights:

Using data in a meaningful way is a priority and a challenge.

Our data is only as good as how we use it. With customers, the data needs to be set with service level agreements. A data-informed approach is essential to ensuring that we’re being safe and fiscally responsible as we work to continuously improve the quality of our service.

We rely on data not only to help guide the customer, but also to be able to pivot operations so we are making the right changes at the right time.

Our engineering team’s approach to technology is multi-layered.

At UG2, we start every new account with a dedicated transition manager who facilitates the implementation and training around our processes and programs. We also have a VP of strategy and innovation who is laser-focused on identifying new tools that add value through quality or financial outcomes.

We take innovation very seriously, and, when you treat your engineers like family like we do at UG2, you create an environment where everyone buys into the program and feels like they’re a part of it.

Lack of understanding in service level agreements and job scopes can lead to confusion and bottlenecks.

While technology can help bring clarity, confusion around roles and responsibilities can slow response time and completion times requests. Communication, training, published scorecards and reporting that keeps everyone informed allows our teams to pivot their focus and better perform.

Since the pandemic, UG2 has leveraged the expertise gleaned from our work with data centers and life science facilities to benefit customers across all vertical sectors.

The last year and a half pushed us to adopt more stringent controls around KPIs. We’ve introduced technology like near field communication tags, armed ourselves with new apps for tracking filter changes and disinfection, and implemented health checks for our employees.

Moving forward, we’ll need to prioritize how we communicate with customers about data.

Data is important not only in how we use it but how we facilitate conversations about it between engineers and tenants or property managers and stakeholders.  The data tells a story and it’s up to everybody involved to help articulate and decide on how that data is going to be used to achieve successful results.

As the subject matter experts, we must recognize that customers in different industries may not have the same level of expertise in-house. It’s our role to guide them onto how to use data correctly to make good, informed decisions, operationally and financially.

In the future, buildings will tell us what they need.

As data and tech become more integrated with building management systems, we’ll see buildings become smarter.

Data analytics is driving everything, not just in preventative or corrective maintenance but also predictive maintenance. Artificial Intelligence is already allowing our engineers to create and manage more stable and efficient operations, and that will only improve down the road.

Success is earned and UG2 is ever striving to raise the bar on industry excellence, we take exceptional pleasure in celebrating our customers’ stellar achievements to that end

At an annual dinner held on November 18, the Boston chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) announced winners of The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) awards for industry excellence in property management, building operations, and service. UG2 was proud to be the Platinum Sponsor.

In a year that has been especially challenging, we are thrilled to celebrate our customers’ and industry’s accomplishments, the teamwork that goes into readying these buildings for awards consideration, and the tremendous, behind-closed-doors joint effort that make them shine every day of the year.

Congratulations to all the winners and our customers!

Property Manager of the Year, Suburban

Ali Bogdan
Newmark

Asset Manager of the Year

Jo Ann Merlino-Rogers
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Chief Engineer of the Year

Richie Leblanc
Oxford Properties Group

Over 100 Million SF Award Winner

222 Berkeley Street/500 Boylston Street
Owned and managed by Oxford Properties Group

Historical Building Award Winner

The Newbry – 501 Boylston
Owned by Nuveen Real Estate
Managed by CBRE

Mixed-Use Building Winner

Rowes Wharf
Owned by Prime Property Fund
Managed by JLL

For more winners, visit Greater Boston Real Estate Board to view a full list of all 2021 winners and a video.

The winners now progress to the national competition, and those who advance from there will ultimately compete at the international contest. Team UG2 sends huge congratulations to all winners, and we wish them the best of luck!

Winter is Coming! Are You Ready?

The UG2 Operations’ teams have adapted our preparedness strategies with lessons learned from the last few years. Now, as the weather gets colder, everyone’s gathering in indoor spaces, we are sharing our advice for a safer season.

Inside and Out

Assess and address hazards. From flagging steeper outdoor stairways that may need to be closed in icy weather to reviewing past injury and illness trends, make thorough workplace inspections a regular part of your facility services routine.

Outside Spaces

Inspect ladders and scaffolds before every use. Make sure surfaces are free of ice and snow, protect ladders and scaffolds from the elements by covering them when not in use, and install safety rails on elevated areas.

Maintain roofs. Inspect roofs for damages before and after storms and ensure gutters have been swept free of fall foliage to protect against icicles, ice dams and other potential hazards.

Get fences in shape. Clear away any debris that has built up around fencing. Check posts and shore up weak spots that could be exacerbated by winter weather.

Inside Spaces

Replace HVAC filters. The pandemic reminded us how crucial air quality is to our health. Be sure that you continue to follow guidelines for filter replacement, and upgrade to higher-grade filters if possible.

Don’t slack on cleaning and disinfection. Winter is prime cold and flu season. With indoor spaces sealed up to keep out the cold, maintaining sanitized spaces remains as important as ever.

Vehicle Safety

Prepare vehicles for the season. Change the oil, service the radiator, and maintain the antifreeze level. Check tire treads or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.

Fuel up and keep supplies handy. Keep your tank full to avoid ice buildup and stay ahead of traffic jams that can leave your fuel gauge dangerously close to empty. Stock your trunk with a portable charger, extra batteries, a blanket, non-perishable food and water, flares, tire pump, booster cables, snow shovel, flashlight, battery-powered radio, and first-aid supplies.

Make It Personal

Promote mental health and safety. The winter months and holiday season can be challenging for some people. COVID-19 increased stress and isolation, and many of us are missing family members this year. Check in with employees and remind them of where they can get support if they are struggling.

Inside and out, facilities management involves a complex infrastructure of services, and planning is essential. Winter weather adds to the number of tasks you have to complete, costs to manage, and resources to supervise.

A strong and reliable partner who truly knows your business can make all the difference – and can even keep your costs down in the long run with routine maintenance that keeps systems and structures healthy. If engaging a facility services provider is right for you, it is critical that you choose a company with a solid reputation and the ability to deliver on their promises.

This Thanksgiving, as we find more opportunities to safely come together, I’ve never been more grateful for my community here at UG2.

We talk a lot about “the UG2 family.” It’s easy to say those words, but any of us fortunate enough to be part of this organization know the truth in them.

That family includes the customers who have navigated this difficult time alongside us. Difficult times help you to see who you can count on. The past 20 months have confirmed what I already believed – that our employees and customers make UG2 a place where people come to stay. I’m proud of the fact that we have people seek us out who worked with us as colleagues in the past, and that once people arrive at UG2 they rarely leave. It reflects on how the company treats our most valuable asset, our employees, and how our employees treat each other and our customers. We bring out the best in one another and challenge each other to reach new heights

I’m grateful for the ways we are continuously learning from each other and constantly improving. We came through the worst of the pandemic with a whole new standard of best practices to keep each other and the communities we serve safe. We recognized that our best ideas come from within. We raised the bar on what it means to serve, we worked as hard as ever, and today we are stronger for it.

We celebrate and support one another. Covid-19 challenged us on many levels. One thing I heard, over and over again throughout 2020 and 2021, was how our employees and customers missed the little moments of connection that we lost when we were social distancing, from shared lunches and coffee breaks to the times you said hello and caught up with a customer on an elevator and asked how things were going. Those small moments are what make a community, and I so appreciate that UG2’s culture is built around the things that bring us closer.

I’m thankful for the notes of appreciation we’ve received from our customers. The hard work of our employees is so often done behind the scenes. Once in a while, someone takes notice of a Team UG2 member going above and beyond and takes a moment to call it out. I am grateful for the countless, unacknowledged ways our employees improve the lives of others. We see you, and we are thankful.

This year, I’m going into Thanksgiving with extra gratitude on my plate for my UG2 family. If you are reading this, you are part of that family. I am thankful for you and wish you and those that you hold dear a Thanksgiving filled with food, friendship, and the people you love.

A Short-Term Plan Leads to a Fulfilling Career

When Nereida Barbosa started with UG2 as an overnight janitorial supervisor in April 2017, she initially saw the role as a short-term position that would allow her and her husband to juggle childcare. Having been a cleaner for UNICCO Service Company in the past, she knew the work would be hard — but she had proven to herself and her past managers that she has a work ethic that is unmatched. With two children under age two and a nine-year-old at home, she was ready to make every necessary sacrifice to support her family.

“It wasn’t easy transitioning to becoming a night owl working overnights and then coming home to deal with the kids,” says Nereida. “It was very tough, but it was a sacrifice that I decided to take on for two years. I never expected this would be something permanent or that I would find my niche. But I do remember my interview with Greg Lanzillo, UG2 director of operations, who said, ‘This is a growing company. We are always promoting people. Just keep working hard.'”

Thanks to Nereida’s hard work, dedication and natural talent with people, and the company’s commitment to promoting from within, joining UG2 proved to be a step on the ladder to a whole new career. After witnessing Nereida’s skills and commitment to the work, Greg soon came to her with an opportunity: an assistant account manager position, a demanding role that required working closely with Greg, the customer, and account manager Jaime Flores.

“I was happy when I got the opportunity for the company to promote me and train me to become a manager,” says Nereida. “We have our little hiccups here and there, but they always guide me on how to handle situations. I saw how the account manager would manage and I got the chance to meet other managers. Seeing them in the field, running the cleaning business, working closely with our customers, I knew this is where I wanted to be. Greg saw my work ethic, my hunger, and my motivation, and after a year, an account opened up and they ended up promoting me again to account manager.”

Nereida credits Greg for the guidance and support that allowed her to grow into the role, and she has an extra shoutout for Karinelis Ayala-Gonzalez, UG2’s manager of operations support. “She helped me in so many situations I wasn’t sure about, handling scenarios with employees,” says Nereida. “She was always there to guide me. I never felt like I was alone.”

As a manager, Nereida looks forward to sharing the insights that have been passed on to her, and she has advice for those looking to advance and take on greater responsibilities.

“You have to have the customer service skills to talk to a lot of people, and you have to learn how to balance your emotions,” she says. “You are dealing with so many different personalities. It’s not easy, but it’s doable. And UG2 will guide you with everything that you need. You’re never alone. They are not like coworkers. They make you feel like you are part of a family.”

A word from our Associate Vice President of Culture and Community

November is here, and I have been thinking about how the season of Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of a period when life’s stressors tend to kick it up a notch. Even the happiest of holidays can bring up tensions around family and finances, moments missing loved ones who aren’t here to celebrate with us, and feelings of being overwhelmed by having far too much to do and too little time to do it.

Given that reality, I think the timing of our annual Gratitude Challenge could not be more perfect. So many friends and colleagues of mine have spoken about looking back on the past 20 months and coming away with a new perspective on what — and who — matters in their lives. Embracing the Gratitude Challenge at this moment in time presents a great opportunity to continue that awareness and appreciation, and to keep centering the things that really matter.

As UG2’s Associate Vice President of Culture and Community, I have witnessed the ripple effect of gratitude firsthand, which is why I have found so much joy in presenting our team with our annual Gratitude Challenge and hearing from employees about the many positives they’ve experienced after practicing gratitude. From Harvard to the University of California at Davis, research into the benefits of gratitude practices have found increased happiness, greater life satisfaction and an elevated sense of well-being, while other studies have found impacts like improved sleep habits and even strengthened immunity.

Our 2021 Gratitude Challenge journal offers a full 30 days’ worth of prompts centered on 30 different themes, which holds even more promise when you consider that many experts say it takes 30 days to build a habit. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the practice of gratitude became second nature?

The journal offers a whole variety of prompts. Here are a few of my favorites:

Day 4: Strength. Strength comes in many forms — physical, mental, emotional, etc. — and today’s the day to focus on it. Whatever you consider your strength, celebrate that today. Or, if you prefer, look around you at the strength of others and take a moment to appreciate their strength. (Maybe even take some time to let them know how much you admire them for it!)

Day 10: Music. There are songs for every occasion and mood and hearing the right one at the right time can be life changing. What kind of music do you enjoy? What song are you most thankful for right now? What new music has come into your life this past year?

Day 16: Laughter. It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine. During difficult times, many people turn to funny things to improve their mood. What makes you laugh the most? When did you spend time laughing a lot? Use today’s prompt to reflect on the humor in life — and be sure to appreciate the times this year that you’ve had a good laugh.

Day 23: Color. Colors are incredible. What’s your favorite color? How does color play a role in your life? Today is a good day to reflect on the beauty of color and appreciate all of the hues that surround you. Color has a bigger impact on how you feel than you might think so pay attention to it.

Reflecting on these prompts takes just two minutes out of your day, but the ripple effects are immeasurable. I hope you’ll embrace the 2021 Gratitude Challenge and share it with someone you love.

Lauren Lanzillo serves as Associate Vice President of Culture and Community for UG2. She published an article in the September / October issue of FMJ drawing from her deep expertise in internal learning and development.    

In “There Is an ‘I’ in Team,” Lauren points out that, while leaders are responsible for providing employees with the right training opportunities, much of the work of development and improvement falls to employees themselves.  

Self-improvement takes effort and intention. It’s not necessarily intuitive, and professional development experiences don’t always emphasize the strategies you need to bring your “A” game to your job, your team, and your career. 

Fortunately, Lauren outlines five key ways to do just that. Her suggested strategies for continuous improvement include:

  • Connecting with a mentor. Stepping outside your comfort zone to find the right mentor can bring long-term benefits — particularly if you seek out someone with skills and a style that don’t mirror your own. Innovation often happens when you collaborate with people who have fresh perspectives and different approaches. Once you find the right mentor and establish a relationship, put in the time and effort necessary to nurture it.  
  • Building soft skills. Technical skills are essential for professional advancement, but don’t overlook communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Those are the attributes necessary for leadership that will set you apart from your peers. Sharing information, practicing empathy, and listening are keys to building trust. Listening lets you go beyond Band-Aids and get to the root of a problem.
  • Cultivating openness and curiosity. People who bring a mindset that values continuous learning, who frequently seek out new challenges and who welcome feedback and constructive criticism are building skills for long term success. The resulting growth will serve their careers — and their teams and companies — very well.
  • Knowing your natural strengths. Traditional career coaching and supervisor evaluations often focuses on addressing employees’ weaknesses and areas for improvement, but recognizing and leveraging strengths is just as important. Be aware of what you bring to the table, whether you excel at process improvements or really shine in customer service, and actively seek out opportunities that leverage and build on those areas of excellence.
  • Finding purpose in your work. Meaningful work not only leaves you with a strong sense of reward and fulfillment, it also propels you toward success in your career. Figuring out the aspects of your work that you truly value takes time and intention, but it will help you shape a rewarding path forward. One way to approach this is by honestly assessing how you feel about your accomplishments, day-to-day tasks and upcoming challenges.  

Organizations are only as strong as their employees, but both can thrive if individuals are happy in their jobs doing things that motivate them and amplify their strengths. Striving for a team mentality with a focus on the “I” can be an unbeatable combination in Facility Management.

For more insights from Lauren on development and improvement, read the full article in FMJ.

The Value of Building Relationships

Derek Chaves has collected many stories, memories, and friendships in his 12 years in the facility services industry. In fact, some of his most vivid memories go much further back. He has childhood memories of tagging along to work with his father — who worked for UNICCO Services Company.

“We’d ride the elevators of these high rise buildings and I’d see window washers dangling outside the windows, and I loved it,” he says. Even then, in observing his father’s easy connection to the people he worked with, Derek recognized that the work was about relationships. “You talk to your tenants every day and you build relationships and friendships. What better place to build relationships with people than in an office building?”

Like many members of Team UG2, Derek joined UG2 while juggling his undergraduate studies. He started as a night cleaner in 2009 and worked part time for several years before earning a promotion to project cleaner. He quickly excelled in that role, and advanced to the position of supervisor, managing the night crew.

“From there I guess I caught Armando Lezama’s eye,” Derek says. “He promoted me to assistant account manager under Rudy De Leon . Rudy really showed me the ropes and taught me that managing people is not just about managing their work. You’re managing personalities and emotions. It’s about building relationships.”

Building relationships is a topic that comes up time and again with Derek, whether he is talking about the cleaners he’s worked alongside and supervised, the managers who’ve taken a personal interest in him, or the customers he so enjoys talking with and learning about their industries.

Along the way, thanks in part to the encouragement of his managers and their support of his education, he completed his Economics degree at UMass Boston. He describes how motivating it was to have managers see potential in him and grant him increasing autonomy.

“You are pretty young with a big responsibility on your plate,” he says. “But you feel valued, and you feel like you have direction. You learn as you go, and I was eventually promoted to account manager at 500 Boylston Street – 222 Berkeley Street, which I consider the crown jewel of Boston.”

He took tremendous pride in owning that responsibility, so much so that the company moved him into his current position of operations manager.  

Across the many roles Derek has filled for UG2, a constant was that early insight about relationships being at the core of the work.  

“Everybody comes to work, but no one knows what’s going on in their personal lives,” he says. “They might be having an absolutely horrible day. They might have had a car accident or have a family member suffering from an illness. Some of these people work two full time jobs. You can’t just point your finger at them and tell them to do something. To put yourself in their shoes you need to have personal relationships with people. And that’s the key to building an efficient and happy workforce at the end of the day.”

As UG2 honors Hispanic Heritage Month through Oct 15, members of Team UG2 are sharing fond memories and cherished traditions from their home countries.

This week, Jose Rubio, Mail Clerk from the West Region and Monica Hernandez, Day Custodial Supervisor from the Midwest Region spoke to us about Mexico.

UG2: Is there a particular food or drink that you would call your favorite from home?

JR: Mole is my favorite food that reminds me of home.

MH: My favorite is pozole (a stew made with hominy and meat).

UG2: Do you have a song, musical artist or movie that represents your country well?

MH: Cumbias—dancing music. (It can incorporate drums, flutes, maracas, and accordions.)

UG2: Tell us how a birthday or wedding might be celebrated in your home country?

MH: Our wedding was celebrated by having all of our family and friends come to my mother’s family home to watch the ceremony and then there was a large party with everyone eating together.

UG2: What about games or special holiday traditions?

MH:  Las Posadas commemorates Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem every December for 9 days before Christmas. It is a tradition where there is a religious outdoor gathering each evening to sing and ask for shelter until they reach the designated posada house. Then, once they enter the house, prayer and songs continue with sharing of festive foods. The evening ends with a pinata shaped like a star.

UG2: Is there a particular place or neighborhood you think of when you think of your home country?

JR: My birthplace is Lazaro Cardenas, which I often think of when I miss home.

MH:  My mother’s home was the place for family celebrations with games (marbles) and traditional foods like romeros, mole and tortitas de camarón.

Team UG2 Gets Recognized for Exceeding Expectations

We are always grateful when a customer or an individual takes time out to let us know our employees have gone above and beyond. Our employees care deeply about doing their jobs well, and an email or note acknowledging their hard work means a great deal to the people who make Team UG2 a successful and strong community. 

With all the effort our teams have put into getting buildings ready for the return to work and school, a recent letter from a grateful mom buoyed us more than she could know.

The mom wrote that while moving her college-aged son onto campus, she realized there was a mold issue in his dorm room and went looking for help. Eddie engaged fellow team members Marlene, Grace, and Eduardo, and the four swiftly remedied the problem, completing a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the area and replacing the refrigerator with a new unit.

“I asked the security man if he could contact someone from maintenance to help clean the mold and fix the refrigerator,” the mom wrote. “Shortly after, a friendly man came in and informed us that ALL the mold would be disinfected and washed thoroughly. He also said that the refrigerator needed to be replaced and that he would have a new fridge delivered to replace the broken one. Within minutes two kind women, named Marlene and Grace, appeared with mops and cleaning equipment. They were so kind and eager to help!! Later that same night, my son texted me that a new refrigerator was delivered to his door. Unbelievable service!!!

As a mom, it’s always hard for me to leave my son but seeing that he was in such caring and helpful hands – it made it a lot less difficult. I am very GRATEFUL to these workers and I can’t express my appreciation enough…I am even more thankful that my son is in a learning environment where the people are kind, compassionate and thoughtful!! God bless these workers who go out of their way to treat the students like their very own!!!

We recognized Eddie, Marlene, Grace and Eduardo for their efforts with accolades and awarded them with gift cards. Their approach to their work is a true reflection of our core values. Of course, they went the extra mile never expecting their managers would even know they had done so. We are thankful for the times an individual lets us know about our team members’ skills, problem-solving, and quiet acts of kindness.

UG2, our customers, and the people they serve benefit from the often-invisible contributions of our employees every day, on campuses and in office buildings, in classrooms and research facilities, cafeterias and shopping malls, and more. We are incredibly fortunate—and grateful.

As UG2 honors Hispanic Heritage Month through Oct 15th, members of Team UG2 are sharing fond memories and cherished traditions from their home countries.

This week, Carlos Herrera, Account Manager from the Mid-Atlantic Region spoke to us about Bolivia and Eunice Guillen, Billing Supervisor from the UG2 corporate office reflected on Honduras.

UG2: Is there a particular food or drink that you would call your favorite from home?

CH: My favorite food is Majadito (a traditional Bolivian dish of rice, meat, onions and tomatoes).

EG: My favorite food is tamales, traditional during Christmas time. For me it is not Christmas unless I have tamales at home. My favorite drink is horchata.

UG2: Do you have a song, musical artist or movie that represents your country well?

CH: Nina Camba is a very traditional song played during festivities in Bolivia. You can listen to it on youtube: here.

EG: My favorite artist is America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) and my favorite music is Garifuna (Afro-Caribbean) music called Punta.

UG2: Tell us how a birthday or wedding might be celebrated in your home country?

CH: Birthdays are celebrated with all family members. Sharing food, drinks and a cake is a must.

EG: Children’s birthday parties are the best. We celebrate with a piñata. Each child takes turns until someone breaks it, and they are filled with candies and goodies. The cake is served with homemade horchata.

UG2: What about games or special holiday traditions?

CH: The Carnival is a cultural festival with more than 48 groups of folk dancers celebrated throughout the entire country.

EG: Hondurans are obsessed with soccer, when the national team plays—especially during the World Cup—the whole nation stops to watch.

UG2: Is there a particular place or neighborhood you think of when you think of your home country?

CH: The Cathedral downtown in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

EG: I love my country especially our mountains with their thermal waters, and my favorite beach in the world is West Bay in Roatan, an island of the coast of Honduras. I need to mention the ruins of Copan, a national treasure from the Maya culture. It was considered the “Paris of the Mayas.”

UG2: What is something surprising that people might not know about your home country?

salt flats
CH: The world’s largest salt flats are located in Bolivia. During a rainy day, the salt reflects the sky.

EG: Our 2 Lempira bill is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

In April in the department of Yoro, it rains fish…Yes! You heard it right. It rains fish in Honduras!

lluvia de peces, from Wikipedia:

The lluvia de peces (lit. ‘rain of fish’), also known as aguacero de pescado (lit. ‘downpour of fish’), is a phenomenon that has been occurring yearly for more than a century in Yoro, Honduras, in which fish are said to fall from the sky. It occurs up to four times in a year.

Jeff Peterson, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, offered a glimpse at the near-future of tech in facility services in his FMJ article, Human Comfort and Compliance: The Next Shift in FM Technology.

Jeff discussed the need to regain occupant’s and guests’ trust and confidence in the safety of facilities and examined the ways technologies can help accomplish this goal.

Making Risk Mitigation Visible

People remain on edge even as they feel hopeful and excited about the return to in-person school and work. Scrutiny of facilities’ cleanliness and sanitization practices will be greater than ever. Facility managers must not only ensure the facility is safe but also convey the risk mitigation measures that are in place.

Demonstrating Compliance is Critical 

Standards and mandates around disinfection practices are more rigorous than ever. Some industries have developed their own guidelines, and facility managers adopted their own new criteria, from team wellness checks to air quality controls and disinfection reporting. Building visitors, employees and tenants will expect evidence that facilities are complying.

Utilizing Technologies and Best Practices

Facility managers are looking to a range of tech innovations and applying existing technologies in new ways:

  • Wellness checks are essential but can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Site managers are getting help with apps, near field communication chips embedded in badges, and self-checks on facial recognition clocks.
  • Disinfection tracking is made easier when cleaners can use a smartphone to scan a QR code or tap an NFC chip embedded in their ID badge to verify disinfected areas, and answer required questions in a dropdown menu, to confirm where and when work was performed.  
  • Sensors attached to walls can help monitor and control indoor air quality. The sensor signals to the building automation system to open dampers and increase fresh air intake when necessary.  
  • Data collected by sensors can quantify foot traffic and real-time building occupancy. This helps ensure compliance with occupancy level mandates and informs where, when and how often to clean and disinfect surfaces, refill hand sanitizers and remove trash.

The role of technology in this new world of visible compliance extends in every direction. QR code-based applications let tenants initiate work order requests. Robotic vacuums, scrubbers and sweepers are enabling touchless cleaning. Cleaning staff use apps to scan and time stamp locations.

How these technologies are applied will vary. The most important consideration is customer need, which requires a thorough understanding of industry specifics and clear communication between the customer and service provider. 

As UG2 honors Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept 15 – Oct 16, we will continue to profile some of the employees whose grace, talents, intelligence, and generosity of spirit are emblematic of Team UG2 in every office across the country.

For this installment, Flora Cortez, Night Custodial Supervisor (Midwest Region), and Account Manager Pedro Villatoro (Mid-Atlantic Region) spoke about their cherished home country of El Salvador.

UG2: Is there a particular food or drink that you would call your favorite from home?

FC: My favorite food is called pupusas. They are made of pork and vegetables.

PV: A famous food in El Salvador is pupusas and famous drink is horchata.


UG2: Do you have a song, musical artist or movie that represents your country well?

FC: The song is called Me Gustan Las Pupusas. It’s a song about the love of food.

PV: My country’s artist Los Hermanos Flores is well known for their music, Mi País.

UG2: Tell us how a birthday or wedding might be celebrated in your home country?

FC: With a lot of food, drinks, people, music and gifts.

PV: Birthdays are always celebrated with pata.

UG2: What about games or special holiday traditions?

FC: A lot of the same American holidays are celebrated, but the dates are different, for example El Salvador’s Independence Day, is on September 15.

PV: We celebrate Independence Day with Las Cachiporras.

UG2: Is there a particular place or neighborhood that you think of when you think of Colombia – or a particular place or time here that brings up memories of home?

FC: Denison, Iowa reminds me of home because everything is very close and accessible.

PV: This photo below makes me remember of my hometown, El Cuco.

UG2: What is something surprising that people might not know about your home country?

FC: El Salvador has used United States currency since 2010.

PV: El Salvador has a surfing beach, El Tunco La Libertad, where people from all over the world visit.

An inspiring story about embracing new opportunities

Sayne Jimenez’s first introduction to UG2 was somewhat atypical. She’d applied for a position with the company, and so had her dad. His interview was scheduled a few days before hers, but Sayne went along with him to serve as an interpreter if needed.

Not only did she interpret and help her dad land the job, but she also met and forged an instant connection with UG2 Director of Operations Rob Ryan. Their discussion took the shape of an interview, and she walked away with an offer, too. And so it was that in August 2018, five months after moving to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, Sayne signed on to UG2 as a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) Cleaner.

Along with juggling the full-time position and a long commute, Sayne was also managing coursework as a full-time student in an associate degree program. In both roles, she managed to stand out, earning straight As at school and the growing admiration of her managers at UG2.

Ten months in, she earned a promotion to Administrative Assistance Coordinator.

“Working in administration was new to me and demanded more time and energy, but it worked out as an opportunity to grow professionally,” says Sayne.

With COVID came change, and the customer was forced to end the contract. Sayne was uncertain about her future, but she soon heard from both John Correia and Rob Ryan, with whom she’d maintained a connection since that first interview. In June 2020, Rob offered Sayne a position in the corporate office as an Operations Administrator.

“Things had happened so fast when I arrived, I didn’t have a desk or job description,” says Sayne. She camped out in Rob’s office, determined to organize and learn all she could through the customer files. “I took advantage of that time to research and see how things work. It became about training myself on everything I know today. Once I had a desk and computer, I already had a huge head start.”

Grateful for the help others provided as she adjusted to her new role, Sayne was determined to “become everyone’s right hand,” and that’s exactly what she did. Ten months later, Rob came to her again with the offer of a new position – Human Resources Administrator and Business Operations Specialist for a major new account in New Hampshire.

Sayne excelled in her dual position as HR Administrator and Business Operations Specialist. She did not want to completely give up her position at headquarters, so she returned to the office about once a week. HR is a very specialized field, but Sayne’s skill as a researcher and connections with her colleagues have served her well. 

“When I started in HR, I had never done the work before and I was afraid of making a mistake,” says Sayne. “But I researched and built a knowledge base and asked people for help. I love telling people about my path at UG2. You take on things you’ve never done before and make them yours. It’s about growth in yourself and in who you can be – who you really want to be.”

In addition to her full-time HR/business operations role, Sayne was simultaneously completing her associate degree in graphic design. She has always been drawn to art and design all her life.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a very visual person, which allowed me to connect with my creative side,” Sayne tells us. “Creativity allows us to see the world in a new light and be inspired.”

Sayne made a lasting impression with several colleagues in the corporate office. Kathleen Luce, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, noticed Sayne’s stellar work ethic first-hand in the corporate office and when she heard that Sayne was pursuing a degree in graphic design, she was intrigued since the marketing department didn’t have a graphic designer.

After sitting down with Sayne and learning about her plan to pursue a graphic design career, Kat saw her potential and told her that she should consider staying with UG2 and joining the marketing team when she graduates.

Sayne was formally offered the position in May of 2022, which aligned with her graduation. She was excited to put the skills she had learned into practice in this newly created role. 

“For me, graphic design is a way to capture a message that words can’t always convey,” Sayne explains.

Sayne continues to shine in her role at UG2. Her journey has provided her with a unique familiarity with many aspects of what we do, both out in the field and within our corporate offices. 

In addition to producing stunning graphics, Sayne also excels in a variety of pillars including project management, photography, and video production. Her creative mindset and attention to detail are invaluable assets to the team.

“Having been in a variety of operational roles, it has been challenging but exciting to begin my journey in this newly created position, and to explore ways to bring UG2’s brand identity to the next level.”

As UG2 honors Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept 15 – Oct 16, we will continue to profile some of the employees whose grace, talents, intelligence, and generosity of spirit are emblematic of Team UG2 in every office across the country.

For this installment, Yaneth Baburka (Tri-State Region), María Trujillo (Tri-State Region) and Arles Callejas (Northern CA Region) shared fond memories and cherished traditions from their native Colombia.

UG2: Is there a particular food or drink that you would call your favorite from home?

YB: My favorite foods are empanadas. Colombian empanadas are made of maiz (corn).

MT: Colombia has varied cuisine but the most favorite are the Champús (a drink made with corn and fruit juices), cholado (fruit and ice flakes), and lulada (a cold, refreshing drink), and bandeja paisa (traditionally made with beans, rice, chicharrón, carne en polvo, chorizo, fried egg, ripe plantain, avocado, and arepa).

AC: My favorite food is street food such as papas criollas (Colombian-style fried potatoes).

UG2: Do you have a song, musical artist or movie that represents your country well?

YB: There are many songs that we Colombians remember our land by, but my favorite is by Carlos Vives La Gota Fria. It is called a vallenato. This music genre is from the Northern part of Colombia. Colombia is blessed with many genres of music. According to the region you are from, music is influenced by Indigenous, Europeans or Africans.

MT: I have 3. The musical artists Yuri Buenaventura, Shakira, and Carlos Vives.

UG2: Tell us how a birthday or wedding might be celebrated in your home country?

YB: When we celebrate, we celebrate with many family members at our gatherings. You can find at least three generations together. There is lots of food and we enjoy dancing the night away.

MT: One of the most famous Colombian wedding traditions is “Las arras” (gold coins). The priest blesses 13 gold coins and passes the coins to the groom who then presents them to the bride. The coins represent the groom’s willingness to take care of his wife and provide for the family.

After the bride and groom exchange rings, they do the candle ceremony. This is to symbolize the bond they now share together and that they have become one. After the ceremony comes the cutting of the cake, which is always fruit cake soaked in red wine.

Traditional styles of music loved by Colombians of all different generations will be played— Vallenato, regueton, salsa, and merengue. If you are unfamiliar with Colombian music, some popular Colombian regueton artists include Maluma, J Balvin, Piso 21, and Shakira.

UG2: What about games or special holiday traditions?

YB: My favorite holiday is the 7th of December, the celebration of Día de las velitas (day of little candles), a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. On this night we place candles and paper lanterns on porches, sidewalks, balconies, windowsills in honor of the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception.

MT: The most typical Colombian holiday is Christmas. Traditions include eating natilla (a custard dish resembling a flan) and buñuelos (fried dough balls), and attending a Novena de Aguinaldos when the family comes together to eat, sing carols (villancicos), and recite a set of prayers.

UG2: Is there a particular place or neighborhood that you think of when you think of Colombia – or a particular place or time here that brings up memories of home?

YB: When I think of back home, I think about looking out my window and being able to see the mountains, the Andes.

MT: I’m reminded of home in my neighborhood in Jackson Heights, Queens, at Christmas time when people play the carols.

AC: I think of Monserrate Sanctuary in Bogota. (this traditional site of religious pilgrimage is an arts, culture and spiritual center in the mountains of Bogota).

UG2: What is something surprising that people might not know about your home country?

YB: What is surprising about Colombia is that people do not know that we are a mixture of three worlds: Indigenous, Spaniards and African.

We have one of the most beautiful landscapes. We have three Cordilleras (Three Andean Chains), valleys, and grasslands (Los Llanos) to the East. Colombia features an independent and relatively small range, The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which rises from the Caribbean Coastline (Atlantic Coast) to soaring snow-capped peaks. It is the world’s highest coastal mountain range.

Colombia has a UNESCO City—Cartagena.

And lastly, Colombia is a very cultural country with Nobel Laureate winner Grabiel Garcia  Marquez, poets like Rafael Pombo, and painters and sculptors like Fernando Botero.

MT: Most people will have heard about Colombia because of Pablo Escobar and the Narcos Netflix series they made about his life, but Colombia is sooo much more than this. Colombia has many places to visit including Cartagena, Medellin, Cali, and the big capital, Bogota. Colombia is diverse and offers so much—Caribbean beaches, adventures in the Andes, the tropical jungle experiences, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. This is one ethnically diverse population that loves visitors.

Colombia is the world’s largest exporter of emeralds. One of the reasons Colombia emeralds are the best is because they are found in sedimentary host rock which makes them purer than emeralds from other regions.

Colombia is a country with no seasons. We have different regions with tropical rainforest, savanna, steppe, desert, and mountain climates.

The Cattleya orchid is the national flower of Colombia.

Colombians are the best dancers. Music and dancing are the heart of everything they do.

We are the third largest coffee producer and exporter in the world.

Colombia has the tallest palm trees in the world. You can find them in a valley known as Valle of Cocora.

Colombia is home to the Caño Cristales, also called the river of five colors, located in Serraníade la Macarena in the province of Meta. The river’s bed changes color between yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red from the end of July through November.

In Colombia we have a common phrase NO dar Papaya which literally translates “Keep your valuables out of sight to prevent them from being stolen.”

Colombia is a country that you can fall in love with!

Best Practices to Consider Now

Data centers are booming—and encountering a stark shortage of qualified people to run them, according to new findings from Uptime Institute. Communities across the country are facing a crisis-level shortage of skilled staff. The situation is even more stark in rural areas and for larger companies and campuses.

UG2 is already ahead of the curve, leveraging our deep expertise to develop the next generation of talent.

Here are five factors enabling us develop leaders in data center facilities management:

The best hires. We are proactive recruiters who travel the country to scout out employees with expertise in mission critical data centers – but relevant experience is only part of the equation. At UG2, we understand that certain talents and abilities translate well to succeeding in the facility services world. That’s why our hiring process emphasizes bringing in skilled problem-solvers and expert communicators who are flexible and adaptable to change in a fast-paced environment.

Advanced and ongoing training, professional development and mentoring. UG2 was built on a foundation of ensuring our people have the best training and technology in the industry. Our technicians are certified and trained on every single piece of equipment they touch, and training at UG2 never ends. From year-round remote and in-person trainings to our apprenticeship program and mentoring through our “Learn with Leaders” program, we develop every team member so that jobs become careers.

Low-to-no turnover. UG2 makes thoughtful, vetted hires and treats everyone we bring on board like family. Those factors, together with our industry leading benefits and compensation packages and unmatched opportunities for advancement have made low turnover a UG2 trademark – and that benefits everyone.

Deep partnerships with customers that allow us to predict need. Whether we are dealing with a longstanding client relationship or a new customer transitioning to UG2 for the first time, we take the time to know our customers inside and out and prioritize communication between our team and yours. That means our team supervisors know as well as anyone how to predict and plan for our customers’ emerging needs.

An emphasis on being nimble, sharing best practices and drawing from lessons learned. UG2 has always emphasized preparedness. Our practice of continuously examining where we are and finding ways to do better helped us deliver for our customers during the covid-19 pandemic. Our teams were equipped with the resources they needed and trained in how to use them. And because we have built-in, routine safety checks and prioritize communication, we were able to adapt to ever-changing protocols, whether dictated by local regulations or by our customers’ specific needs.

In this work, having a trusted partner makes all the difference – and now is the time to build capacity and capabilities. Are you facing an uncertain future when it comes to staffing and managing your facilities? We’d love to talk through your needs and priorities. Contact us today!

There’s so much more to facility services than maintaining equipment

If you are on the lookout for a private K-12 facility services provider, you need a partner who will get the job done in a way that reduces your stress —  someone who keeps things moving and adjusts to ever-changing circumstances without breaking a sweat.

You want them to be an extension of your team, someone who keeps people and processes connected without weighing you or your team down — while also actually meeting deadlines.

No, we are not mind readers. But we’ve been doing this long enough to know what matters to your private K-12 community.

We’ve drawn from our own experiences and successes to identify some key factors that should help you find a partner who fits the bill:

  • K-12 campus expertise. You already know that the private K-12 campus is a unique environment. Do your potential FM provider truly understand this? Choosing a team that has experience in this space is crucial, because you want them to hit the ground running with a well-considered, tailored-to-you, proactive approach to the job.
  • Prevention as a guiding principle. A speedy response to maintenance and cleaning needs is a major part of any FM team’s strategy, but the emphasis should be on strategies to stay ahead of preventable issues. Taking a proactive stance can lead to cost savings, increased efficiency, and operational excellence.
  • Low to no turnover among staff. For a private K-12 community, familiar faces build trust, and longevity means truly getting to know your campus needs. If FM team members such as the cleaning crew are made up of a revolving roster of strangers, they undermine the sense of community at the foundation of your school.
  • Pride in your school and the job.  The right FM team will feel like part of your campus and tap into the distinctive cohesion that makes your school special. They’ll share in the sense of pride that that alumni, staff, teachers, and students feel. That makes the job personal. They care more. They work harder.
  • Proactive and effective. An outstanding FM team will be an investment, not an expense. That’s because the FM provider will focus on proactive strategies, ongoing training for their team members, and partnership with the administration. All of those can increase efficiency and reduce overall costs.

Facility services is essential to ensuring that buildings are clean and the equipment runs well. But that should be just the starting point of your relationship.

An Experienced Partner Adds Value

For more insight, check out our blog post, 5 Things to Look for in a Facility Service Provider, and consider these factors when choosing your FM provider, even those who come in on a short-term basis.

As you strategize to keep your campus and community safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to reach out to UG2 to learn how we can help. Our pandemic-proven UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 environments, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serve.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are among our core values at UG2. Vanessa Campbell, UG2’s Associate Director of Human Resources, plays an invaluable role in paving the way for the employees whose ethnicities, backgrounds, languages, and identities are essential to our community.

As we mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month, we spoke with Vanessa about her work.

UG2: How did you come to work in facility services and human resources?

VC: I started at UNICCO Service Company in 1997. One of the attorneys there was a family friend, and the company was looking for a bilingual human resources administrator, so that’s how I fell into it. From there I became the supervisor of recruitment, then HR manager, and eventually a director. I’ve also worked in HR positions in the healthcare industry.

I came to UG2 in December of 2020. I really enjoy what I do because I like the people, and the feeling of being part of a family. I had always liked the people I worked with when I was at UNICCO and when I came here, I knew many people from my years there – even some I had hired! It’s nice seeing where people have gone with their careers and of course seeing how much older we all look. (Laughing).

UG2: Tell us about your day-to-day role as Associate Director of Human Resources at UG2. What do you like about the work?

VC: I like having the opportunity to connect with people from different places. In New England, we often hire Spanish speakers from El Salvador, Honduras, and Puerto Rico. On the West Coast we often recruit people of Mexican descent.

People talk to me about where they came from. They might be interviewing to be a cleaner but in their home country they worked as a teacher. They don’t have fluency in English to continue in the same career and they are worried about even getting a foot in the door here. I try to reassure people that this is a place they can grow, that we promote from within. I try to honor them while I listen to their stories and hear how proud they are about their history. It’s so important to me that we treat every person with the respect they deserve. 

UG2: Diversity is a core value at UG2. As we mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, can you talk about some ways you stay connected to your Mexican heritage?

VC: Well, food is always one way, of course. (Laughing.)

Work ethic is a big part of what was passed on to me by my parents. That’s an important one to me. I have proud parents. They are proud of my career. I spent most of my life in New England, and my parents are here as well, but I have family in Mexico I keep in touch with.

I think it’s important to keep our roots and teach our children what was taught to us by our parents and grandparents. To me, that is what Hispanic Heritage Month is about.

Jonathan Peck is UG2’s Senior Vice President of Operations for New England & Tri-State Regions.

As he approached his two-year anniversary at UG2, we spoke with him about his time in the industry and his experience at UG2.

UG2: You’ve worked in this industry a long time, and yet you continue to bring so much energy to your work. You seem to really get a charge out of the day-to-day stuff. What’s your secret?  

JP: Back in 1990, I fell into the industry by chance, and I fell in love with it. I started with UNICCO Service Company and worked in a variety of roles for many years. Eventually the company went through a series of changes, and over time I started to feel I was missing what was important when working in a family first culture company. In 2019 I figured out that I needed to take control of my future. Coming to UG2 was like a reset button. UG2 brought back what I was missing – those feelings of empowerment, engagement, autonomy, family, trust, and teamwork. I put my head on the pillow each night now and know exactly what I’m doing the next day. I wake up with a purpose, deliberate intent, incredible drive, and shared vison. It doesn’t even feel like you’re “working”. You want to be a part of it because it’s so enriching – that’s culture!

UG2: You bring an important perspective based on your varied experience in the industry. What different positions have you held?  

JP: At 22, as a recent college graduate, I was working at a gas station looking for the right job. I was fortunate to stumble upon the UNICCO organization. They took a chance on me and hired me based on my character, not my experience. I worked days and nights learning the business from the inside out. I completed UNICCO’s six-month training program and landed in Human Resources for two years working on training and development programs. Then, John Correia encouraged me to join the Operations team. I left HR and went to work full time in Operations servicing the company’s customers in the commercial and higher education sectors. I worked nights as an account manager, and over time advanced in my career and got to learn the business through a variety of roles and experiences. I held positions in Human Resources, Operations, Business Development, Client Retention and Executive Management.

Over those years, the company went through a lot of changes. As the company grew exponentially, I lost that sense of really being connected to our most valuable assets – our customers and our employees. I missed being part of a people centric culture and the engagement inspired at all levels in the organization. I had professionally left the doors open with many of my former colleagues and mentors who were now at UG2 and officially joined them in September 2019.

UG2: What advice do you have for others when it comes to managing people and relationships?

JP: Early on in my career at UNICCO, one of my mentors said “You have two ears and one mouth” – listen to others and you will hear what is really important. Ask the right questions, be inquisitive and be curious, and actually listen to what people are telling you. Figure out their pain points and you can develop a customized solution. You’ve got to be open to one another and build a trusted relationship with your customers and team.

I firmly believe it starts from the top. Here at UG2, our CEO comes into the office enthused, engaged, smiling and treats us all like a family. You’re not a number or a person on a spreadsheet or a line item on a budget. Each person, regardless of the seat you sit in or the team you work on, is an integral piece of the puzzle that makes our company so unique and valuable.

UG2: What are your feelings about mentoring, from both sides of the equation?

JP: I learned early on that you have only a handful mentors in your life. These mentors of mine helped shape the person who I am today, both professionally and personally. In my current role at UG2 I’m like the elder statesman, so my job is always to guide, coach and mentor the next generation. I have had opportunities to mentor people who are totally different from me, with different backgrounds and skills. It has been so rewarding to learn from their differences and diverse perspectives. I’ve learned to look for and embrace difference in my daily job. I’ve helped people quietly with tips and tricks I’ve learned along my tenured career and to see them succeed and excel— these are rewarding experiences.

In the end, it’s about having compassion, being genuine, taking care of employees and your customers and being empathetic. We have so much to offer, helping customers find solutions to their problems. Coming into this role at UG2 two years ago has made me more reflective and reminded me how impactful and rewarding it is to be part of a business that puts people first—employees and customers—every time. I’m just so proud and fortunate to be part of this family at UG2.  

It’s All About People

You hear us say it all the time. By people, we mean our employees, our customers, and our customers’ tenants, visitors, and staff. We were saying it long before we launched this company, and nearly 10 years later, it is the common thread that runs through each of our core values at UG2.

Of course, putting ideals on paper is a whole lot easier than living up to them. But our people affirm and attest to that commitment every day. The evidence is in the notes and emails we get from customers about an employee going above and beyond, in our employees’ own stories of advancing within the company, and in the words of our colleagues in the industry who seek to join us because they know UG2 as a company whose reputation is unimpeachable.

These are the values that make our success possible:

SAFETY. Putting people first means safety is at the forefront of every conversation. We incorporate safety into all we do—every staff meeting, every site visit, every decision we make—and our safety audit program is unmatched. 

INTEGRITY AND RESPECT. Leadership at every level is an essential component of what we do. We lead with compassion and by example and ground ourselves in things we are certain of for consistency you can rely on.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t buzzwords at UG2. Our employees’ breadth of ethnicities, backgrounds, languages, and identities make for a diverse culture that is one of the most enriching, robust, and gratifying aspects of our company.

METHODICAL AND DISCIPLINED BUSINESS APPROACH. Our thoughtful approach to decision making and preparedness is centered in the knowledge that short term actions have long term consequences. We demonstrated this in our response to the pandemic and we represent it our smallest actions and most significant decisions.

EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT AND TEAM ORIENTED. We endeavor to bring out the best in each other by meeting people where they are. We recognize that, as a company, we are only as strong as the people we surround ourselves with.

ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BY THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX. We strive to stay well-equipped, forward-thinking, and adaptable to stay on the cutting edge of innovation in technology. Communication and connection – with each other and our clients – are at the heart of our approach to problem-solving.

WILLING TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO CREATE LASTING IMPRESSIONS ON CUSTOMERS. From its very first days, our company was built on a foundation of service. At every level, our employees demonstrate passion, hard work, and dedication every day.

ACT AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR CUSTOMER’S LEADERSHIP TEAM. We make it our business to understand yours and align with your leadership to deliver pristine facilities and competitive advantage.

CITIZEN OF OUR CUSTOMERS INDUSTRY AND OUR INDUSTRY. We are committed to keeping our finger on the pulse of what is going on in our industry and those of our partners, showing excellence in every situation, large or small.

As UG2 continues to grow, we will do so thoughtfully and strategically. We are proud to be one of the fastest growing, privately held facility services companies — which means being able to adhere to these core values and put employees and customers first, always.

Partnering with experts in facility services makes a world of difference

Just as schools, universities, offices, and other spaces are preparing for people to return en masse, anxiety and uncertainty are bubbling back up over the delta variant and ever-changing guidance and requirements.

But this is by no means a repeat of March 2020. We now have a playbook-in-progress, drawn from all we’ve learned. As we prepare for reopening and work to identify which strategies and modifications make sense, now is the time to step back and review some key components for safety and success.

Expertise and Leadership

UG2 leadership understands that insight, innovation, communication, and courage of conviction are central to navigating what lies ahead. The breadth of expertise we’ve recruited and developed across the company allows us to be proactive and preventative instead of merely reactive.

Our capacity to assess what might be needed over the next year and beyond—not just when buildings begin to re-open—takes experience and acting on those conclusions requires the ability to build and guide effective teams.  

Preparedness and Adaptability

The one thing we can count on, when it comes to guidelines, is that they will continue to change. UG2 can credit much of our success over the past 18 months to the preparedness and planning that are the foundation of our business model. Though we could not have predicted COVID-19’s course or impact in advance, we have always prioritized emergency planning, safety preparedness, and ongoing training—priorities that make it possible to confront such situations. We constantly evaluate our performance and introduce new and better practices.

Our employees have demonstrated, time and again, the ability to be nimble and flexible and adjust to what becomes the new normal—and to serve our customers professionally and safely.

Communication at All Levels

Assembling our entire leadership on a regular basis to get updates from all perspectives, garner and address everyone’s issues and concerns, and share those of our customers proved extremely beneficial over the past year-and-a-half. Similarly, daily safety check-ins with every employee not only allowed us to stay ahead of illness outbreaks, but it also provided ample opportunity to communicate ever-changing protocols and guidelines.

We took communication and continuity to a new level with our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health SM programs, which we are constantly enhancing and refining.

A Partner You Can Rely on Will Make the Work Possible

Facility management is a complex infrastructure of services. It involves countless tasks to complete, costs to manage, and resources to supervise. From equipment maintenance and operations to janitorial services, much of what facility managers handle impacts thousands of building occupants and guests, which makes performing with excellence critical.

That reality underscores the necessity of partnering with experts who can deliver world-class facility services. More than ever before, it’s important to engage a facility services organization with a solid record of success and the ability to deliver on commitments.

Facility services teams have learned a lot in the past year about how to set up spaces that are effectively distanced, and to identify the products and technologies to keep high-touch surfaces sanitized and air quality clean and refreshed. Knowing where and how to implement the right strategy requires another level of expertise.  

The benefits of partnering with an outsourced facility management expert are far-reaching:

• Cost control and savings: Customers not only find that costs kept within budget, but they also often realize significant cost reductions thanks to greater efficiencies, better equipment maintenance strategies, use of advanced and mobile technologies, and energy savings.

• Highly skilled talent: Facility employees get the training, technologies, ongoing professional development, and playbooks needed to be successful at whatever job they’re tasked with doing.

• Fast resolution: We arrange for the right level of staffing to meet client needs, with specialized expertise readily available. With our advanced systems, best practices, and trained implementation teams, issues are resolved faster and more effectively.

• Well-maintained systems: Providers like UG2 ensure the appropriate level of proactive and preventative maintenance required for each building system based on a thorough understanding of the customer’s requirements, budget, site commitments, and asset-preservation objectives.

• Safer facilities: Proven safety systems, training, compliance, and documentation help prevent injury and maintain workforce stability, minimizing customers’ risk exposure.

Built-in Flexibility is Essential

Today’s environment requires organizations to make constant course corrections. The outsourced model is based on flexibility. We can quickly scale business levels up or down and adjust different types of skill sets as budgets and situations change. We plan, manage, and execute, then measure and adjust. This ensures we put the right people in the right place at the right time, and ensure they’re performing as needed.

UG2 is an industry leader in all the components we know to be crucial to success today. Finding the right business partner for a safe return-to-work—and well into the future—will allow you to refocus your business its core mission and succeed.

A recent article explains how combining different types of indicators yields more effective safety plans

In a recent Facility Safety Management article, UG2 director of Environmental Health and Safety Adam Rabesa lays out strategies to maximize safety with an approach that combines leading and lagging indicators.

As Adam explains, many companies understandably look to lagging indicators for safety planning, and indeed, metrics such as injuries occurring over a measurable period of time are an important part of assessing and improving workplace safety. But lagging indicators only don’t go far enough. A more comprehensive — and effective — approach includes leading indicators, like measuring safety-related activities, that allow you to confront safety-related issues before an incident arises.

The article provides some concrete direction on the types of leading indicators that are helpful to have in place:

Accounting for the immediate causes of accidents such as human behavior. A strong approach to safety must take human behavior into account. Although changing people’s behavior is a challenging undertaking, managers can take steps to reduce unsafe practices with the goal of eliminating them over time. Ideally, this approach involves employees themselves in identifying, cataloging and sharing information on unsafe conditions so that all become more attuned to noticing — and acting on — such issues before they cause an incident or accident.  

Understanding employees’ attitudes and perceptions of the work environment. Surveying employees is an essential and often overlooked component of workplace safety planning. Engaged employees make for much more impactful safety programs, and surveys are an excellent way for management to assess safety culture and understand how an organizations’ efforts around safety are impacting employees. Survey findings are a strong leading indicator of safety issues impacting everyone from hourly employees to senior management.   

Incorporating safety-related organizational activities and management systems. Training, inspections and audits are essential for proactive risk mitigation. Consistent, engaging training that is applicable to an employee’s job and addresses OSHA requirements helps prevent injuries — and training completion reports are an effective leading indicator. Inspections can help identify hazards and allow time to correct unsafe conditions before an incident occurs. It’s also critical to conduct regular quality control audits of tools and mechanical systems.  

For a more detailed look at the ways leading indicators complement lagging indicators for a balanced approach to safety, read the full Facility Safety Management article. Be sure to also check out our blog for best practices, tips, and strategies for protecting your teams and keeping your facilities safe.

Facilities management done right: Getting ahead of potential problems

Among the many benefits of having a facilities team that really knows your campus is their ability to get ahead of issues. On a private K-12 campus, facilities management teams are juggling everything from systems and equipment breakdowns to finding time for safety training and – in a year like this one – building and incorporating all kinds of new cleaning and disinfecting processes.

That doesn’t leave a lot of room for preventative measures. But in the long term, a proactive approach saves everyone time and expense —and contributes to a safer campus environment.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take an overhaul to be proactive. It just takes attention to detail. For example, UG2 facility managers often “walk the campus” every week, specifically looking for minor issues to address. Those could be seemingly tiny problems, right down to a small crack on a stairway, or a door that doesn’t open quite right. Maybe there’s a little water damage at a corner of a ceiling tile.

All of these have the potential to turn into much larger safety issues. The stairway crack could become a tripping hazard. The door might not close securely when a teacher needs it to. That water spot may be from a leaking pipe that could burst eventually if it’s ignored.

A knowledgeable facility manager “knows” a campus, right down to what everything should  look like and how it needs to function. Being proactive in identifying issues – and communicating effectively with you so your time is not wasted – can bring significant benefits:

  • Cost savings: Consider the difference between taking 15 minutes to replace part of a pipe that’s leaking versus a 2-day shutdown of an entire part of the campus because of a major pipe burst, as well as the potential water damage from that event.
  • Efficiency: When a facility manager is the one generating most of the work orders, that means repairs have become more minimal. The facility team can focus on more important maintenance issues without having the constant distraction of repair problems.
  • Appearance and reputation: Everyone knows how it feels to be in a space that is well maintained, clean, and free of even minor issues. It simply feels better and helps a private K-12 school maintain its reputation for excellence — not just academically, but also operationally.

Value of an Experienced Partner

For more insight, check out our other blog posts,  Tailored Strategies for Unique Private K-12 Schools and Making Facilities Management a Part of Your Private K-12 Community.

As you think about planning for the next semester and beyond, don’t hesitate to reach out to UG2 about how we can help keep your campus and community safe. Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 environments, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serve.

In a year when UG2’s teams have demonstrated exceptional hard work and dedication, we could not be prouder to announce that the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has recognized Albert Palmaccio with the college’s Sustainability Changemaker Award. The award, presented by the FIT President’s Sustainability Council, honors an individual’s lifetime efforts in community engagement, educational advancement, and reduction of the campus carbon footprint.

Al is a longstanding contributor to a safer, more vibrant and greener campus. Having served the college in numerous roles since 2005, he was appointed to the position of assistant director of engineering and sustainability when FIT switched to partner with UG2 for facilities management in 2019.

Al has overseen a whopping 58 percent reduction in the college’s carbon emission since 2007. His accomplishments already earned recognition from the New York City Department of Administrative Services, which named him a 2017 Energy Champion. He shared his insights and lessons learned as a panelist at an event hosted by the Building Energy Exchange and the NYC Department of Administrative Services’ Division of Energy Management.

Campus administrators speak with appreciation of Al’s leadership and hands-on contributions to reducing the school’s carbon footprint. During peak periods of electricity use, such as during a summer heat wave, Al works to monitor and ease strain on the grid by personally managing equipment through manual controls.

Partners in prioritizing sustainability

Part of the State University of New York system, FIT is internationally recognized for its programs in design, fashion, art, communications and business.

FIT is a forward-thinking institution that has long emphasized a commitment to sustainability. That ethos complements UG2’s industry-leading sustainability mindset, evident in our efforts to reduce waste and environmental impacts, our use of eco-friendly materials, and our spearheading of green tech innovation.

UG2 is grateful to have people and partners at all levels of our work who share in our promise to protect the environment. We congratulate Al for his leadership and unflagging commitment to this pressing cause.

Read more about how UG2 practices sustainability.

UG2 Account Manager Phil Willyard Goes Above and Beyond

UG2 puts a great deal of emphasis on safety and training. A recent episode at a customer site in Little Rock, Arkansas illustrates that you can never be too prepared.

UG2 Account Manager Phil Willyard saw a young couple walking toward him, and the young woman was looking unwell. She began to ask about calling for an ambulance when she had a seizure. Phil and another employee caught her as she lost consciousness. Phil immediately moved the unconscious woman onto her side and cleared her airway. She had stopped breathing and was nonresponsive. Seeing that she was in cardiac arrest, Phil prepared for the prospect of using an automated external defibrillator (AED). That’s when the woman’s boyfriend said she’d recently undergone surgery to have a pacemaker put in.

Phil instead performed CPR on the young woman, resuscitating her twice, with help from a passing medical student, and maintaining her oxygen level and heart rate until EMTs arrived.

While UG2 provides extensive training on emergency first aid and CPR, Phil’s background made him uniquely qualified to respond in the life-or-death moment. He served three combat tours in the U.S. Army and has extensive specialized training in lifesaving.

“The first thing is, you need to keep a cool head,” says Phil. “Luckily with my combat experience as a non-commissioned officer with soldiers I was responsible for, I had learned to keep a level head and keep my bearings. Second, I would say if there’s ever an opportunity to get any type of medical emergency training, I advise people to take it because not only could it be somebody walking through the mall, it could be a family member, or it could be a friend. You never know when a situation is going to arrive to where you need training like this.”

Phil was recruited by UG2 for this Account Manager position earlier this year. Although he did not yet have experience managing staff, his expertise and background both in the Army and in other positions including in facilities made him a top candidate.

The day-to-day stressors Phil typically deals with fall more in the category of preparing for inspections and juggling employee schedules—challenges he seems to take on with gusto. “Whatever comes up, you get the job done,” says Phil. He noted that, when he has a day off, he makes a point of making time to go fishing or take a walk in the park – activities that relax and restore him.

Phil himself was doing some recruiting on a recent day, staffing a job fair at the mall, when the young woman and her boyfriend again approached him, this time wearing huge smiles. Phil jumped up to receive a giant hug that nearly brought him to tears. It was the first he learned that his patient had fully recovered.

Consistency and Connection are key components cultivated on your campus every day. But are you overlooking facilities management?

In a private K-12 environment, community is everything. Administrators, staff, teachers, parents, and students are all forging unique connections, fostering cohesion and belonging, and making school feel like a second home for everyone.

Over the past 18 months, we’ve grown to appreciate that distinctive feeling more than ever. And at a time when facilities management (FM) has moved front and center in our thinking about campus safety, it’s essential that the private K-12 community can look to their FM staff as a true part of the team.

UG2 has a deep history of working with K-12 schools and with building partnerships with FM for all of our customers. We recognize two major elements that are important to making your FM a good fit for your private K-12 school:

  • Low turnover or no turnover. In an office building, seeing familiar faces for facilities management is nice, but in a school, it’s crucial. Staff, students, and parents love getting to know “their” people.

    At the private K-12 schools handled by UG2, students often greet our cleaning crews by name in the hallways, and even practice their Spanish language skills with them. They know our FM people as well as they do the school secretary, cafeteria employees, or favorite bus driver. One school even dedicated two yearbook pages to their favorite UG2 team member. That kind of connection builds trust and community ― but it’s simply not possible when you have high turnover, because not only are students and staff unfamiliar with FM employees, but they also don’t make the investment of effort and time — understandably assuming that FM workers might be gone soon.
  • School pride. FM employees — especially when they know they are there for the long term — will become part of the community and feel a sense of belonging, just as much as alumnus, staff, teachers, and students do. And when you feel proud to work somewhere, you care more. You work harder. That’s what we see at UG2 with our FM teams that handle private K-12 schools and their campuses. They use the phrase “our school” because there’s ownership and a sense of responsibility not just to UG2 or their managers, but to the entire school community.

    On every private K-12 campus, facilities management is an important part of ensuring that buildings are cleaned and well maintained. But that should be the foundation, not the endpoint. The right team will fit into your community, not operate outside of it.

Value of an Experienced Partner

UG2 takes pride in the longevity of our relationships with our employees, and that translates to deeper connections between our teams and the facilities that employ them. Nowhere is that more apparent – or important – than the private K-12 communities we serve.

For more insight, check out our blog for an upcoming post that will discuss how a proactive approach to facilities management can help your private K-12 campus in ways you may not have anticipated.

As you think about how to keep your campus and your community safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to get in touch with UG2. Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 environments, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serv

Learn how becoming a refrigeration (HVAC) apprentice can lead to a promising career

It may surprise jobseekers to learn that working in the facility services industry can lead to an advantageous full-time position. By 2029, the employment rate is expected to grow by 4% for HVAC techs and by 6% for facility managers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. One of the best ways to gain hands-on experience is to learn on the job. That’s why we launched an apprenticeship program in the spring of 2018.

Investing in the Future of Facilities Management

As part of our mission at UG2, we are committed to the professional development and ongoing learning of our employees. Our goal is to set the new standard of excellence in our industry. We aim to build a team of passionate, hardworking, and dedicated people who understand and deliver exceptional service.

Another aspect of our mission is to cultivate the next generation of leadership in facility services. That’s why we partner with several educational institutions in Massachusetts, to source quality candidates to join our ranks.

How Our Apprenticeship Program Works

Our apprenticeship program is registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards. In as little as three years, our refrigeration (HVAC) apprentices can complete the program, assuming they meet all the annual requirements to progress.

To fulfill the program’s requirements, each apprentice is expected to:

  • Register with the Office of Public Safety and renew this registration annually
  • Complete 150 learning hours annually
  • Complete a minimum of 1500 working hours in the field under the supervision of our licensed Operations and Maintenance (O&M) leadership
  • Attend mandatory check-in meetings
  • Complete all required Safety Trainings mandated by the UG2 Safety Training Program
  • Be receptive to feedback and incorporate it into their practice
  • Take advantage of additional learning opportunities, such as UG2 sponsored Massachusetts Maritime Academy onsite trainings in the spring and fall, our Operations and Maintenance (O&M) department trainings throughout the year, and tuition reimbursement program

Doing an apprenticeship offers a unique opportunity to get real-world experience in all aspects of maintenance and operations work, from troubleshooting issues to relationship management to learning best practices. Apprentices are mentored and monitored by some of the most talented industry professionals and O&M leaders in New England, and the results speak for themselves. There is nothing more rewarding than to create pathways to licensure for members of our team and to see them grow and evolve professionally. If you are interested in pursuing a career in facilities management and would like to learn more about our apprenticeship program, contact us!

Solutions and Resources: Beyond the Basics

In the private K-12 environment, administrators, teachers, and parents share in a commitment to an overarching goal – keeping our community safe and our students engaged and thriving. Throughout the last year, there was intense debate over the return to in-person school, we now have significant data and experience to inform a safer reopening plan. But how do the new best practices translate for Private K-12?

UG2 has partnered with private K-12 communities to identify considerations and solutions that go beyond the basics. Plans must be carefully laid out, but also have built-in flexibility to respond to changing conditions.

Cleaning and disinfection remain essential, but other considerations are critical for ensuring a successful year ahead:

Staggered reopening schedules. While many private K-12 school buildings were closed over the past 18 months, other spaces remained open to support residents or faculty living on campus. The upcoming school year (2021-2022) might see continued pressure on space utilization and the ability to stagger residential and/or commuter student schedules so that classrooms and other spaces can be cycled and serviced on different days. How are you perform cleaning and engineering services in spaces that are always populated?  How are you communicate complex scheduling requirements to ensure the right rooms are disinfected?

Varying facility types. Student dorms, classrooms, science labs, sports arenas, fitness centers, cafeterias, common areas, libraries, offices, auditoriums, music practice spaces—the list goes on when it comes to the types of spaces on a typical private K-12 campus, many of which traditionally hold large events. How can you tailor your solutions to these different facilities and ensure they are consistently disinfected and made safer, given the complexity and variety of these spaces?

Budget constraints and considerations. Tuition serves as a primary source of revenue for K-12 private schools, but institutions today may face challenges of lower enrollment rates, higher spend on cleaning services, reduced alumni gifts, and potential faculty recruitment struggles. How can you do more when you may have less to spend?

More engagement and interaction. Despite controls like better social distancing in classrooms and dining spaces, students will gravitate toward one another. What about sports teams? Even with spectators socially distanced, players need to be in close proximity, and often can’t wear masks as part of practice and play. How will you handle the potential rise in infection risk that comes with more interaction?

Supporting a strong community. One unique aspect of a K-12 private school is the close-knit community that brings together educators, administrators, parents, students, and staff. Ensuring that all feel supported and safe is crucial, and requires careful communication about what’s being done to keep everyone healthy. Do you have a solid communications plan to help all stakeholders feel confident in your strategies and informed about evolving protocols?

Given these factors, private K-12 reopening for in-person learning requires a unique, well-thought-out approach that addresses complex issues on multiple levels. That leads to the biggest question of all: How can you reopen safely when resources may be limited?

Strategizing with an Experienced Partner

If you work in the private K-12 education industry, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening. UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational customers. Awareness of the unique needs of a campus environment is just the first of many steps toward creating a cohesive, meaningful plan for reopening, drawn from a very specific understanding of the challenges these programs face. UG2 will go deeper into these issues in our upcoming blog series. We’ll take a detailed look at a proactive approach to facility services, and examine the importance of operations coordination.

Do you have questions about your specific needs as you look toward September? Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to school—and long after they’re back, too.

We’d love to talk through them with you. Contact us today!

Learn how to evaluate providers for facility services outsourcing in a post-pandemic world

While COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted and vaccination numbers continue to increase, many people are still hesitant about going back to the office. UG2 Associate Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Solutions Bob Desaulniers explains how to evaluate service providers for “the great return” to the workplace in a recent Facilities.net article.

Coming Out of Isolation

During the pandemic, we had to adopt new behaviors, like wearing masks and social distancing. At the same time, building owners and facility managers had to learn about and implement drastic measures to ensure everyone’s health and safety. This included spacing out furniture, adding partitions, employing the most effective disinfection products and procedures available, and improving indoor air filtration.

A recent survey shows that 70% of businesses expect their employees to return to the workplace by fall 2021. As we come out of this period of isolation, tenants need to feel confident that their health and safety remains a priority. Now more than ever, it is critical to be able to handle situations quickly, efficiently, and as soon as they arise.

That’s why more building owners and facility managers are turning to providers that deliver comprehensive facility services offerings and expertise. Since over 50% of facilities management was outsourced before the pandemic, it’s expected that number will continue to rise.

Top 5 Things to Consider in a Service Provider

If you’re thinking of outsourcing your facilities management, you should consider specialized providers that are agile, communicative, hard-working, and have expertise on long-standing best practices and innovative technology.

Your facilities services provider should have these five traits:

  1. Resource Deployment Expertise – Able to put the right people in the right place at the right time, balance performing the work required with employee safety, and be able to ensure the work is done well and in a timely manner.
  2. Technology Acumen – Knowledgeable about the most advanced technology available to increase efficiency, suggest innovative and time-tested solutions as needed, and increase efficiency by using touchless technology and QR codes.
  3. Training Focus – Invest regularly in employee training, certification and recertification, and professional development, and keep up to date on best practices.
  4. Partnership Mindset – Stay accountable to meeting the KPI’s you have agreed upon, are transparent about results (good and bad), adhere to federal, state, and local regulations, and are proactive rather than reactive.
  5. Multi-layered Approach – Plan ahead and prepare for the return of occupants and guests to your facility, create and implement standard operating procedures to ensure everyone’s health and safety, and use clear communication and signage to keep occupants well informed.

While we may be making progress since the pandemic began, this is still a time of uncertainty. You will benefit from working with a partner you—along with your visitors and tenants—can trust. In addition to improving outcomes and helping your business remain nimble, this may also save you money.

For more information and insights on how to find the best facilities services provider, read the full Facilities.net article and be sure to check out our blog for posts about ensuring the health and safety of your employees.

Stay Safe by Adopting a Comprehensive Outlook

If your company operates like most, your approach to safety relies heavily on lagging indicators ― like safety metrics that tell you how many injuries you’ve had in the past year. Those indicators provide critical, actionable information after an event, allowing you to measure trends and take corrective steps to prevent future events. But because they are a reactive, not proactive, approach, lagging indicators aren’t nearly enough when it comes to comprehensive safety planning.

The strongest safety plans combine lagging indicators with leading indicators. Leading indicators allow you to identify risks in advance and take proactive safety measures to reduce hazard exposure. For example, if you conduct regular safety audits and your safety grade drops, you know you are missing something. You need to take a closer look ― and take the actions necessary to head off a potential event.

UG2’s Comprehensive Approach

UG2 incorporates both leading and lagging indicators into our planning for a comprehensive approach to safety that’s woven into all we do. From our USafe2 health and safety program to our industry-leading efforts around quality control, we’ve consistently attained an above-average safety rating that stands out from that of our competitors.

We understand that a successful health and safety program closely monitors and responds to lagging indicators like lost workdays, injuries, and asset damage, while also valuing leading indicators — from ergonomics and unsafe/safe conditions to inspection and training completion reports and chemical management.

The People Behind the Processes

Our proactive approach to safety planning emphasizes safety training and refreshers for the individuals who make up our workforce at every level. We track safety trainings and third-party certifications completed. We reinforce best practices by recognizing and rewarding safe behavior. And we pay close attention to employee turnover ― which can serve as both a lagging and leading indicator.

Comprehensive safety planning also accounts for human behavior. We know from studies of human behavior how difficult it is to change ingrained habits. It’s human nature to want to take shortcuts ― like arriving on the 13th floor to change a light ballast, realizing you forgot your safety glasses and resisting going back for them because of the extra time and effort it will take. Or failing to ask for help lifting something heavy because it will be quicker to just do it yourself. But shortcuts and safety don’t mix.

Leading indicators can help us counter the habits that make us fallible and reinforce practices and processes that keep everyone safe. That means accounting for observed behaviors, for example, the percentage of people wearing hard hats on a building site.

Inspections, audits and surveys should include leader audits and self-inspections, risk and hazard assessments, permit to work audits, and job safety analysis (JSA) audits. In fact, every site visit should include a documented safety audit.

Safety means incorporating hazard mitigation into every interaction, making safety a part of every person’s job description and day-to-day activities.

How prioritizing professional development has made a difference

We work in an industry that’s faced-paced and ever-evolving ― in fact, the challenges and rewards that are so critical to maintaining an agile and responsive organization rate high on the long list of reasons I am drawn to this field. Every day, I’m pushed to grow and learn from the people and practices that make our company the best at what we do.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, UG2 has continued to prioritize professional growth and development along with safety across the company. While other organizations defaulted to “survival mode,” we survived and even thrived as we found our footing in a supportive environment where employees embrace opportunities to build skills that benefit all.  

So, how did we do it?

Here are the highlights of our continuous improvement efforts over the past 15 months:

  • Bolstered communication Transparency is essential to a successful workforce – and that’s even more true in a crisis. We made sure to communicate regularly with all staff, updating them on what we knew and being candid when we didn’t yet have answers.
  • Launched USafe2 Our new, comprehensive health and safety program couldn’t have come at a better time. For more information, click here.
  • Promoted strategies for mindfulness, resilience and stress management Knowing these qualities would become even more critical, we added skills-building to our professional development curriculum and e-Learning opportunities.
  • Provided managers with new tools Our managers faced new demands that we addressed very specifically through new curriculum offerings on Managing and Leading through a Pandemic.
  • Connected team members to leaders We linked our UG2 team members to senior leadership by launching a new, internal “Learn with Leaders” program, where senior leadership shared experience, expertise, and mentoring opportunities.
  • Beefed up customer service and conflict resolution skills Knowing our customers and end-users were facing immense stress and demands themselves, we added strategy training to our e-Learning and development curriculums so that we would be better positioned to offer support.
  • Took all trainings virtual We transitioned every in-person training offered by our Training and Innovation Lab to a virtual platform delivering trainings on everything from HVAC Basics and Blueprint Reading to Variable Frequency Drives and Tenant Condenser Water Systems.
  • Tapped best-in-class trainers We partnered with experts to deliver training on relevant topics like Microsoft Excel- Pivot Tables & VLookUps; Public Speaking & Presentation Skills; and Navigating Through Uncertainty.
  • Encouraged self-directed development We launched our UG2 Development Toolkit and hosted workshops geared at helping team members to both “take the reins” when it came to their own development and to assist managers in supporting their team.
  • Broadcasted webinar opportunities We researched and promoted opportunities for team members to train on topics like Authentic Leadership; Collective Intelligence: The Power of Collaboration; The Art of Listening; Fitwell, Well and LEED Certification Overview; How to Speak like a Leader; and Where is the Love? Why Leaders Shouldn’t be Afraid of the “L” Word.”

It’s an impressive list ― and we are still adding to it.

My position at UG2 reflects the organization’s founding principles that values our people and safety, always. I’m grateful for a culture that embraces best practices and continuous improvement; because of that culture, we  have been able to quickly adjust, learn and readjust to this year’s unprecedented challenges.

Learn more about our health and safety record or contact us to talk about your program’s challenges ― and how we can help.

Students express appreciation for UG2 janitorial staff with heartfelt messages and handmade cards

Keeping Private K-12 Campuses Safe and Secure

Hearing from customers and getting positive feedback has always been a welcome occurrence. But it was especially gratifying for the UG2 janitorial staff who work at a private K-12 school in New England. They received handwritten messages of sincere thanks from students in recognition of the work they do to keep them safe and healthy.

As with all of our customers, enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures have been implemented and monitored throughout the pandemic. In addition, we take a proactive approach to repair and maintenance. This not only results in cost savings, but also prevents potential safety hazards from becoming more dangerous.

UG2 team members are uniquely qualified to work on private K-12 campuses thanks to  their previous experience. They take pride in the work they do and truly become part of the community, engaging regularly with students, faculty, and staff.

Receiving Thanks

Here are some excerpts from the heartwarming messages written by the students to the UG2 janitorial staff:

“I am so grateful to you for all the work you do. This is such a strange time, but you have made a difference in making us feel safe and making us be safe.”

“Though we may seem oblivious at times to the hard work you’re putting in, know that your time, effort, and contributions don’t go unnoticed; we really appreciate you all!”

“I know that [our school] would not be able to stay open without you to ensure that everything is staying clean. You work so hard for us and we really appreciate it.”

“Thanks for all the care you have put into your work as we all operate in this new mode. I have long admired your work and I have enjoyed our brief conversations when I pass you.”

To learn more about our janitorial services and the work we perform on private K-12 school campuses, contact us today.

UG2 Partners with TD Garden to Enable Safe, Clean Return to Venue

UG2’s Cleaning and Disinfecting Expertise Helps Achieve GBAC STAR Accreditation for Outbreak Prevention, Response, and Recovery

Boston, MA, June 16, 2021 UG2 today announced it has partnered with TD Garden to achieve the cleaning industry’s GBAC STAR™ accreditation for outbreak prevention, response, and recovery. This accreditation, which is recommended by the NBA and NHL, among others, is critical to enabling a safe, clean return to the venue for employees, sports teams, entertainers, and fans.

“UG2 has always been focused on maintaining pristine and healthy facilities for clients across markets. Now, as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted and everyone is hyperaware of the measures being taken to protect them, elevating these services is even more essential,” said Greg Lanzillo, Director of Operations, UG2. “We’re proud of the work we did to help achieve this rigorous accreditation, from consulting on cleaning and disinfecting best practices and technologies to completing the many required tasks and paperwork. Not only did our efforts help free TD Garden to focus on other essential re-opening projects, it enables the risk mitigation and peace of mind we all need to confidently return to the work and activities we enjoy.”

“TD Garden is committed to providing a safe atmosphere to associates, guests and players. The GBAC STAR accreditation is critical to our ‘Play it Safe” commitment, and UG2 has been integral to helping us achieve this,” said Andrew MacFayden, General Manager, TD Garden. “Their expertise in facility services, deep knowledge of COVID-19 mitigation guidelines and best practices, and our collaborative partnership, helped us meet our goals for a safe reopening and expanded occupancy of TD Garden.”

The GBAC STAR Accreditation Program is performance-based and designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for their staff and their buildings. Successful GBAC STAR facilities are able to demonstrate that correct work practices, procedures, and systems are in place to prepare, respond, and recover from outbreaks and pandemics. There are 20 GBAC STAR Program Elements, each with specific performance and guidance criteria. 

How One UG2 Team Managed the Demands of COVID-19: Q&A with Madeline Costas, Safety & Quality Control Manager

Madeline Costas and her team were already making “just in case” safety preparations well before COVID-19 began proliferating across the US. That planning paid off ― and factors like her team’s access to expertise and their willingness to continuously refine protocols proved critical to their success in keeping UG2 employees, their customers and end-users safe.

UG2: How have you had to adapt over the past year?

MC: Our experience was like what other UG2 teams experienced. We were planning our response with our director before it was clear that COVID-19 would become an issue, going through the information we had and thinking strategically about what to do.

When the threat became real, we constantly updated protocols based on the CDC recommendations, our customer’s internal requirements, and strategies shared by other customers and experts. Every customer has different protocols based on their specific needs, and the guidance was constantly changing so we updated our protocols continuously.

Training was a big part of keeping everyone safe. People needed to understand the seriousness of the threat and the reasoning behind every decision. Sharing that information helped people to manage their fears and make better decisions, and to come to us with questions and concerns.

UG2: What are some examples of changes you made?

MC: The guidance around quarantine changed constantly, and that was a big one for us to keep track of. At one point, the guidance was that you had to quarantine if you traveled more than 150 miles. That is just the size of our county.

We needed to determine where people would go to have their meals and  distance safely. We have a large Latino community who love sharing food and conversation on breaks. That was a huge change for everyone. And the virus impacted people’s commute – people who were used to carpooling had to think about limiting exposure and the possibility they’d have to quarantine.

We had to space out our morning health checks since that was when people would pick up their keys, PPE and supplies to do their safety checks. We staggered arrivals by five minutes, marked the floor at six-foot intervals and asked employees to stay in their cars until supervisors were ready for them. Those morning health and safety check-ins became an important time to share information and updates. That was a very positive experience because we could observe how people were following through with the new protocols. Everyone was very committed.

We developed small group trainings around the CDC recommendations.. Due to the small capacity limits, we had to hold the trainings over and over for both day and night staff until everyone was trained. The trainings covered information from when to test if you might have been exposed to which products were COVID approved and the dwell time needed to kill the virus. We tried to present the information in ways that were simple to process, and we even had our employees take a short quiz  to be sure they were paying attention and that they understood.

It helped that the CDC resources were available in different languages. It’s so important that people understand the “why” behind the processes and protocols.  People had very good questions that were helpful for us to hear and research.  

UG2: How did you plan for building closures and strategize around making the process safe?

MC: We continued to encourage social distancing, and asked that employees refrain from eating lunch together, that if they stopped to have a conversation with someone, to make sure to stay six feet apart.

Having adequate supplies was important too. Soap, water and PPE, replenishing wipes and supplies were always available and we made sure employees were always using face coverings.

Now things are beginning to open up again. Everyone’s feeling very positive about it. We’re doing top-to-bottom cleanings to prepare buildings for reopening, and we will continue with our advanced cleaning protocols.

We have to play it safe, always ― no shortcuts.

Learn how our mobile maintenance services kept things running when our customers needed it the most

It’s become apparent over the past 18 months that door-to-door service is more than just an added convenience. For some organizations, it’s a downright necessity. It can mean the difference between continuing business as usual and halting operations altogether.

That’s why UG2 has offered Mobile Maintenance Services since our inception. It helps customers run their businesses without a hitch and provides on-call access to the best of the best for maintenance and repairs—even during a pandemic.

In the early days of COVID-19, businesses in every industry were experiencing a great deal of uncertainty. Not only was it difficult to find PPE but working remotely and social distancing were novel concepts that took some getting used to. Luckily, our Mobile Maintenance Team was there to provide customers with much-needed support in multiple ways.

Providing Coverage For Absent Employees

As you may imagine, some customers’ staff couldn’t come to work because they were sick or had tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, employees who had been in close contact with those individuals were required to quarantine in case they, too, had been infected.

On several occasions, our Mobile Maintenance Team filled in when the customers’ entire staff had been affected. We were able to provide many weeks of coverage until their employees recovered and were able to come back to work.

Building Changes and Upgrades

Our mobile tech crew installed sneeze shields in the lobby area of several office buildings and around an elementary school campus. They also helped the school build a 40 x 60-foot deck space covered by a tent, which allowed students to attend classes outdoors.

Many customers also took advantage of the fact that buildings were empty because their employees were working remotely. Our team was able to work on projects like filter upgrades, UV lighting system installations, and rooftop water cooling changes. Not only was it convenient, but it ended up saving our customers money since the work could be done during the day.

Becoming An Extension Of Your Team

Our mobile tech team is an extremely talented group of people. They’re highly valued by our customers, and a great example of what it means to be an employee of UG2. Any mobile crew member can walk into a complicated and unfamiliar environment, troubleshoot to find the root cause of the problem, and come up with a timely and efficient solution.

UG2 is now offering Mobile Maintenance Services in the Mid-Atlantic region! If you are looking for a fresh approach, contact us today.

You hear us say it all the time: our people are our most valuable assets. At UG2, we built safety into our programs from the ground up. Now, we’re taking it even further as we introduce USafe2 – our holistic health and safety program.

USafe2 goes beyond best practices to integrate safety into every process and decision. UG2 incorporates safety with the following:

A Highly Trained Team. All of our operations and maintenance technicians are OSHA 10 certified within the first 12 months of being hired. Even before they begin working for UG2, everyone is trained on a range of OSHA-required subjects from bloodborne pathogens and slips, trips and falls to chemical handling and hazard control.

Site-Specific Training. UG2 tailors its hiring, training and development procedures to the site-specific needs of each facility, providing line-staff training on specific Standard Operating Procedures, site-based security, emergency procedures and customer-mandated training modules.

Continuous Review and Reinforcement. UG2 conducts annual refresher trainings for employees across all service lines in every industry and across dozens of subjects including hazard communication, ladder safety, general electric safety, hot work and fire prevention, hearing conservation and respiratory protection.

An Unmatched Safety Audit Program. Our Director of Environmental Health & Safety operates as a third-party auditor for all of our safety environmental programs to ensure that regulations are met, and standards exceeded as we operate as responsible citizens.

A Record of Excellence. We take tremendous pride in our success ensuring a positive, safe environment for staff, customers, and end-users. Our safety records reflect our commitment to operating safely and effectively, and our OSHA rates continually outperform the industry average.

We welcome the focus on safety that National Safety Month brings, but at UG2, every month is safety month. Safety is at the forefront in every conversation and we incorporate safety into all we do – every staff meeting, every site visit, every decision we make.

Our USafe2 program advances that commitment. We will strive continuously to do better – and to recognize and reward our staff who so often go the extra mile on safety.

How professional development helped me prioritize my values and communicate better with my manager

As an Employee Services Administrator at UG2, I work directly with our team members on a range of employment-related issues. From providing employment services, such as proof of employment and wage verification for things like mortgage applications and disability claims, to handling wage garnishment and unemployment, my job is to help others. It’s an aspect of my work that I love, even under the toughest circumstances.

But since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of requests and sense of urgency has increased tremendously. It began to feel overwhelming and demotivating, since everything I touch is high priority. I knew there had to be a better way to handle my workload and get things done in a timely manner without feeling quite so stressed.

Fortunately for me, UG2 regularly provides its employees with professional development and career support opportunities. So, I signed up for a virtual training session that featured tools designed to help employees take an active role in the management of their development paths. These included:

  • The Edgar Schein Career Anchors Exercise, which helps employees reflect on their values and how they prioritize them.
  • The Career Conversations Guide, which provides employees with an outline for approaching conversations about career development with their manager.

According to training facilitators Keith Rovinelli and Lauren Lanzillo, the first step was to approach the career anchors exercise with an open mind. Then, we read through the definitions of the eight anchors, or aspects of a job, which includes things like technical/functional, autonomy/independence, and service/dedication.

Next, each participant filled out their own chart listing current and previous work positions, the positive and negative characteristics of each one, and then the anchors that matched the positive and negative values and motivations for each position.

Generally, I find it difficult to reflect and learn enough about myself to be able to identify what elements of a position are most important to me, so I found this exercise extremely helpful. For example, I realized how important the fourth anchor, security/stability, is to me.

After all the participants on the call finished the exercise, Keith and Lauren opened up the floor so we could share and learn from each other’s’ experiences. They did a great job of creating an environment in which everyone felt comfortable opening up. I gained a lot of insight from employees in other departments and found their feedback very relatable.

For employees in leadership roles, Keith shared some great advice. If an employee expresses interest in career development, managers should make sure to provide them with the “Three Es”:

  • Exposure to help them get to the next step in their career,
  • Experience to give them the opportunity to take on more responsibility, including as a team leader, and
  • Expertise, such as the knowledge you can provide your employees and opportunities to get additional training and certifications.

I also contributed by sharing how much I value the security and stability anchor, stating: “I thrive when there is structure and organization. I become overwhelmed when I am unorganized. So, it’s important to me that there are clear procedures and expectations set in place, because it makes setting goals for my position and for my personal career development easier to envision.”

As a result, I now know what I must do—get more organized, create systems, and develop processes to expedite requests—to feel less overwhelmed when doing my work. In addition, I learned it’s my responsibility as an employee to bring these types of issues to my manager and keep an open line of communication with them about my workload and career goals.

Overall, my key takeaway from this training is that, when it comes to my own career, I’m in the driver’s seat. I can’t sit back and wait for opportunities to fall in my lap. I have to make time to identify my strengths, likes, dislikes, and goals while remaining receptive to constructive criticism. I also need to initiate discussions with my manager on a regular basis to help me grow my career and reach my professional goals. I encourage all my colleagues at UG2 to take advantage of the training and professional development that is offered.

A recent article examines what we’ve learned about on-campus facility services as a result of COVID-19 restrictions

In a recent article in Facilities Executive, UG2’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Jonathan Peck, examines the effects of the COVID-19 on college and university campuses one year into the pandemic. While we originally thought things might get back to normal by fall 2020, ongoing restrictions have had major financial and operational repercussions on the higher education industry.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As a result of decreasing enrollment, Peck writes, “revenue plummeted while expenditures—such as IT infrastructure to support remote classrooms and work models, COVID-19 testing, high-frequency disinfecting, cleaning, and modifications to support HVAC systems—have gone up.” As budgets tightened, it became more challenging for facilities services to keep the on-campus environment clean and its community safe.

But there is a silver lining. Peck explains that while on-campus facility services staff were “drinking from fire hoses” at the beginning of the pandemic, they now know “which products, technologies, and best practices are top for keeping spaces effectively distanced, high-touch surfaces sanitized, and air quality clean.”

Four Key Things Higher Ed Facilities Learned From the Pandemic

  • Keeping employees safe is a priority. In addition to regular testing for COVID-19, it’s essential to provide on-campus staff with PPE and ensure the ability for social distancing. This means you may need to shift your employees’ schedules, stagger their shifts, and allow them to work independently.
  • Take advantage of technology. For example, we created the UG2 Disinfection Log app for smart phones to make it easier and more efficient for cleaning staff to do their work. This innovative new tool also allows our employees to identify high-traffic areas, adhere to state-mandated disinfection regulations, and contribute to contact tracing efforts.
  • Conduct facility assessments regularly. Predictive maintenance and detailed engineering economic analysis can help higher ed institutions extend the life of aging equipment and infrastructure, leading to smarter investments and cost efficiencies.
  • Stay flexible. During times of uncertainty, it’s a good idea to incorporate risk management into your operations strategy. This includes having an emergency communication plan, using data to inform your key decision-making, ensuring emergency supplies and equipment are fully stocked and available, and partnering with a facility services expert like UG2 for outsourcing.

For more information and insights on best practices for higher education facility services, read the full Facility Executive article and be sure to check out our blog for posts about ensuring the health and safety of your on-campus community during and after the pandemic.

As a team, we conquered the challenges of 2020 and as we continue moving forward, we have an optimistic outlook for 2021 and beyond. We are excited to share some corporate organizational news and promotions.

UG2 CORPORATE TEAM

Tara Leverone promoted to Vice President, Finance and Shared Services

Kat Luce promoted to Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Lauren Lanzillo promoted to Associate Vice President, Culture & Community

Brittany Rovinelli promoted to Assistant Corporate Controller

Bill Jenkins promoted to Associate Vice President of Information Technology

Abhay (“Abs”) Gohel promoted to Senior IT Project Specialist

Adam Rabesa promoted to Director of Environmental, Health and Safety

OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP & STAFF

Additionally, there are several other well-deserved promotions from our operations teams. These hard working and dedicated essential workers were under intense pressure and faced multiple challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the difficult environment, they clearly rose to the occasion, overcame many obstacles, and ensured a superior level of service to our entire portfolio.

NEW ENGLAND CENTER OF EXCELLENCE:

Rob Behrent promoted to Senior Operations Manager

Patrick Haverty promoted to Senior Area Manager

Karinelis Ayala promoted to Operations Support Manager

Sayne Jimenez promoted to HR Administrator and Business Operations Specialist

TRI-STATE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE:

Jim Larkin promoted to Senior Director of Operations

MID-ATLANTIC CENTER OF EXCELLENCE:

Elizabeth (Ellie) Garland promoted to Operations Support Manager

MIDWEST CENTER OF EXCELLENCE:

Robert Castillo promoted to Operations Manager

Edwin Illescas promoted to Operations Manager

WEST CENTER OF EXCELLENCE:

Grover Brown promoted to Associate Vice President, Educational Sector

Each of these individuals has made significant contributions to the successful growth and continuity of our business in the face of a pandemic. We are pleased to recognize their accomplishments. Please join us in thanking and congratulating each of them. 

UG2 Frontline Operations Team Standing Tall Beyond the Pandemic

May 12th marks this year’s celebration of World FM Day. Given the events of the past year, this year’s theme is particularly poignant: Standing Tall Beyond the Pandemic. As citizens of the facility services industry, we have a responsibility to keep our customers safe and healthy more than ever before. Thankfully, our employees have demonstrated their dedication, innovative thinking, and a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty countless times.

As we look to the future and people return to the workplace, the work we do remains critical to our customers’ wellbeing and success. For all of us here at UG2, it is no mystery what our “secret weapon” is in the fight against COVID-19. As we make strides to come out of this pandemic better and stronger than ever before, it all comes down to the incredible people who work for us.

In recognition of World FM Day and World FM Week, we’ll be highlighting some of UG2’s Operations and Maintenance and Account Management team members on social media. As you read about them, please join us in thanking them for the outstanding work they do every day and throughout the pandemic.

Here’s a sneak peek at UG2’s latest round of exceptional employees:


Tom McKenna, Transitions and Startups Manager, Boston, MA

Right out of college, Tom joined UG2 as administrative support for our site-based and mobile services team. His “can do” attitude paired with his unwavering reliability and work ethic were traits that distinguished him early on and only continued to grow over time. In his current position, he heads up transitions, startups, operational support, and logistics for the Operations & Maintenance team in New England. Tom is always willing to go the extra mile to support our team and provide support wherever it is needed. Additionally, to further enhance his skill set and add value to the team, Tom is pursuing a Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician License.


Soledad Tello, Account Manager, Seaside, CA

Not long after being hired in 2019, Soledad was promoted to an Account Manager role. She even relocated for her new position. Thanks to her tremendous efforts, customer satisfaction and loyalty increased within just a few months, resulting in a three-year extension to our current account contract. She and her team were also named UG2’s 2020 Champions of Sustainability Goals.


Francisco Lemus, Lead Engineer, Washington, D.C.

Since his days as a Lead Day Porter in 2008, Francisco transitioned to maintenance and worked his way up to the position of Lead Engineer through a series of promotions. Known for his exemplary work ethic and positive attitude, he has a thirst for knowledge and willingness to take on new challenges.


Stephen Lynch, Facilities Manager, Des Moines, IA

Steve personifies UG2’s culture by exhibiting pride of ownership, which is a hallmark of our operation. As manager of both janitorial and maintenance staff, he’s shown himself to be an employee-focused leader, customer-centric operator and creative problem-solver.


Conrad Cid, Area Manager, Boston, MA

Originally hired as a Day Porter, Conrad was quickly promoted to Account Manager due to his dedication, positivity, and ability to exceed expectations. He quickly mastered his craft and gained the trust of our customers. Now an Area Manager, Conrad is described as trustworthy, hardworking, and a leader among his peers. He gives 120% effort while wearing a genuine and infectious smile.


Raul Garcia Del Castillo, Account Manager, Syracuse, NY

As Account Manager for UG2’s largest retail operation, located within one of the ten largest malls in the country, Raul is driven to improve both professionally and personally. He has transformed the account’s on-site culture through team building, accountability, and leading by example.


Ema Uepi, Assistant Facility Manager, Redwood City, CA

A pro at operating under pressure in a fast-changing environment, Ema has helped her team reach new levels of productivity, ingenuity, and trustworthiness. She is extremely detail-oriented, thorough in her duties, and reliable—especially when it comes to handling issues that pop up daily and last-minute requests.


Fernando Orozco, Account Manager, Chicago, IL

Fernando has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic, honor, and integrity. He has the rare ability to excel under pressure and inspires admiration from customers and coworkers alike. Fernando has become both accomplished and respected for making things look effortless in a field known for its laboriousness.


Jose Laboy, Account Manager, Palm Beach, FL

A recent addition to our team, Jose has quickly proven himself invaluable as Account Manager for a destination outlet mall. He lends his impressive skills with MEP and keen eye for design and modernization to many special renovation and remodeling projects around the property, elevating their overall appearance.


Rich Malloy, Assistant Director and MEP Manager, New York, NY

Rich leads a team of operating engineers and handymen that implemented a new computer maintenance management system, mobile maintenance dispatch solutions, electronic engineering rounds and the Brady 360 lock-out tag-out program to improve response times, preventative performance, and the safety of technician and campus occupants. He’s also a subject matter expert on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.


Jose (Pepe) Perez, Team Lead, Redwood City, CA

Pepe is the consummate professional—always on time and doing his job well. He’s reliable, skilled, and committed to his work. His knack for troubleshooting, preventative and corrective maintenance, repairs, and other technical onsite duties make him a valued team member.

In addition to those listed above, do you know of a UG2 team member who deserves recognition? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Please send your comments to marketing@ug2.com.

How UG2 Continues to Keep Customers Safe

To say the world has changed tremendously in the past year is a monumental understatement. Twelve months ago, when the shock of the virus was new, most companies and schools sent their employees and students home, thinking it would be just a few months until they returned. While facility managers (FMs) and physical plant directors were scrambling to find and deploy the best disinfection and cleaning products and implement distancing measures, the population at large was figuring out how to simply function in the new pandemic normal.

Ever since then, people have been living on high alert. Everything has been centered around reducing the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 by controlling how we interact.  Almost overnight we changed the way we work, shop, and socialize. We stayed home, celebrated holidays on Zoom, and became experts on mask wearing and how to adequately wash hands and social distance.

Now, with COVID-19 vaccinations well underway, plans for reopening are as well. According to a LaSalle Network survey, 70% of business leaders plan to have employees back in the office by fall 2021, phasing them in slowly. K-12 and universities are expecting to have students, faculty & staff back on-campuses in the fall, with many preparing for in person commencement ceremonies as well as summer school & conferences.

Cautious Optimism

However, while there’s excitement about returning to workspaces, schools, entertainment venues, and more, there’s also significant concern. Everyone has been so focused on keeping isolated that being in close proximity to non-household members for long periods of time in spaces managed by others, is pretty anxiety-provoking. People are rightly worried about variables they can’t control and things they don’t know – like whether colleagues are vaccinated and when someone coughs, is it because of COVID-19 or is it just a dry throat.

That’s why it’s incredibly important that Facility Managers focus on making occupants feel safe in their work place environments and communities. If they don’t, they’ll likely go back to remote working, learning, and shopping – the implications of which would be devastating for people, businesses, and the economy both physically & emotionally.

The Comfort Checklist

With that in mind, here are six tactics and tools Facility Managers can use to instill peace of mind that your facility is safe to return to:

1. Signage

Communication is always important but now, it’s crucial, especially when it comes to notifications about disinfection status and regulations you want occupants to follow. Signage can go a long way for getting your messages across and keeping them visible.

For instance, signs in front of or inside elevators can display when they were last disinfected or that they have a new air filtration system. You can put door hangers outside conference rooms letting people know the rooms are ready to be occupied, post table signage in break rooms and kitchens reminding employees to practice social distancing, and lay six-foot-apart floor markers in shared spaces like cafeterias.

Custodial staff badges can also help. Bright pins or tags on their clothing saying they’re certified in particular disinfecting protocols and best practices will be noticed and appreciated.

2. Cleaning Visualization Maps

For real-time cleaning status, some organizations display digital cleaning maps on monitors throughout their facility. Products like CrowdComfort enable occupants to easily see which spaces have been cleaned and when. Cleaning staff use a QR code app on their smartphone to scan each location and time stamp. This information is fed into the visualization tool, which shows a map with the status of specific areas using color codes (red, yellow, green) for at-a-glance checks.  

3. Automation and Robotics

Many organizations are evaluating technologies that enable a more touchless environment, such as robotic vacuums, scrubbers, and sweepers. These are visible reminders that the facility is committed to using the latest technologies to keep spaces clean and people safe.

Other examples include paper towel and soap dispensers that automatically notify the facility supervisor when products need to be refilled. Since no one has to open containers to check levels, this decreases touch points and potential virus spread.

4. Self-Service Ticketing

As critical as visibility is, so is giving occupants a feeling of empowerment, that they have some control over their workspace environment. With this in mind, UG2 created a QR code-based solution that enables occupants to use their smartphones to initiate location-specific work order requests – for instance, to refill a disinfection station dispenser or clean up a lobby spill. The solution creates a work order, sends verification, and notifies the sender when the work order is complete.

5. COVID-19 Health Checks

It’s not just tenants who need to feel safe in facilities, it’s also custodial staff. UG2 developed an app called UG2 Health Check, or UHC, that helps employees feel comfortable about their colleagues’ state of wellness. UHC is a simple, smartphone-based survey that site managers can use at the start of every shift, questioning every employee about COVID-19 symptoms and potential exposure, and determining whether it’s appropriate for them to work that day.

6. Quality Management Inspections  

Behind the scenes, facility employees can use mobile management inspection tools to accelerate cleaning problematic areas. Facility managers scan QR codes or NFC tags via their smartphones when they see things like dirty toilets, garbage spilling out of trash cans, or soiled carpet– anything not up to the more stringent post-COVID standards. These readings are automatically fed into the appropriate system, where they are processed and readily addressed.

UG2 is helping organizations around the country build the trust tenants need to confidently and comfortably return to office spaces, classrooms, entertainment venues, and more. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

UG2 Leadership Additions

We are excited to announce significant leadership additions and company investments that enable us to continue to strengthen our team, expand our reach, and position UG2 for accelerated growth in a post pandemic world with our industry leading UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs.

Ken Gomulka joins UG2 as Senior Vice President, Southeast creating our Sixth COE

Ken Gomulka has joined UG2’s leadership team as Senior Vice President, Southeast. He will be responsible for our new, sixth center of excellence in the Southeast. In this new role, Ken will oversee all operations and business development within the Southeast region. Ken has over 30 years of successful leadership in facilities management, operations, business development, contract administration and financial oversight.

Steve Alletag joins UG2 as Executive Director for our Midwest COE

Steve Alletag has joined UG2 as Executive Director of our Midwest Center of Excellence. Steve is a well-known industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience in facility services operations. He has held regional executive leadership positions with some of the nation’s largest facility services providers.

Mike Gagne assumes responsibility of Southern New England as Senior Vice President of Operations

Mike Gagne will be responsible for expanding our business and team in Southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Over the last year, we have elevated our presence and leadership position in Rhode Island and are looking to expand this to the balance of the region. Mike will play a critical role in driving this expansion for UG2.

UG2 is on the move and committed to set the new standard of excellence and create the next generation of leadership in the essential facility services industry.

Team UG2 stays flexible and caters to the needs of our customers

Throughout the pandemic, UG2 has helped its customers overcome challenges no one could have predicted. From alleviating staff shortages due to illness to improving facility health and safety standards, we’ve seen many of our employees going above and beyond.

As a recent example, the UG2 team at Des Moines University (DMU) in Iowa helped to set up a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic for the campus community. Part of our partnership with the school includes working with the state of Iowa to help the DMU staff and faculty get vaccinated.

John Harris, Account Manager and Director of Facilities Management, Julie Hill, Facilities Office Administrator, and Philip Baughman, Campus Services Manager, make up part of UG2’s team at DMU. To launch the drive-through clinic, their first step was to build an outdoor structure to protect administrative support staff from the elements. They also brought in a heater to fend off the cold and extended the wireless router and a hard line to keep the clinic connected with the campus community.

“It’s all about supporting our customer,” Harris explains. “Making sure we do everything we can to support their needs.” Each week, his team goes to the Iowa Department of Public Health to pick up the vaccines, needles, injection pens, and paper documentation for the clinic. Daily, they also put out signage directing people to its location.

“The reaction to the clinic is that it’s well-received, very organized, and the university is very appreciative of our efforts,” says Harris. “The goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible.” The clinic will remain in operation as long as it continues to meet the 80% threshold of getting shots into arms.

Our UG2 team at DMU could not be more excited to support DMU in this endeavor and in what we hope will be another positive step in mitigating the threat posed by COVID-19.

Earth Day is on April 22nd. As citizens of the facility services industry, we feel it’s our responsibility to reduce waste, support green tech innovation, and minimize our impact on the environment. To celebrate the occasion, here’s a look at how UG2 practices sustainability.

Applying Green Cleaning Practices

Our janitorial staff is equipped with green cleaning solutions made without aggressive chemicals, such as phosphates, nonylphenols, and sulfuric acid. Whenever possible, we utilize concentrated refill options and reusable/recyclable spray bottles. We also work with partners that are committed to increasing plastic reuse and reducing plastic pollution to help safeguard the environment .

The cleaning products and chemicals we use comply with OSHA regulations and, along with the equipment we use, are consistent with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED EB-OM’s specifications. We are experienced with LEED, ISO, and WELL building standards and employ our comprehensive green cleaning program at most of the facilities we service.

Achieving CIMS-GB Certification

In 2019, we were awarded the Clean Industry Management Standard – Green Building (CIMS-GB) with Honors Certification by ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. This prestigious recognition was awarded following an independent, accredited assessment to confirm that UG2 meets industry standards for health, safety, environmental stewardship, and various other measurements. It also allows our customers to achieve points under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED EB: O&M).

Maintaining Strict Safety Standards

We provide employees with proper PPE and training on the safe handling and dispensing of hazardous materials. It’s our highest priority to ensure the welfare of our employees and customers, from proper labeling and storage to posting caution signs to measuring and diluting concentrated cleaning products.

In addition to initial training, we also provide employees with periodic training on cleaning procedures, products, and equipment. From HEPA-filtration vacuums to CRI-certified carpet extractors powered by low emission engines, every piece of equipment we use is evaluated with regard to its impact on the environment and ergonomics.

Reducing Waste and Recycling

In addition to supporting customer recycling and waste management goals, UG2 is experienced in developing and implementing recycling and waste reduction plans. During routine cleaning, our team members prioritize proper waste separation, recycling, and composting. We take pride in leading by example and helping to drive the positive reception of our customers’ waste reduction initiatives.

To learn more about our Sustainability Services program, please contact us today.

If we’ve learned anything from the last few years, it’s that the best laid plans often go awry. That’s why our Mobile Maintenance Services team is such an asset. It gives our customers access to highly skilled technicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

But there’s more to it than just convenience. Our mobile team is the heart and soul of the Operations and Maintenance component of our business—we’ve been providing this service to customers since 2012.

Here are some of the key benefits of mobile maintenance services:

Easy Access to Highly Skilled Labor

Our mobile team is made up of highly skilled, multi-craft, and extremely well-trained friendly tradespeople who utilize the latest tools, equipment, and advanced technology. In addition to general mechanics, the team includes licensed electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians.

Regardless of expertise, our mobile technicians are capable of going into an unfamiliar environment, quickly and efficiently troubleshooting an issue, and either making the repair on the spot or coming back with the right part if it’s not immediately available. They have an impressively wide range of abilities, from changing commercial rooftop units to building a sheetrock wall to working in extremely specialized and sensitive environments.

Many of our customers have become so impressed with our mobile techs that they consider them an extension of their own in-house team. This is due not only to their talent, reliability, and attention to detail, but also their skill at communication and customer service.

A More Cost-Effective Solution

Instead of having to pay for a full-time employee, UG2’s mobile maintenance services give customers the option to hire a highly skilled technician with expertise in a particular trade as the need arises. Team members arrive on location in a fully equipped truck ready to do the job they were hired to do, then leave. The customer only ends up paying for the time it takes for a specific service to be completed.

It also pays to have a multi-skilled tradesperson on-site. Hiring several different workers, each with their own expertise, can be cost prohibitive. Meanwhile, if a customer calls one of our mobile techs in to change a compressor, they can also take care of additional tasks while they’re there, like switching out light bulbs or fixing a leaky toilet.

On-Call Service, Repair, and Maintenance

A major advantage of offering mobile maintenance services is that it can help with staff augmentation. If an employee leaves an organization, we can temporarily fill that position until a new hire is brought onboard. Our team members are also frequently assigned to fill in for employees who are on vacation or out sick.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our customers’ employees have either come down with COVID-19 or been out for two weeks to quarantine. But that work still needs to get done. Luckily, our mobile techs have been able to step in and help our customers safely fill those voids.

A Better Way To Do Business

Of course, offering mobile maintenance services also benefits UG2 from a business standpoint. It serves as a training ground for our apprenticeship program. Younger team members gain exposure to different environments and a wealth of knowledge from their more experienced peers, which adds to their education, visibility, and technical efficiency.

Contact us to get the highest standard of facility services.

Spotlight on UG2 Frontline Essential Workers

At UG2, we recognize it’s the people who work for us that enable us to achieve a new standard of excellence in the facility services industry. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do. And from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve witnessed them going above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of our customers, their employees, and their guests.

We appreciate not only the work our employees do, but also how they do it—with dedication, enthusiasm, and care. This year’s National Cleaning Week takes place from March 28th through April 3rd. To celebrate, we’ll be highlighting some of UG2’s frontline essential workers on social media. As you read about them there (or below), please join us in praising them and all essential employees for a job well done.

Featuring our outstanding essential janitorial workers:

Ramiro Garza, Lead Porter, Boston, MA

Known for his hard work, passion and dedication, Ramiro has spent countless hours cleaning and disinfecting offices to ensure tenants’ safety during the pandemic. He is always willing to pitch in and help out, especially during an emergency.

Rafael “Obi” Hernandez, Custodian, New York, NY

Rafael is a proactive member of the team, performing his work with pride and precision. Respected for his knowledge about using specialized equipment, like the Bobcat, he regularly volunteers to help out during snow emergencies and stays on for extended shifts when necessary.


Jose Macias, Day Shift Cleaner, Chicago, IL

Jose is known for being dependable, flexible, hardworking, and being a great communicator. When it comes to cleaning, he’s extremely thorough. Jose goes above and beyond his normal work duties and is a regular snow removal volunteer.

Jose Marquez, Day Porter, Washington, DC

Over the past 24 years, Jose has been a porter for one of our long-standing customers in D.C. Considered a valuable member of the community, he has received multiple compliments for great attendance and the quality of his work from the building property management. He’s known for his work ethic, positive attitude, and great personality.


Karla Martinez, Lead Cleaner, Seaside, CA

It’s no surprise that Karla receives such positive customer feedback on her performance. She’s always willing to do what it takes to get the job done, whether it means staying late for an extended shift or volunteering to help complete a project when more staff is needed.

Franklin Peguro, Lead Cleaner, Dedham, MA

Having worked at the same school for over 21 years, Frank has become a vital part of its daily operation. Not only is he respected for his diligence, reliability, and experience with carpet cleaning and floor work—he’s also very well-liked by the teachers and students at the school.

Eligio Romero Orejel, Day Porter, Redwood City, CA

Excellent work and outstanding customer service—that’s what Eligio is known for. In his day-to-day responsibilities, he exceeds expectations, demonstrates a consistent willingness to help, and inspires others with his positive attitude.

Cesar Toro, Lead Porter and Night Supervisor, Bedford, MA

Cesar is a dependable and trusted figure at the corporate center where he works. Since training to perform electrostatic spraying at the beginning of the pandemic, he has become our go-to team member for performing this type of service in the suburbs of Boston. During a snowstorm, he’ll arrive as early as 3 a.m. to supervise sidewalk clearing and ensure businesses can open their doors by 7 a.m.

Artemio Vazquez, Cleaner, Stanford, CA

With a positive attitude, excellent attendance, and a reputation for helping his coworkers, Artemio has become a trusted representative of UG2. In addition to doing a great job cleaning, he also keeps our vans and golf carts in tip top shape.

Omagly Leyva, Lead Cleaner, West Palm Beach, FL

Omagly is admired for being an excellent role model. She’s committed to her work, always goes the extra mile to ensure the property where she works looks great, and radiates positivity (she’s always smiling!).

In addition to those listed above, do you know of a UG2 team member who deserves recognition? If so, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us with your comments.

A new easy-to-use app from UG2 ensures that every employee prioritizes safety for every shift worked

When COVID-19 alerts were first being issued, UG2 did what many companies were requiring: Employees filled out paperwork at the start of every shift about whether they’d been experiencing symptoms or had been exposed to the virus at home. But it didn’t take long for this to be a cumbersome process — as well as only minimally useful. After all, the paper logs couldn’t be easily searched, they were only stored as a stack of papers that grew thicker by the day.

Focused on innovation from the core, UG2’s information technology team knew there had to be a better way. So, they built one.

Using an existing app called codeREADr, they created the UG2 Health Check app, known as UHC, that uses a simple, smartphone-based survey that site managers could use for every employee at the start of every shift. The survey includes questions about COVID symptoms like sore throat, headache, and fever, as well as potential exposure through family members or friends.

Employee info is accessed by an NFC chip embedded within a plastic badge, so it’s easily scanned into the system, reducing input time even more. A supervisor simply needs to tap the badge for the survey to appear on the mobile device. Efficiency continues to increase as employees become more familiar with the survey questions.

Another advantage is that the data can be presented in clear and readable electronic reports — replacing the need for any paper-based storage.

Better Control Means More Safety

With UHC, health and symptom information isn’t just in a stack of papers somewhere in the management office. Customers and supervisors can access their unique site report from anywhere with a network connection to assist with contact tracing or analyze safety trends.

Currently, UHC is utilized at 17 UG2 partner sites, encompassing 5,346 employees in California, New York, and Massachusetts. UG2 is considering rolling it out to more sites in the future as needed, and leveraging the technology for post-pandemic needs, as well.

Even with vaccinations still in full swing, we’re obviously still a long way from being past this pandemic. Having data that is easily accessible and searchable is a major step for ensuring higher levels of safety at every site.

Together with UDL

The every-shift health check is just one aspect of the technology-driven approach to safety at UG2. Early in the pandemic, the company’s IT department created the UG2 Disinfection Log — called UDL for short — to track disinfection more easily. Cleaners use a smartphone to tap a chip embedded in their ID badge and answer a few questions in a dropdown menu, such as where and when work was performed.

The answers are recorded in an electronic database that meets state requirements for disinfection reporting. Like UHC, the logs don’t require any paperwork and can be securely and electronically stored, as well as searched and sorted based on the customer’s need.

With efforts like UHC and UDL, as well as other technology initiatives, UG2 is making good on one of its foundational promises: adopting and developing innovative solutions that benefit our customers. It’s this focus on what our customers require most and ensuring solutions are easy to use and reliable, that highlights UG2’s commitment to being a true strategic partner to our customers.

The Facility Services Outsourcing Advantage

When COVID-19 hit the U.S. in March 2020, office buildings, education institutions, retailers, and more took a pause and closed their doors to occupants. Few of us imagined then that we’d still be seeking to “get back to normal” one year later. Many people thought we’d quarantine for a few months, while workers and students went remote, and then start reopening up in late summer after the virus was under control. In the meantime, facility management teams went to work to find a way to make buildings safe so people could confidently return.

Today, while COVID-19 vaccinations are giving us hope, the truth is we still live in a world of uncertainty. Questions abound. How many people are likely to get vaccinated, and  when? How long will immunity last? What effect will COVID-19 variants have? What percentage of people will want to return to buildings, arenas, and campuses? What will they—and building owners and facility executives—do if/when there’s another outbreak?

For facility executives, who are under the spotlight as never before, one thing is certain: putting concrete plans in place is not realistic. Stability is unlikely to return any time soon. Our “new-normal” will be with us for years to come. Organizations need to be able to adjust to any situational change, at any time, all the time.

That’s a tall order, even for a profession that is used to handling the unexpected, especially when you consider these challenges:

  • Budgetary Challenges: Chances are your revenue has taken a hit or stalled because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, expenditures – such as IT infrastructure to support remote work and classrooms models, COVID-19 testing, high-frequency disinfecting, cleaning, and modifications to HVAC systems – have gone up. This means there’s often less money for overall facility services like operations and maintenance, just when it seems you need it most.   
  • Staffing Decisions: When it’s hard to know what tomorrow will bring in terms of occupancy levels, rooms that need extra cleaning, and spaces that suddenly close, figuring out staffing can be a nightmare. Who do you assign where, and when? How do you make sure employees and guests are not congregating in break or locker rooms, in defiance of social distancing? Do you suddenly have too many or too few staffers? Are you suddenly facing difficult furlough or layoff decisions? If more people are needed a few weeks down the road, can you quickly hire and onboard them, and should you?
  • Expertise: Facility management teams have learned a lot in the past year about how to set-up spaces that are effectively distanced, and which products and technologies can be used to keep high-touch surfaces sanitized and air quality clean and refreshed. But knowing where and how to implement the right strategy is another issue. As is having confidence that your teams are operating the way they should. For instance, if they’re supposed to be working more independently to keep socially distanced, are they? And if they are, are they skilled enough to do so?

If these challenges can seem daunting, they are. They also need to be met and overcome in order to keep buildings and people safe. However, many facility management organizations simply aren’t equipped to do this on their own. That’s why they’re engaging facility services experts.

How Partnering Can Help

Proven Expertise

Facility services providers like UG2 have spent years planning for pandemic events, drilling emergency preparedness procedures and updating continuity of operations plans.  In the past year we have learned a lot while researching, implementing, and refining best practices for keeping buildings and people safe from COVID-19. That’s on top of the decades of wide-ranging facility services experience we already have under our belts. We apply all this expertise to organizations like yours and put our team of experts to work, so you can effectively handle decisions that drive your core business.   

Advanced Technologies

We use the latest technologies to make facility services more predictive, proactive and preventative, We drive the efficiencies needed to contain and reduce costs. Some of these we develop ourselves, such as UG2 Disinfection Log (UDL), an application for tracking when and where disinfection and cleaning services occurred. With UDL, when a UG2 employee finishes disinfecting a space or high-touch surface, they use their smartphone to tap an NFC device and a chip that’s embedded in their ID badge. Work function and location are recorded in an electronic database for disinfection reporting and tracking purposes.

We are getting more efficient with smart technologies that include sensors and heat maps for determining real-time occupancy and foot traffic—and informing where and when to clean and disinfect surfaces, refill hand sanitizers, remove trash, and more. Our HVAC & plumbing technicians are using similar web-based technologies and are able to log readings during rounds by scanning asset QR codes with smartphones. When these readings are automatically fed into an electronic system, engineers are immediately flagged if an air filter, for example, is out-of-range, so it can be quickly fixed or replaced.  

Money Saving Assessments

COVID-19 related budget constraints make finding pockets for savings critically important. Facility service partners can help by conducting a variety of assessments, such as ASHRAE energy audits. These energy audits can help you understand operating costs, savings opportunities, calculate return on capital investment and in many cases look for funding sources or potential utility rebates. On the predictive maintenance side, vibration analysis and infrared testing are used to determine the status of an equipment’s components -without the need to tear down and rebuild- and help develop a plan to extend component  useful life. In some cases, if buildings are being shut down or sold, some equipment may be better to run-to-fail. There are all small pieces and a detailed engineering economic analysis can help you understand and manage buildings as assets.

Built-in Flexibility

Finding the right business partner allows your business to focus on its core mission and is a model based on flexibility. In today’s pandemic and post-pandemic work that focus on partnership allows organizations to work together to make constant course corrections. We can quickly scale business levels up or down, and adjust different types of skill sets as budgets and situations change. We plan, manage and execute, then measure and adjust. This ensures we put the right people in the right place at the right time, and ensure they’re performing as needed.

In this time of uncertainty, when long term planning seems impossible, budgets are more constrained than ever, and the spotlight on facility services is more intense, you need all the advantages you can get.

Contact UG2 today to find out how facility service partnering can be used to your organizational advantage.  

New UG2 Website Redesign

From the start, UG2 has been committed to using innovation and expertise to enhance customer experiences, and now that mission is driving changes in our website.

Recently, UG2 did a full revamp of its web presence, with several notable updates:

  • More employee focus: We have always said that our people represent our greatest strength, and that’s why our site features them more than ever, including their stories, quotes, and photos.
  • Mobile optimized: Our site is now designed to deliver content, no matter what device you might be using.
  • Video components: See UG2 in action with new video assets that give you a greater picture of our talented teams at work.
  • Enhanced navigation: It’s now easier than ever to find your way through UG2’s digital experience, including descriptive service line pages.
  • Career page: Want to work where you’re valued and supported? Visit our new career page for the latest postings, and apply right on the website.

As always, UG2 is focused on leading the way when it comes to facilities management. Take a look at our new site and be sure to check back frequently for fresh blog posts and other useful information.

There are many factors that go into making facility services organizations successful. One thing stands out among the rest: a culture of excellence, in which people work collaboratively to achieve common goals, and never rest on their laurels.

While businesses of all types strive for excellence, embedding it into an organization’s DNA can be as challenging as it is critical. Many customers engage UG2 to help them affect the cultural change needed to deliver superior facility services. Here’s how we imbue a culture of excellence:

1. Hire, Train and Groom the Team

It all starts with people. We make sure ours are PHDs: passionate, hard-working, and dedicated. UG2 staff, whether long-time employees or recently onboarded, are treated like family. We expect a lot from them and invest a lot in them, from coaching and extensive training, to the advanced technologies and comprehensive playbooks they need to be successful. They go the extra mile for our customers because we go the extra mile for them.

2. Cultivate Listeners and Innovators

Listening is key to understanding customers’ needs and building strong partnerships. Every single one of us takes the time to listen to our customers, no matter the topic or when the conversation arises. Hearing what customers have to say also encourages thinking about new ways to optimize processes, technologies, and services. We actively encourage and embrace these innovations.

3. Foster Accountability

To affect a culture of excellence, you need to hold people accountable. We set ambitious and well-defined expectations based on each client’s KPIs, such as work order completion, safety, customer experience, and janitorial quality inspections. Not only do we measure how UG2 is performing against those KPIs on a continual basis, we share that information with all employees, often displaying results where they clock in and out of the customer’s site. This helps ensure that we’re all working towards the same goals, keeping performance at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and fostering positive change.

4. Be Transparent

True accountability requires full transparency. We share our successes with customers, which is always a pleasure. But just as, if not more, important, we also share and take ownership of any shortcomings. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s how we determine the course corrections and adaptations needed to continuously enhance service delivery.

5. Engender Trust

Trust is the reward of a culture of accountability. We earn our customers’ trust every day by teaming with them to raise the bar and working hard to exceed expectations. We become a de facto extension of our customers’ facility services organizations, and truly take their goals on as ours. Everyone, from our on-site staff to our C-level executives, plays a role in ensuring our customers receive best-in-class service delivery.

UG2 was founded on a culture of excellence. We built it into the fabric of the company – into how we support employees and engage with customers. For many clients, we become an agent of cultural change. Contact us today to find out how we can do the same for your organization.

Meeting the needs of a premier hotel in the heart of a busy city

In the heart of Washington, D.C. is a luxury hotel with a soaring atrium, lush outdoor terraces, and lavishly appointed guest rooms with designer touches of bronze and oak, along with floor-to-ceiling windows that take in expansive views of the capital city.

Like so many other hotels right now, though, the property also has extensive needs when it comes to cleaning, disinfection, and maintenance. Recently, UG2 began its partnership with the hotel and even from the initial walkthrough, it was clear the building’s previous services provider had not met expectations.

Identifying the Needs

To address the physical distancing required by COVID-19, the hotel had to shut down temporarily, barely a year after it had first opened. Aiming for a reopening in late August, the hotel’s management team wanted to ensure it would meet even higher standards than before the brief shutdown. But that came with challenges.

In an initial inspection, UG2 found areas of improvement:

  • Marble flooring throughout the property was not polished regularly, giving the floors a dull look.
  • Predecessor cleaning company hosed down kitchen equipment to clean it, which resulted in fryer damage and some minor appliance damages.
  • Improper and infrequent cleaning of the kitchen floor caused consistent grease residue, presenting a slip-and-fall risk.
  • Poor maintenance of floor mats in the kitchen and prep areas resulted in mold growth, another health concern.
  • Extensive meeting spaces, both indoor and rooftop, required cleaning and disinfection for safe usage.

Items like these indicate a minimum level of care and cleaning that can easily extend across an entire property. If the marble floors are ignored, what do the elevators look like? What about dining areas and guest rooms?

The luxury hotel needed to ramp up its appearance quickly, since renewed travel in Washington led to over half of its rooms being booked for opening weekend—with consistent reservations of 30 to 70 rooms a day into September.

Moving Ahead

To address immediate needs for a much higher level of cleaning and disinfection, UG2 worked to ensure that the hotel could meet the recommendations for the chain’s established cleanliness program.

This protocol was put into place for all of the chain’s brands, and involved new procedures for housekeeping in guest rooms, changes to in-room service for contactless food delivery, increased cleaning of public spaces, and improved solutions for event planning for more safety.

UG2 transitioned the luxury hotel’s health and safety procedures to an even higher level, thanks to our experience with facilities maintenance. That meant UG2 teams were able to track cleaning and sanitizing in a meaningful way that ensures no areas will be neglected, even if they seem unused.

Because the hotel’s kitchen area was a particular concern, UG2 team members made sure that daily cleaning addressed formerly problematic issues. For example, on a daily basis, UG2:

  • Cleans and soaks filters in the stoves’ hoods.
  • Degreases and wipes fire sprinkler pipes and drains grease traps.
  • Keeps floors cleaned and degreased, including floor mats.
  • Removes carbon deposits and residue from stoves, ovens, broilers, and grills.
  • Cleans and sanitizes exterior and brushes debris from interior of wood stone pizza oven.

This is just a brief list of the many intensive daily cleaning tasks undertaken by UG2. This enhanced attention to detail was  implemented in the hotel’s public restrooms, employee locker rooms, back-of-house corridors, the main entrance, and the expansive lobby area.

UG2 also ensured CBE compliance by subcontracting to Total Services, LLC, a minority, women-owned business that offers buildout and remodeling services for commercial spaces.

The pandemic is certainly not over, and we’ve all come to accept that we don’t know when there will be enough of an endpoint to make us feel “back to normal.” But even when that time comes, having extensive cleaning and disinfection practices will remain key for providing healthy and safe shared spaces for occupants.

As the hotel welcomes guests, UG2 is dedicated to making sure they can have the confidence that comes with a focused, comprehensive approach to facilities management.

Staying safe isn’t just about clearing snow or removing ice—what happens inside a building is just as important

Last year, we published a list of winter safety tips that included a dozen suggestions about staying warm when outside, clearing snow and ice, and making sure all vehicles have emergency kits. While those are all still excellent tips, we want to share some more suggestions which include encompassing the need to focus on indoor safety as well as the weather. With that in mind, here are some tips for playing it safe:

Implement a Filter Replacement Schedule

Air quality is always important, but right now, it’s more crucial than ever. Winter means spaces are more “sealed up” since windows and doors remain closed, and that makes a workforce more vulnerable not just to COVID, but all the usual colds and flu viruses going around. Practice better winter safety by replacing filters in the HVAC system more regularly and using higher-grade filters if possible. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends having more regular inspections and maintenance of HVAC systems as well.

Conduct a Hazard Assessment

Part of a facilities management check of your systems should also include a hazard assessment, as suggested by the CDC. Some hazards may be related to winter weather, such as steeper outdoor stairways that may need to be closed for the season, but an assessment will also look at previous trends in injuries and illnesses to identify locations from past incidents. These workplace inspections can be crucial for preventing issues throughout the winter months, but they shouldn’t be a one-time-only event. Regular inspections as the winter progresses can help you see red flags before they become major issues.

More Cleaning and Disinfection

Every employer that has brought at least part of its workforce back into a shared space knows the importance of cleaning and disinfection, and this winter is no exception. Even with a vaccine rollout in progress, that doesn’t mean it’s time to relax those higher standards for cleanliness. In fact, you may want to get even more focused on it, especially if more of your workforce are planning on returning later in the winter.

Check In with Employees

Although you’ve likely been gauging employee stress levels for nearly a year at this point, many experts believe that this coming winter could be the peak of “COVID fatigue.” Anxiety and depression are already at much higher levels than the same time last year, and most people are feeling at least some degree of emotional exhaustion. That type of prolonged stress can be a health and safety concern just as much as ice buildup on your front walkway. Consider implementing new strategies during the winter that bolster employees’ mental health. For example, at UG2, we’ve put several programs into place, including a daily focus on gratitude.  Programs like this one help to keep stress in perspective.

Clear Snow and Ice

Even though the focus during the pandemic will be on maintaining health, the usual winter safety tactics should still apply. Keep walkways and steps cleared and salted to prevent falls, make sure all outdoor equipment like ladders or scaffolds have been de-iced before use, and have shovels available near entrances for more efficient snow clearing.

With both indoor and outdoor strategies, preparation is key. Pay attention to weather shifts, public health and CDC recommendations, while also giving those in your workplace a greater sense of responsibility for health and safety. What we’ve all learned from the pandemic is the value of community and how powerful it can be when we work together. Make this winter a healthy and safe one by getting everyone involved.

Facilities management is a complex infrastructure of services. There are always countless tasks to complete, costs to manage, and resources to supervise. From equipment maintenance and operations to janitorial services, much of what facility managers handle impacts thousands of building occupants and guests, which means performing with excellence is critical.

That’s why there’s a great need to partner with experts who know how to deliver world-class facility services, and why, according to McKinsey & Company, more than 50% of facilities management is outsourced.

With so much on the line, it’s important to engage a facility services organization with a solid reputation and the ability to deliver on their promises.

It all starts with Trust.

The Bedrock of a Successful Partnership

Trust is at the core of every successful relationship. It’s what enables organizations to rely on their partners to do the job they are contracted to do. It’s what builds strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with outcomes that exceed expectations — instead of transactional interactions with potentially lackluster results.

UG2 builds trust by adhering to these 3 principles:

1. Accountability: We set clear and specific goals based on agreed-upon client KPIs in areas such as work order completion, safety, customer experience, and quality inspections. We communicate these KPIs to all employees, measure how UG2 is performing against them on a regular basis and make that information visible where employees are sure to see it. For example, we often post KPI’s at the location of time clocks.

2. Transparency: We don’t hide anything from our customers. They know exactly what we’re doing, what’s working well, and what, if anything, needs to improve. We regularly update them on our KPI performance and fully own any shortcomings. We implement course corrections as needed to continuously enhance performance and service delivery.

3. Proactivity: We never rest on our laurels. No matter how strong our outcomes may be, we innovate new ways to achieve even more. We do this by leveraging best practices honed over decades and using the latest technologies and industry innovations to inform data-driven decision-making, which leads to more cost savings, operational efficiencies, and customer satisfaction.

Reaping the Rewards

When you partner with a trusted, expert facility services organization, the benefits you gain are invaluable:

Top-quality, reliable services: The provider’s operational expertise, technical know-how, specialized business experience, proven methodologies, and customer-centric approach result in consistently reliable, high-quality facility services.

Cost control and savings: Not only are costs kept within budget, customers often realize significant cost reductions due to greater efficiencies, better equipment maintenance strategies, use of advanced and mobile technologies, and energy savings.

Highly skilled talent: Facility employees get the coaching, technologies, training, development, and playbooks needed to be successful at whatever job they’re tasked with doing.

Fast resolution: Staffing levels are designed to meet client needs in a timely way, with specialized expertise readily available. With the outsourcer’s advanced systems, best practices, and trained implementation teams, issues are resolved faster and more effectively.

Well-maintained systems: Outsourcers ensure the appropriate level of proactive and preventative maintenance required for each building system based on the system’s overall impact on the customer’s requirements, budget, site commitments, and asset-preservation objectives.

Safer facilities: Proven safety systems, training, compliance, and documentation help prevent injury and maintain workforce stability, minimizing customers’ risk exposure.

We earn our customers’ trust by teaming up with them to deliver superior facility services every day. Contact us today to find out how we can do the same for your organization.

Determining the right time to speak, listen, learn, and unlearn

With non-essential travel still inadvisable during COVID, many conferences have gone virtual, but as I discovered, that doesn’t mean they lack powerful insights that can resonate long after.

In early December, I attended virtual sessions of the Massachusetts Conference for Women, a one-day event designed to be motivating and inspiring, with a particular focus on topics such as leadership, career development, and social equity. Although there was a breadth of options for learning tracks, I chose to attend breakouts that would help me continue the necessary learning and unlearning laid out by the events of the past year. Here are the highlights from the sessions I attended:

  • Leadership reimagined. I went into this session thinking it would only consist of traditional professional tips and tricks, like how to be more organized or stay focused in unusual times. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the session leader, motivational speaker Lisa Nichols, encouraged us to use a broader lens when it comes to leadership.  Emphasis was placed on reframing the temptation of seeing 2020 as a year filled with nothing but obstacles and roadblocks, and to “cape up,” in Lisa’s words, taking agency over your professional and personal life, regardless of the circumstances.  Lisa explained that, over the last year, it has been easy to feel like things are happening to you rather than because of you, so having a more empowered perspective is valuable. One standout takeaway Lisa offered was, “Don’t just be in the goal-setting business, go further and be in the mind-blowing business.” Lisa also wanted to make it clear that, understandably, all of this is easier said than done. It is natural, especially in a year filled with as many trials as 2020, to occasionally focus on the negative. That is why she stressed the importance of establishing a daily practice (much like a yoga or a fitness routine) of rituals or habits, self-care, and reflection that will help train you to lead with positivity and stay solution-oriented even in difficult circumstances. You can find more from Lisa at https://motivatingthemasses.com/.
  • Social Justice and continuing education. I also attended a session led by activist, academic, and prominent voice on race and feminism, Rachel Cargle, and another led by author and economic justice advocate, Stephanie Land. I can’t adequately highlight the lessons and information conveyed in these phenomenal sessions in a blog post, and I also believe these women’s expertise and insights are best shared through their own voices, so I encourage everyone to seek out the resources.  Rachel Cargle and her various organizations and learning tools may be found on Instagram: @rachel.cargle. Stephanie Land’s memoir is Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.

The Massachusetts Conference for Women helped me contextualize the lessons of 2020 and create a mindset and perspective that will fortify me to face the challenges of and meet my goals for 2021 and beyond. Thank you for the opportunity, UG2!

Community engagement contributes to a lasting impact on housing equity in the DC area

UG2 Vice President of Operations, Chuck Restivo has always been socially aware and actively engaged to help others. About 15 years ago, he started thinking of ways to contribute to his local community in the Washington, DC area. He began looking for an organization that aligned with his personal and professional values of supporting access, equality, and diversity.

Jubilee Housing was the answer.

“This is an organization that’s the real deal,” says Restivo. “Not only do they have a cohesive strategy and solid business approach, but they’re also doing tremendous work in breaking the cycle of poverty. Part of our mission statement at UG2 is to be good citizens, with our employees, our customers, and also in the communities we serve. I’m proud to be a board member and supporter of Jubilee.”

Founded in 1973 by seven women who wanted to address substandard housing in the heart of the DC area, Jubilee Housing has grown from two modest apartment buildings to 13 properties that serve approximately 900 people with housing and supportive services. The organization’s approach is rooted in beliefs about faith, responsibility, and empowerment.

Beyond providing bricks and mortar itself, Jubilee and its leadership like Restivo, are active in addressing housing inequality. A recent series of conversations explored the intersection of housing, equity wealth, education, health, and incarceration. These are conversations that are crucial for building a city, and a country, focused on equal access and justice.

“At this point, the simple part is putting a roof over someone’s head,” says Restivo. “The rest of the services offered are about breaking the cycle of poverty, and of course that can be complex.”

Residents of Jubilee Housing aren’t given an end date for their stay, even if it’s transitional housing. Some have been there for over 20 years, while others live at Jubilee as a way to get back on their feet after a setback, or to save for a home, or to create stability after incarceration. About 75 percent of housing is reserved for families and individuals making 30 percent of the area median income or below, which is about $35,000 for a family of four.

The range of services is also notable, because it offers a holistic approach that includes not just safe and clean housing, but also job training and placement, day care, health care, programming for kids and teens, and access to healthy food.

Jubilee supports adults and teens pursuing economic stability, offering financial empowerment programs, a Teen Center to help prepare for college and careers, a scholarship program, an aging-in-place initiative, and K-6th grade programming, including summer camp. Restivo says the high school graduation rate for teens at Jubilee is almost 99 percent — while the graduation rate for Washington, D.C. in general is 68.5 percent — showing the remarkable effects of housing stability and supportive resources.

In a year of so much uncertainty, injustice, and unrest, one thing remains a constant: Equality makes a difference. That’s what the founders of Jubilee believed nearly 50 years ago, it’s why Restivo became so involved in the organization, and it’s why UG2 is proud to support him and Jubilee for their leadership.

Lessons on communication and empowerment will fuel my strategies at UG2

Although the pandemic has limited our ability to travel in these difficult times, it’s inspiring to discover that even when we are geographically apart, we can learn from each other.

Recently, UG2 gave me the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, held virtually for a day on November 11th. The annual conference was designed to offer motivation, networking, personal and professional development, and community building. As I attended from my desk, I felt a connection to everyone who was also attending virtually, with similar goals to perform at their best, both in the workplace and at home.

Here are some of my takeaways from the conference:

  • Be confident in your vision, and unafraid to share it. In this first session, panelists discussed communication strategies, but went much deeper —it was more about how to be heard than how to talk. I learned that confidence is multi-layered, and that you have to understand how you’re defining yourself, your purpose, and your priorities. How you see yourself as the owner of an idea will come through in how you present that idea to others, and that’s what creates confidence. That’s what gets heard.
  • Leadership is understanding your impact. Just as important as using your voice is understanding the role of observation when it comes to leadership. The second session I attended  went deep in terms of identifying employee talents, recognizing their strengths, and overcoming obstacles together. Many people  are struggling right now, and that’s completely natural in such an unprecedented year, but it’s not helpful to just hope they go back to performing at a high standard. As a leader, you must do what’s possible to clear that path, and to be a source of motivation.
  • We need to acknowledge mental health impacts. The third session addressed the rise in anxiety and depression that’s happening right now. Unfortunately, it’s more widespread than I thought. This is affecting not only young people, but those in leadership roles as well, and these challenges for mental health are part of the impact of the pandemic. Everybody is suffering in different ways. One strategy mentioned was the importance of wellness programs. Fortunately, we have a strong program here at UG2, with a great deal of emphasis on resources and support. This session helped me understand the role of these programs and how people need to know that help is available.

This conference, and conferences like it, offer an opportunity to learn in new ways, and I appreciate that UG2 gave me the chance to participate.

Reflecting on these lessons, I feel that even though the conference lasted  only one day, the lessons are likely to resonate for a long time—not just in how I communicate with others, but also in how I view the importance of leadership and making sure we all come through this pandemic together, stronger and better than ever.

Photo credit: https://www.paconferenceforwomen.org/conference/agenda/

Citizenship isn’t just a political concept. It’s also a way to show a sense of responsibility as a member of our community within our industry

According to the dictionary, a “citizen” is a person who has rights and responsibilities as a member of a nation or political community. I believe the term can be more expansive and flexible than the textbook definition. Becoming a citizen in the facilities services industry demands a broader range of commitment and a more focused perspective as it relates to our customers.

Much like the members of a nation who strive to become productive, respectful, considerate and contributing citizens in their communities, we also endeavor to put the needs of others first and demonstrate a commitment to being trustworthy and informed.

Here’s what I see as the five key attributes of citizenship, and how UG2 focuses on being good citizens of our industry and with our customers:

Respectful: In any community, good citizenship means deep respect on multiple levels, including respecting the property, rights, and views of others. That’s what we demonstrate   within our company as well as within the workplaces of our customers, because we believe respect needs to be the foundation of every relationship.

Informed: Being aware of the changes within a community helps everyone navigate through challenges and embrace opportunities more easily. This is as true at UG2 and within facilities services as it is within a country, state, or neighborhood. When citizens stay informed, they can work together to see challenges more clearly and to address them before they become problems.

Compassionate: Although respect and compassion can seem like similar attributes, they’re distinct from one another. To have compassion is to be humble, grateful, and open to the viewpoints and experiences of others. It means listening more than talking, sharing instead of owning, connecting over isolating. At UG2, these practices have been with us since our inception.

Responsible: Accountability, honesty, and transparency are essential elements in any citizen-led effort, and the same goes for the facilities services industry. Deflection and blame are corrosive and run counter to the sense of responsibility that comes with industry citizenship. That’s why UG2 strongly emphasizes these attributes, which we see as essential components of integrity of both individuals and teams.

Active: It’s easy to be an armchair citizen and have opinions about the actions of others. It is far more difficult to take those actions yourself, to take on being an agent for necessary and positive change and making connections that strengthen your community. From the start, we chose the harder path. We believe the effort to be reliable partners, to be active in our customer relationships and with our workforce, will always be worth it.

At UG2, we strive to form strong customer relationships that are established and nurtured for life. We become part of teams that can trust us to be loyal and committed. We don’t just provide customer service—we provide citizen service.

Citizenship comes in many forms; it’s an ongoing endeavor that encompasses both individual effort and collaboration within the community. That’s what we see at UG2, and I’m proud to see the level of citizen engagement here, both within our workforce and for our customers.

Do you remember when facility managers were drowning in paper? When lost or incomplete work orders, safety records, and equipment status reports were mandatory, and keeping on top—let alone ahead—of the game was impossible?

Fortunately, a myriad of technology advances has made it possible to put those days in the rear-view mirror. Now, instead of being paper-driven, facility management can be data-driven thanks to technologies like IoT (Internet of Things), sensors, artificial intelligence, mobility, satellite, and cloud-based solutions.

The Data Imperative

Using data correctly can help you drive smarter decisions, better planning, greater efficiencies, and high-quality facility services. But having data-enabling technologies isn’t the same as knowing which to leverage and how, in order to gain maximum value. In fact, it’s just as easy to drown in electronic data tsunamis as it is to be missing essential data elements.

That’s why, when evaluating a facility services provider, it’s critical to understand just how data-skilled and data-centric they really are. Below are tips for gauging the extent to which a provider is data-driven.

Service Provider Evaluation Questions

1. Does the data being used align with the goals you want to achieve?

Make sure your service provider works with you to clarify and quantify your goals before they choose the types of data to gather. And if your goals change during the engagement, keep the provider updated so they can deliver the maximum benefit to your organization. For instance, if your objective is to increase energy efficiencies and your provider isn’t analyzing data that helps determine appropriate lighting levels and when to trigger cooling and heating, you won’t get the results you need.

2. How do they filter data so they can readily access and leverage the most important data?

Collecting the right data can shine the light on issues you need to attend to. However, when you’re managing a large facility, the number of issues can be overwhelming. That’s why managing by exception is so important. When done right, it enables you to filter through the deluge by automatically highlighting via color codes to identify the things that are out of your acceptable range, such as work order completion, customer satisfaction results and inspection rationale.

3. Do their on-site staff use smartphone apps for plant readings, custodial inspections, and the like?

Smartphones and QR codes make it much easier to collect and use data to drive efficiencies and improve service levels. For instance, technicians can obtain electric, gas, and water meter readings by scanning asset QR codes during rounds. Janitorial personnel can report real-time status during inspections. Building occupants can use their own smartphones to scan QR codes and initiative work orders when soap and paper towels need to be replenished in bathrooms, and disinfectant containers in common rooms are getting low.

4. Are work orders fully electronic?

If not, they should be. When work orders are written on paper, more often than not they’re incomplete or hard to read. Prioritizing is also extremely difficult. And forget about analyzing the data. That’s a futile exercise. With fully electronic work orders, on the other hand, you can have virtually anyone submit tickets and ensure they fill out required fields; centrally store, process, and prioritize tickets; take timely action; automatically notify stakeholders about completed orders; and analyze trends such as whether certain types of work orders are more prevalent at particular times.

5. Are you able to hold your provider accountable?

Nothing is more important than accountability. Without it, how can you trust your provider is delivering on your agreement and continually working to improve results? While you may have anecdotal evidence or a hunch that certain things are, or aren’t, going well, real performance data is needed to ensure service excellence. Setting and regularly monitoring the right KPIs is key to ensuring accountability and building trust.

6. How do they measure and report on KPIs? Can you easily track how your provider is performing?

If your service provider is data-driven, gathers the right information, and has tools to analyze it, they should be able to effectively measure how they’re performing against your agreed-upon goals. But as critical as all this is, it’s not the whole picture. They also need to publish KPI results, so their performance is transparent to you, your end-users, and facility services workers – and do so in a concise, easy to understand format that is displayed where people are likely to see it. For instance, showcasing KPIs next to time clocks incentivizes services personnel to keep improving. Your provider should also make KPI analysis an integral part of their quarterly business reviews.

7. How proactive are they in recommending ways to enhance efficiencies, save money, improve cleanliness and more, and what are their recommendations based on?

There are always more ways to optimize facility services. You’ll know your provider is truly a partner and acting as extension of your team when they proactively and regularly recommend strategies and tactics for running more efficiently and cost-effectively and delivering with excellence. Make sure their advice is based on hard data that proves the case for the changes they suggest. For instance, if they recommend run-to-fail rather than repairing a particular piece of equipment, then asset usage and lifecycle data should underpin the recommendation.

8. Do you trust them with your data? Do you know what they do with that data?

The data your service provider needs in order to deliver the qualitative and quantitative results you expect is sensitive. It’s information about your operations, equipment, occupancy levels, contracts, and more. You should own that data. You also need to trust that the providers who access it know how to protect it. That they adhere to robust security practices, are committed to keeping your data private, and will use it wisely, optimizing its value for your organization.

9. Can they show evidence of having transformed facility services for other businesses?

More and more facility services providers are starting to collect information electronically. This bodes well for the industry. However, using data to get the results you need is a very complex and often challenging undertaking. Expertise is honed over time. To ensure sure your provider is steeped in data-driven strategy and execution and are expert data managers, ask for examples of how they’ve helped organizations like yours use data to achieve measurable, high-impact results like reducing costs, improving safety, and saving time.

Questions? Contact UG2 today to learn about our uniquely data-driven approach and proven results.

Cooler temperatures and rising numbers are causing concern

Here are some tips for protecting yourself and your family

When COVID-19 was first gaining traction worldwide, it seemed as if there were so many unknowns. Did the virus live on surfaces, or spread through the air? Were children somehow immune? Were complications seen only in those only with underlying conditions?

Although we still have much to learn about the virus, COVID-19, and its long-term effects, we certainly know more now than before. And that’s important, because many experts believe we’ve entered a “third wave” of the virus, especially since colder weather is causing people to spend more time indoors. Plus, “pandemic fatigue” has set in for many people who are simply tired of restrictions. As we head into winter—and deal with the upcoming holidays—here are a few strategies to keep in mind:

Continue to connect: When the virus first surged, stay-at-home orders caused many people to reach out more frequently via video call, email, text, and social media with friends and family. They played board games together through Zoom, had parties in different locations, created book clubs, and took live online fitness classes. Although those stay-at-home restrictions have lifted for the most part, it’s still crucial to stay connected with loved ones, especially if you’re separated during the holidays.

Travel wisely: One of the biggest questions right now is what to do about the upcoming holiday season. Should you still get together, even though the U.S. recently hit its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began? Right now, there are no travel restrictions or mandates at the federal level. However, many states have restrictions or advisories for individuals entering their state and or travel through. Keep in mind that the Centers for Disease Control advises that if there was ever a year to skip the get-togethers, this is it. The CDC notes that travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19, and you may not show any symptoms but still be exposing family members to the virus. If you do need to travel, take a look at the CDC’s list of what to consider before you go.

Understand recommendations may change: Early in the pandemic, people were unsure if they needed to wash their groceries, leave their mail outside for 24 hours before bringing it in the house, or wear masks in their cars. Although we now know that none of those are necessary, that doesn’t mean the people who asked those questions or used those strategies were wrong. Recommendations change as information is gathered, so it’s important to stay on top of advice from reliable experts.

Wear a face cover: It’s still important, and still helps protect others in the community. Early research has indicated that areas of the country, and the world, where mask use is higher shows lower prevalence of the virus. All the other strategies you’ve been hearing about since February also apply: Maintain social distancing, wash hands often, and stay home if you’re sick

Keep cultivating healthy habits: As Lauren Lanzillo noted in a blog post about surviving pandemic fatigue, it’s crucial to maintain your emotional wellness and healthy habits because for many people, the stress and uncertainty is ongoing. Have some kindness and compassion for yourself, because this year is unlike any other and it’s okay not to be okay sometimes.

As always, UG2 is committed to the health and safety of our employees and customers. Not only do we take COVID precautions very seriously, but we’ve worked over the past eight months to develop innovative approaches to cleaning and disinfection for offices, manufacturing environments, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, and more. Contact us for more information on how you can implement greater cleaning and protection strategies.

Holiday celebrations may look different this year, but gratitude may run deeper than ever

Every year, Thanksgiving is noted for what that name implies: giving thanks. We gather friends and family, celebrate our blessings and time together with a feast, and take a moment to reflect on what being thankful means.

Although this year will look very different for most families, and the feasts will be smaller and less attended, we can still see Thanksgiving as the traditional kickoff to the holiday season. Most of all, we can cultivate an even deeper sense of gratitude than ever before, because now we have an idea of what we may have taken for granted in the past. We can see this holiday season not as an exception to the norm, but as an opportunity instead—to explore gratitude itself and develop a practice that matters.

At UG2, we’ve been focusing on gratitude for the past several months and have developed a challenge¨ for employees that takes only minutes a day but resonates for much longer. For example, here are seven prompts you can try, with one per day as your own gratitude practice:

  • Growth: How have you grown over the past year? Or how have you seen someone or something else grow?
  • Knowledge: Is there knowledge you’ve gained this year for which you’re particularly grateful? What resources or connections have you tapped into that have increased your knowledge?
  • Love: How do you share love in your life? How do you accept it? How does it make you feel when think of the word “love”?
  • Music: What kind of music do you enjoy most? What songs make you feel uplifted and energized? What song are you most thankful for right now?
  • Nature: What is inspiring or beautiful about nature? What elements of nature do you most connect with? What element of the natural world are you most grateful for experiencing?
  • Creativity: What have you created recently, and how did it make you feel? What would you like to create more of?
  • Memory: What’s a treasured memory from your past, and what was wonderful about it? How do you feel when you think about it?

Taking the time to pause and reflect on questions like these—making every day into a mini-Thanksgiving, in a way—isn’t just a nice practice, research has shown it has demonstratable health benefits.

Research from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley found that those who adopted a regular gratitude practice had lower levels of stress and anxiety, and brain scans showed they even had more activity in parts of the brain associated with learning and decision-making.

A study published in Psychiatry found those who had higher levels of gratitude reported a greater sense of well-being overall—and that feeling has a ripple effect on other health markers, such as blood pressure, sleep quality, nutritional choices, and immune system function.

This year, those type of benefits are more important than ever before, as we work to keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe. Let’s not confine Thanksgiving to just the traditional holiday, but instead, see it as a chance to be more grateful, every day.

¨Reference: Positively Present, Gratitude Challenge

UG2 recognizes our customers for their outstanding achievements

In such an unprecedented year, professionalism and commitment deserve to be celebrated, and that’s exactly what happened with this year’s TOBY Awards.

Winners were announced on November 17th, these awards recognize industry excellence in property management, building operations, and service. They’re awarded by the Boston chapter of the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA), and winners will move on to the national competition, and if they also win there, they’ll progress to the international competition.

As a platinum sponsor, UG2 is proud to stand as a service provider in this thriving industry, and we are proud of our participation in this signature event and with BOMA. We congratulate our customers for their significant industry impact, earning them recognition at this year’s event:

Rising Professional of the Year
Rachel Winsor
JLL

Property Manager of the Year, High Rise
Heidi Cerullo
CBRE

Chief Engineer of the Year
Arthur Baxter
Oxford Properties Group

250,000 – 499,999 SF Winner
125 Summer Street
Managed & Owned by Oxford Properties Group

500,000 – 1 Million SF Winner
100 Northern Ave
Managed by CBRE, Inc.
Owned by 100 Northern Avenue, LLC

Congratulations to all winners. Good luck at Nationals!

A guest post highlights the key essentials of customer service for the facilities management industry

No matter what role you’re in, from management to technical to entry-level, being “customer-centric” is at the forefront of your job. It’s even more important than how you use your wrenches, buff your floors, or create organizational strategy.

To be a company, like UG2, that is committed to customer service, it’s crucial to put action behind that promise. As UG2’s Chief Operating Officer, John Correia always likes to say, “if you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk”. Throughout my years guiding companies through customer service training, I’ve shared several key principles that make a company stand out as a customer-centric organization:

  • Understand your client: A phrase I always like to mention is, “Look at the client with new eyes.” You might already have a great relationship with your customers, but you might be viewing them as a pain point or a challenge. There usually comes a point when it helps to hit a reset. Take a step back and try to see issues through that customer’s perspective. Try to hear what the customer might not be saying directly—what do they really need? What makes them “react”? Trace the relationship back to the point where your perspective changed and see if you can approach your client differently.
  • Acknowledge communication skills as a key element: Effective communication means being positive, enthusiastic, and friendly in a way that puts your customer at ease and makes them feel connected to you. Remember that even your gestures, body language, and eye contact all play a part in what you communicate. Good communication helps foster great relationships, which is the backbone of developing good customer service. These are crucial components that help you satisfy and retain your customers. That means building rapport, relating to what they’re asking, listening more than speaking, explaining your process, and learning what their preferences are in terms of service delivery and quality of work.
  • Resolve conflict strategically: No matter how perfect your team might be, or how thorough you are in delivering services, conflicts arise. Trying to prevent conflict is helpful, but you also need a plan for situations where conflicts arise so you can handle them quickly and thoughtfully. Make sure customers know who to approach if there’s a problem, what the resolution strategies might be, and that you’re committed to making things right.
  • Empower your team: Customer service that is only delivered through client representatives is barely service at all. Every member of your team should be part of the effort. First, remember that they need to be trained and supported in a way that’s empowering. Create a culture that makes it easy for them to deliver great service. This includes giving them autonomy and authority, while still being approachable for handling customer service issues. Recognition, rewards, and encouragement should be regular occurrences.

For over 10 years, I’ve specialized in HR training and customer service is near and dear to my heart. No matter what your industry, customers always have the option to pick up the phone and call your competitor. Being able to price your goods and services in a competitive way will only take you so far. The fact is that everyone knows what great customer service looks like–and what it feels like.

Making sure that you follow through on your customer-centric promises can bring you a long way toward honoring that commitment to prioritize your customers as the most important part of your company.

The lessons I gained from my desk helped me find my voice at UG2

Even in the midst of the pandemic when travel is restricted, UG2 gave me the opportunity to learn important leadership and development lessons from an inspiring conference—without having to leave my desk.

In early October, I attended virtual sessions of the Texas Conference for Women, a forum  that covered larger management and career issues, with a particular focus on the challenges that women face in the workplace. In addition to learning the importance of vision, creativity, vulnerability, and productivity, I found numerous takeaways, apart from the content of the conference itself:

  • I’m not alone. This was my first conference, and the fact that it had so many sessions that resonated deeply with me made me realize why people attend conferences in addition to networking. I often identified with the challenges that were being discussed, and that made me feel understood and seen.
  • Knowledge is meant to be shared. Several other women at UG2 also attended the conference from their desks, and we ended up swapping notes and having discussions about what we learned. This way, we had the benefit of getting knowledge from numerous sessions, but even more than that, the conference provided an opportunity to really share with one another.
  • Access to growth and development is essential. Because UG2 gave us this chance to attend the conference, it emphasized the Company’s commitment to career development and skills growth for everyone in the organization. That made me feel supported and highlighted the fact that my career is important not just to me, but also to my team and the Company.

Of course, there were numerous lessons during the conference sessions as well. For example, as a woman of color, I appreciated the keynote by Issa Rae, an actress, writer, and producer, and her thoughts on being unafraid of “showing your hustle” and trusting in yourself.

I also soaked up breakout sessions on career advancement that offered suggestions like making small improvements to achieve bigger goals, embracing messy feelings so you’re not forcing yourself to be positive all the time—that’s a recipe for burnout—and recognizing when perfectionism is getting in your way.

That last one is an issue I struggle with in particular, since I’m a first-generation graduate, a minority, a woman, and working in a field that is traditionally male-dominated. The speakers at the conference helped me understand that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, and struggle, and still show up as a professional.

This conference, and conferences like it, offer such a valuable opportunity to take a step back and learn from others, and I really appreciated the chance UG2 gave me to do that. After reflecting on these lessons, I feel like I’m able to see the bigger picture of my role in a clearer, more defined way.

I feel like I can speak up now in a way that I couldn’t before, that my ideas and questions are important. I give credit to the speakers at the conference for that prompt, but also to the UG2 leaders who encourage professionals like to me to use our voices.

I’ve learned that leadership doesn’t just come from the top down. When employees like me are empowered through education and support, leadership develops throughout an organization, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my skills and help others to do the same.

We’re proud to highlight two of our military veterans, on Veterans Day and every day

This Veterans Day, along with every other day of the year, UG2 shows a commitment to supporting our country’s military—not just during active service or when they’re deployed, but also through recognition of the skills developed during their time in the military.

We’re proud to support our veterans, for their service and for their areas of expertise which make our workforce stronger and better. With that in mind, we offer these two outstanding examples of putting military-honed talents to use at UG2:

Matthew Randall
Account Director, New York City

For nearly four years, Randall served in the Marine Corps, leaving with a rank of NCO-Corporal. Although he worked in the civilian world for years before joining UG2, he still brings skills developed in the military to his work here.

“Accountability is at the top,” he says. “You hold yourself to the highest standards first. You lead through that example and then you expect those around you to do the same.” In the Marines, Randall learned to take care of those working for and with him every day, and he brings that same mindset to UG2.

“We called it mission accomplishment and troop welfare, and it comes in that specific order,” he says. “Serving as a Marine is where I started to see the real difference between influencing people to follow over telling them what to do.”

Jeff Jensen
Regional Engineering Manager, Washington D.C.

On the very first day of Marine Corps bootcamp in 1992, Jensen was assigned the position of Guide, and held that position for 103 days until graduation. The Guide is the highest spot a Marine recruit can hold and signifies leadership of the entire platoon. That experience helped Jensen realize he possessed the character and discipline to be an effective leader, and those are attributes that deepened during his four years in the military, and in his professional career afterward.

“The Marine Corps prepared me to be a leader and taught me how to delegate authority under intense pressure,” he says. “I felt that UG2 would provide me the opportunity to utilize those skills and help me grow as a leader, manager, and as a person. I don’t think I would have achieved as much as I have if not for the core values I learned in the Marine Corps.”

To these and the other veterans who provide amazing service at UG2 and at all companies and organizations, we offer a happy Veterans Day, and we thank you for all you’ve done for us and for our country.

When selecting a partner, there’s much more to facilities management than equipment maintenance

There are certain assumptions that tend to come up with facilities management (FM) and its role in building operations. You might think it’s just maintenance of systems like HVAC, cleaning and disinfection—especially right now—and repair of everything from complex equipment to squeaky door hinges.

While all of those are, of course, a vital part of FM and should be daily priorities for any team, there are several other factors that private K-12 schools should be considering. It’s less about specific skillsets and more about how FM will fit in with your environment, especially because private K-12 communities have unique needs that must be understood. These factors include:

  • Experience with K-12 campuses. If you work and/or live on a private K-12 campus, you already know it’s a distinctive environment, even when compared to higher education campuses that are similar in size. Do your potential FM vendors realize this as well? Choosing a team that has experience in this space is crucial, because they can draw on that previous experience to be more proactive in their approach.
  • Prevention as a guiding principle. Of course, prompt reaction to maintenance and cleaning is a major part of any FM team’s strategy, but an emphasis should be on how to prevent those issues in the first place. Taking a proactive stance can lead to cost savings, increased efficiency, and operational excellence.
  • Low turnover, if any. In an office building, seeing familiar faces for facilities management is nice, but in a school, it’s essential, because it builds trust. If your FM team, such as the cleaning crew, is seen as a revolving roster of strangers, that undermines the sense of community that private K-12 schools have as a foundation.
  • School pride. Related to low turnover, FM employees will feel like part of your campus, and tap into that distinctive cohesion that makes your school special. They’ll feel a sense of pride, just as much as alumnus, staff, teachers, and students do. And when you feel proud to work somewhere, you care more. You work harder.
  • Affordable in the right way. An outstanding FM team will be an investment, not an expense. That’s because the FM provider will focus on proactive strategies, ongoing training for their team members, and partnership with K-12 administration. All of those can increase efficiency considerably, and that reduces overall cost compared to FM providers who are simply not the right fit.

Facilities management is an important part of every private K-12 campus to ensure that buildings are cleaned and running well. As far as providing services, that should be the starting point that gets built upon, not the endpoint.

Value of an Experienced Partner

For more insight, check out our recent post, How Facility Management Can Be Part of Your K-12 Community and consider these factors when choosing your FM provider, even those who come in on a short-term basis.

As you think about how to keep your campus and your community safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to reach out to UG2 to learn how we can help. Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 spaces, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serve.

A recent article from a UG2 expert highlights how to tackle high energy costs at a time when every dollar counts.

UG2 Senior Vice President of Operations James Lane shared his thoughts, in a FacilitiesNet article, on finding ways to reduce energy costs—a strategy that’s now more urgent than ever. With lower occupancy rates and the impacts on property revenue, this is actually a perfect time to think about this issue, he believes, because it gives every building owner and facilities manager the chance to take a good look at energy consumption strategy.

“By coupling budget-friendly, easy-to-implement measures with the tax credits, incentives, and rebates available for bigger projects, you can tackle energy efficiency without breaking the bank,” he writes. “And you’ll be in a much better position when more people return to offices, schools, retail spaces, and entertainment facilities.”

Here are some key strategies to consider, according to Lane:

  • Research technology innovations and find out what your competitors are using. Get demonstrations on equipment that looks promising and have consultations with energy experts. That way, you’ll know the breadth of what’s available, and what could be the best fit for your facility.
  • Schedule a complete energy audit. A thorough audit can uncover issues with insulation, air exchange, and underperforming equipment. You can’t upgrade if you don’t know your blind spots.
  • Know what rebates and tax credits are applicable for you, since that can go a long way towards improving ROI and justifying projects.
  • Take a look at your lighting, which is often the simplest and fastest place to save money. Even seemingly easy changes like replacing old fluorescent tubes can come with a comparatively short payback. Lighting control systems and occupancy sensor lighting controls are other great tactics that can increase efficiency and lower your electric bills.
  • Install variable frequency drives (VFDs), which allow you to vary the amount of frequency and voltage for a power supply to a motor, pump, or chiller, in addition to other controls. Putting VFDs on all major pieces of equipment can result in major power consumption savings.
  • For all toilets, consider flushometers, since they release a metered amount of water and then close back up, using less water per flush than a typical tank system. This kind of system on sinks also turns off water automatically, adding to more efficiency.
  • Think high efficiency for all equipment, especially condensing boilers, which could burn fuel at up to 98% efficiency without heat getting lost through the stack, chimney, or vent pipe.
  • Get automated by putting in direct digital controls that turn systems on and off by demand instead of relying on time clocks. Since occupancy may be highly variable right now due to COVID-19, this can be a particularly smart move, especially if a workforce or students are transitioning back in phases.

For more of Lane’s insights, be sure to check out the full FacilitiesNet article. In the meantime, if you’re not thinking about strategies like these, it might be time to make the effort.

“Bottom line? There’s always an opportunity to be more energy efficient and realize greater cost savings,” Lane notes. “And you don’t have to spend a tremendous amount of money to do so.”

Data-driven innovation is a boon to facility management, but only if it’s used correctly

In a recent Facility Management Journal article, UG2 Senior Vice President, James Lane and Senior Vice President, Jeff Peterson noted that it wasn’t so long ago that facilities management was a paper-driven world. Days were consumed by reactive firefighting and trying to stay on top of energy consumption needs, labor projections, capital improvement, and equipment supply chains.

In the wake of data-driven technology advancements and new innovations, these struggles are receding fast, but they’re being replaced by new challenges. Without the ability to strategically leverage data, facilities managers will have difficulty with decision making and could easily feel overwhelmed.

Lane and Peterson give some valuable insights in how to stay ahead of the curve. Here’s a glimpse at some of the article’s main highlights:

To get the most value from data, the first thing to do is identify clear and quantifiable business goals. For instance, if you’d like to drive efficiencies in energy management, gather data that helps decide appropriate levels of lighting in indoor and outdoor spaces, how much and when to trigger cooling and heating, and so on. Start with the goal, and it’s much easier to assess data with that lens.

After setting and clarifying goals, determine the type of data needed to make informed decisions. That might mean real-time data on variables like occupancy, traffic scenarios, asset maintenance, replacement plans, cleaning and disinfection, and labor requirements.

Identify trusted service providers whose culture and goals align with yours. As Lane and Peterson write, “It’s important to feel confident that the providers can secure and protect any data they access and will use it prudently.” Most FMs rely on outsourced providers because they don’t have the time or internal resources to effectively handle everything. While that can work well, it’s imperative to be mindful of how proprietary data is shared and access is handled.

Use the right technologies. While it seems like this should be first on the list, the main emphasis should be on finding the right technology tools to apply to your goals, not the other way around. “Without first defining what to accomplish and which types of data to collect and analyze, trying to choose best-fit technology can be an exercise in futility,” Lane and Peterson note. FMs must consider several data-driven options:

  • Sensors to gather data on occupancy, environmental conditions, supply usage, and other information.
  • Mobility technologies, which make it easy to collect and leverage electronic data for tasks such as work order management.
  • Data management tools to help filter through the deluge of data generated and to identify which data is needed to manage performance and metrics.
  • Cloud-based solutions that can integrate with other systems and mitigate the risk of lost data.
  • AI systems that can apply the right business rules, exceptions, and trend management for predictive data analysis.

“Facility management is changing fast,” writes Lane and Peterson. “To be successful in this often-unpredictable industry, FMs must be as data-driven as possible. When they have the right data at their fingertips and know how to use it, managers can deliver high-quality facility services with greater efficiency and within budget.”

For more insights, be sure to check out the full Facility Management Journal article, and take a look at more UG2 blog posts for thoughts on numerous FM topics, from energy efficiency to workforce management.

Tackling work orders is important, but it’s also crucial to prevent them.

There will be issues that need to be addressed on a private K-12 campus, from equipment malfunctions and broken systems to process improvements and additional training. But not every facility management team approach these in the same way.

Some teams have a reactive position when it comes to repair and maintenance, and they dutifully go through work orders every morning to sort them according to urgency. There’s nothing wrong with addressing problems as they happen, but it’s also not the best strategy, because it doesn’t include tactics for preventing those problems in the first place.

With a proactive approach, a campus can run much more efficiently, because there will be a greater emphasis on maintenance and less on repair. Fortunately, it doesn’t take an overhaul to be proactive. It just takes attention to detail. For example, UG2 facility managers often “walk the campus” every week, specifically looking for minor issues to address. Those could be seemingly tiny problems, right down to a small crack on a stairway, or a door that doesn’t open quite right. Maybe there’s a little water damage at a corner of a ceiling tile.

All of these have the potential to turn into much larger safety issues. The stairway crack could become a tripping hazard, the door might break as a student is entering a room, that water spot may be from a leaking pipe that could burst eventually if it’s ignored.

A knowledgeable facility manager “knows” a campus, right down to what everything should look like and how it needs to function. Being proactive may look excessive to an observer, but the benefits can be significant:

  • Cost savings: Consider the difference between taking 15 minutes to replace part of a pipe that’s leaking versus a 2-day shutdown of an entire part of the campus because of a major pipe burst, as well as the potential water damage from that event.
  • Efficiency: When a facility manager is the one generating most of the work orders, that means repairs have become more minimal. The facility team can focus on more important maintenance issues without having the constant distraction of repair problems.
  • Appearance and reputation: Everyone knows how it feels to be in a space that is well maintained, clean, and free of even minor issues. It simply feels better and helps a private K-12 school maintain its reputation for excellence — not just academically, but also operationally.

Value of an Experienced Partner

For more insight, check out our last post, How to Include Facility Management in Your K-12 Community and in an upcoming post, we’ll discuss the top factors schools should consider when choosing to outsource facilities management.

As you think about how to keep your campus and your community safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to reach out to UG2 about how we can help. Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 environments, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serve.

Innovative, continuous training that is part of UG2’s dedication to service delivery

From day one, UG2 has implemented extensive and ongoing training for employees, as a way to ensure our customers are provided with the latest innovation and techniques. We’ve never been a “one and done” kind of company that offers training and then maybe an annual refresh — instead, we see continuous education as part of our service delivery model.

That’s why we’ve been moving toward a more formal, certification-based milestone for our innovative program known as UG2 ReNewSM, a comprehensive solution launched in April that mitigates the risk of infection from COVID-19 and other viruses. UG2 ReNew includes operating procedures, communications strategies, and technology enhancements that align with the company’s mission to deliver pristine and healthy environments with a five-star level of customer service.

By creating the UG2 ReNew training program, UG2 is providing assurance to customers and facility occupants that we are holding our employees to a high standard, one that maintains the elevated level of facility services we have always had as our mission.

UG2 ReNew consists of two programs, tailored to the unique needs of each client:

  • Cleaning4Health: New protocols for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in areas throughout a facility, from those used by individuals and small gatherings to large groups and the general public.
  • Engineering4Health: New operations and maintenance protocols for environment management that help prevent the spread of infectious disease through HVAC and refrigeration systems, such as filtration, air exchange, air stream disinfection, and the use of advanced technologies such as HVAC needlepoint & tube-style bipolar ionization and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

Each program includes three phases that enhance technology, operations, communications, and protocols. While UG2 employees are extensively trained in these programs before being part of ReNew teams, they have ongoing support and education to ensure that they’re getting the most up-to-date and comprehensive training possible.

The UG2 ReNew certification program is still in progress as a formal milestone, but the training has been ongoing since the launch of our UG2 ReNew program. We’re proud to offer this level of education to our employees, because we know it impacts our customers directly, and maintains our level of excellence in how we assess, respond, and manage infectious disease prevention.

As we’ve all learned in the past six months, virus threats change quickly. At UG2, we’ve developed this level of training to make sure we always stay more than a few steps ahead.

It wasn’t too long ago that facility management meant being inundated with paper. Work orders, time sheets, equipment status, safety and quality inspections. Everything had to be written down, tracked, updated, and reported on manually. That left a lot of room for human error and information gaps, as well as inefficiencies. It also meant that decisions couldn’t be based on real-time data. Too often, they were shaped on outdated or anecdotal information.

Now facility services, like much in the business world, runs on data. Or rather, it can. With new technologies like IoT (Internet of Things), sensors, artificial intelligence, mobility, satellite, and cloud-based solutions becoming ever-more affordable and prevalent, it’s easy to gather the accurate, real-time information needed to drive smarter decisions, better planning, greater efficiencies, and high-quality facility services.

That’s why UG2 encourages our customers to take advantage of technologies like these, and why data and solutions design is central to all our engagements.

Here are a few of the many ways we leverage data for customers:

Delivering Pristine and Healthy Facilities
Ensuring that our customers’ facilities are clean and safe has always been a top priority for UG2. Now with COVID-19, it’s more urgent than ever. Data plays a key role in making this happen. We can utilize real-time building occupancy and traffic data, collected by sensors, to determine how often, where, and when to clean and disinfect surfaces, refill soap, hand sanitizer, and paper towel dispensers, remove trash, change HVAC system filters, and more. Getting all of this right is critical to giving occupants, employees, and business owners the confidence needed to return to offices, schools, retail, hospitality, and entertainment establishments.

Streamlining Work Order and Asset Management
When work orders are written on paper and stored in file cabinets, it’s almost impossible to collate and analyze information. Mobility technologies, however, make it easy to collect and leverage electronic data for tasks like work order and asset management. Our technicians obtain electric, gas, and water meter readings by scanning asset QR codes with smartphones during their rounds. By pulling that plant log data, which is stored in the cloud, into an analytic platform, we can see usage levels, anticipate when repairs may be needed, take steps to proactively prevent equipment breakdowns, and help customers determine when run-to-fail makes more sense than repairs.

Ensuring the Right Labor
To deliver quality services, you need to have the right people spending the right amount of time performing the jobs customers engage us to do. Estimating how many hours will be needed for each task is as critical as it is challenging. You must look at every task from every possible angle. By gathering asset management data and integrating information about labor training, administrative time, vacation hours, local licensing requirements and more, we’re able to perform comprehensive labor needs analyses, determine accurate person hours and costs, and help customers plan better, adjust priorities when needed, and build business cases.

Driving Efficiencies
There are always ways to drive greater efficiencies. Data can help identify areas for improvement. For instance, when technicians use their smartphones to scan QR codes, it also logs the time they arrived at and left the asset. By analyzing how much time is spent at each place, we can determine whether there are opportunities for streamlining processes. We also encourage customers to take advantage of facial recognition clocks instead of manual timecards to save time. Proactive measures like these enable us to drive more productivity for our customers.

The Right Data
With so much data available these days, the challenge is making sure the right data is collected and that you’re not so overwhelmed by data that you can’t strategically leverage it for business decision-making. UG2 ensures the right data is gathered and eliminates data deluge by collaborating with each customer on a data management strategy that supports their business goals, cost management parameters, and long-term performance metrics. We use the latest technologies to filter through and manage the data, alert stakeholders to urgent issues, and provide data visualization dashboards that make it easy to share and report on facility services performance.

The data we use on our customers’ behalf is generated and owned by our customers. Being able to access this sensitive and proprietary information is critical to delivering the highest-quality facility services. We’re humbled by the trust our customers put in UG2’s commitment and ability to secure and protect their data and use it wisely.

Contact us today to learn more about our uniquely data-driven approach to facility services.

As people return to shared spaces, questions about air quality will emerge. What will be your answer?

Whether building occupants return to their jobs for only part of each work week or attempt to return to a “new normal” of being there daily, the question of air quality is likely to arise soon after reopening.

Considering that the Coronavirus can be spread through the air—as well as other viruses—the emphasis on air filtration is a bigger conversation now than ever before. And for good reason. Apart from Coronavirus risk, poor indoor air quality has been linked to:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sinus congestion
  • Coughing and wheezing
  • Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
  • Headache
  • Allergies

Because these conditions so closely mimic Coronavirus symptoms, it’s likely that anxiety—already at a high level about being in shared spaces—could get even more problematic with air quality concerns.

Addressing the Air

Putting services, checks, and equipment into place that focus on air quality specifically are an essential part of facilities operation. Air quality isn’t just about changing filters on a regular basis, although that’s crucial. It also involves:

  • HVAC maintenance and repair of all systems, including equipment
  • Upgrading and maintaining clean-room facilities
  • Ensuring on-site staff are trained in the latest maintenance issues
  • Testing systems to eliminate any potential problems like stagnant water

Now more than ever, there’s a need for a comprehensive, proactive approach to air quality. That can be especially true in older buildings that have systems requiring upgrading and improved maintenance.

Reducing Anxiety

As these services get put into place, it’s crucial to communicate with building occupants know about the air safety measures that are in progress. Even if they find this info overly technical and irrelevant to their jobs, the emphasis from building management on keeping them informed can go a long way toward reducing stress and anxiety levels. Some ideas for communicating with tenants and employees include:

  • Having maintenance professionals be visible in their work, and available for questions if needed
  • Regular written communication about the improvements that have been done
  • Specifics about how viral contaminants can live inside an HVAC air stream, and how you’ve addressed the issue
  • Having maintenance and facility services personnel address employees directly at an all-hands meeting, or through a brief appearance on a Zoom call

The fact is that most of your workforce likely won’t be asking about the Minimum Efficiency Rating of your filters, or whether the facilities services team has done cooling coil cleaning and water filter cartridge changeouts. Yet, implementing strategies to address concerns and communicating those actions can be incredibly helpful when it comes to lowering anxiety levels about returning to shared spaces.

Now more than ever, consistency is key. Facilities management can provide that, but only if it fits in with your school.

In a private K-12 environment, community is everything. Administrators, staff, teachers, parents, and students are all connected together in a unique way — fostering cohesion and belonging, making school feel like a second home for everyone.

That distinctive feeling is more important now than ever before, as we navigate through so much uncertainty. It’s also why the right facilities management team can make such a big difference. A team that handles cleaning, disinfection, maintenance, operations, and more, can heighten the sensation of safety that comes with community. But not every facility management (FM) team is the same.

Here are the two major elements that are important to determine if your FM can fit into your private K-12 environment:

  • Low turnover, if any. In an office building, seeing familiar faces for facilities management is nice, but in a school, it’s crucial. Staff, students, and parents love getting to know “their” people.For example, at the private K-12 schools handled by UG2, students often practice their Spanish language skills with our cleaning crews, or wave to them in the hallway. They know our FM people as well as they do the school secretary, cafeteria employees, or bus drivers. One school even dedicated two yearbook pages to their favorite team member. That’s the kind of connection that builds trust and community.That’s simply not possible when you have high turnover, because not only are students and staff unfamiliar with these employees, but they also don’t make the investment of effort and time — automatically assuming that FM workers might be gone soon.
  • School pride. Related to low turnover, FM employees will feel like part of your campus, and tap into that distinctive cohesion that makes your school special. They’ll feel a sense of pride, just as much as alumnus, staff, teachers, and students do. And when you feel proud to work somewhere, you care more. You work harder.That’s what we see at UG2 with our FM teams that handle private K-12 schools and their campuses. They use the phrase “our school” because there’s ownership and a sense of responsibility not just to UG2 or their managers, but to the whole school community.

Facilities management is an important part of every private K-12 campus to ensure that buildings are cleaned and running well. But that should be the foundation, not the endpoint. The right team will fit into your community, not operate outside of it.

Value of an Experienced Partner

For more insight, check out our last post, Why Private K-12 Has Unique Needs for Reopening and in an upcoming post, we’ll discuss how a proactive approach to facilities management can help your private K-12 campus in ways you may not have anticipated.

As you think about how to keep your campus and your community safe and healthy, don’t hesitate to talk to UG2 about how we can help. Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, no matter what return-to-school strategy you’ve chosen. We have experience being part of private K-12 environments, and we take great pride in being part of the schools we serve.

Recently approved by the EPA, this breakthrough technology could be a game changer

Imagine the possibilities of a surface-coating product that doesn’t just kill Coronavirus, but also protects against those germs for up to seven days, and potentially even longer. Fortunately, it’s not wishful thinking: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just given emergency approval for SurfaceWise©2, a product from Allied BioScience Inc. that has been called “game-changing” and “groundbreaking” by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Already, it’s being prepped for use by American Airlines to make air travel safer for passengers.

Best of all? You can utilize it in your buildings, too.

UG2 has formed a strategic partnership with Allied BioScience with the mission of offering this product to our customers. We’ve always been at the forefront of technology and innovation, continually seeking next-generation services. The ability to offer SurfaceWise2 fits in with that vision and gives our customers an opportunity to take advantage of this breakthrough.

“Being able to offer SurfaceWise2 as an option for our customers highlights what UG2 was founded on,” says company CEO Louis Lanzillo, Jr. “We have always sought out what’s next, and what will make the greatest difference for those who trust us with the health and safety of their employees and facilities. We’re very excited for what is obviously a major win for our customers.”

How It Works

Disinfectant sprays are helpful for killing germs, but the biggest drawback is that as soon as spaces and surfaces are used again, they become newly vulnerable. That creates a situation where cleaning and disinfecting must be done almost continually—an unrealistic scenario for places with even moderate foot traffic, like office buildings, warehouses, campuses, hotels, and other spaces.

SurfaceWise2 is unique, since it binds to surfaces upon application and continues to kill viruses and bacteria that land on it, including COVID-19.

The product doesn’t replace cleaning and disinfection, but instead, is considered a “finishing step” that offers protection between cleaning sessions. That can greatly extend the capability of a cleaning and disinfection crew and offers a higher level of safety when it comes to virus protection.

Although initial research proved its effectiveness for seven days, the company is doing tests to confirm that it may last much longer—potentially up to 90 days. How would your operations change if you knew every surface was protected from COVID-19 and other virus threats for three months at a time? That’s why it’s being called a game changer.

Value of Partnership

Under the current EPA authorization, American Airlines can only deploy the product in the state of Texas, which means that some of its planes won’t be sprayed with SurfaceWise2 unless they’re brought to the state specifically for that purpose.

Also, in terms of commercial use, SurfaceWise2 is far from widely available, and will likely take time to roll out into the marketplace, even when the EPA grants emergency authorization for all states, since demand is likely to be very high.

But UG2 customers get to skip to the front of the line.

Because of our upfront work in establishing a partnership with Allied BioScience, we’re able to offer this groundbreaking technology, and UG2 is one of the leading integrated facility service providers in the United States to have it ready and available.

For more information on using SurfaceWise2 in your organization, contact us today, and let’s start a conversation about how to change the game, together.

UG2 Partners with Allied BioScience to Use SurfaceWise©2 for Protecting Facilities from COVID-19

Becomes One of the Leading U.S. Facility Services Providers to Offer Breakthrough, EPA-Approved Antiviral Coating

 September 9, 2020 Boston, MA UG2 today announced a strategic partnership with Allied BioScience to protect facilities against COVID-19. The facility services provider, renown for using innovative solutions to deliver safe and clean environments, is the first U.S. company of its kind to offer the breakthrough SurfaceWise©2 antiviral coating to safeguard building occupants. UG2 will offer SurfaceWise2 as part of UG2 ReNewSM, a comprehensive program designed to mitigate the risk of infection from COVID-19 and other viruses as people return to work, school, retail, and entertainment facilities.

SurfaceWise2 is the only surface coating approved by the EPA for continuous protection against COVID-19 with a single application. While the EPA testing initially proved its effectiveness for seven days, they are working with the company to design durability protocol to extend the claim for much longer – potentially up to 90 days.

“Being able to offer SurfaceWise2 as an option for our customers reflects the principles UG2 was founded upon,” says Louis Lanzillo, Jr., CEO at UG2. “We have always been focused on going the extra mile to deliver pristine and healthy environments as well as seeking next-generation technologies to make this possible. SurfaceWise2 adds a vital layer of protection, when combined with other key measures needed to properly clean and disinfect facilities. We’re very excited for what is obviously a major win for UG2 customers.”

SurfaceWise2 is not yet widely available. When it is, UG2’s early work in establishing a partnership with Allied BioScience will enable it to quickly offer this groundbreaking solution.

 

About UG2

UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our solutions include Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead and emphasize a culture of excellence. UG2 is based in Boston with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Northern California and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

As COVID-19 continues, cultivating emotional wellness and healthy habits is crucial for success

In May, my blog post for Mental Health Awareness Month highlighted some strategies for self-care and emotional wellbeing in the midst of COVID-19 surges. Now, only a few months later, stress and anxiety over the virus include a new challenge: pandemic fatigue.

The mix of uncertainty, stay-at-home orders, evolving science, political wildfires, social isolation, constant vigilance over health, and back-to-school issues aren’t just making people weary—they’re leading to widespread emotional exhaustion.

UCLA experts note that wrestling with intense emotions drains your energy, and can leave you feeling burned out but still in a heightened state of worry and frustration. Because of that, you may notice changed behaviors, such as:

  • Constant racing thoughts
  • Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Lack of interest in maintaining social connections
  • Quick to anger, and snap easily
  • Lack of motivation and frequent procrastination
  • Difficulty focusing or paying attention
  • Eat or sleep much more or much less than usual
  • Sudden mood changes, especially from sadness to irritability

Many people may be experiencing more than one change on this list, or even all of them. And that’s okay. It’s important to acknowledge that this is an incredibly unprecedented situation that no one has ever navigated before—although what you’re feeling is unique to you, it’s also helpful to know you’re not alone if you’re overwhelmed and stressed.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to be mindful of your mental health and those around you. Here are six practices I find especially helpful:

  1. Breathe. Notice how you feel and identify the feelings you’re having. It’s okay to acknowledge when things are feeling challenging or you’re not feeling quite like yourself.
  2. Take breaks from COVID-19 content and alarming news. In addition to “pandemic fatigue,” the other new phrase these days is “doomscrolling.” That’s when you ping from one news source or social media platform to another, consuming information as you go. I know it can be tough to shut it all off, and it might feel like you’ll miss something if you do. But I promise, you won’t. Take some time off from scrolling, even if that means the next hour. The news cycle will still be there when you come back from your break.
  3. Make time to sleep and exercise. During the early part of the pandemic, these became difficult for many people to maintain, and as COVID-19 continues, you may have gotten totally out of the habit of keeping a regular bedtime and making an effort to exercise. But these are so vital, and if you don’t keep them up, it’s likely that you’re going to feel depleted faster. And you can’t fill others’ cups if yours is empty.
  4. Reach out and stay connected. Social time is more important than ever, but this is another area where you may have gotten out of the habit of keeping in touch. Think about the people you used to invite over for dinner, or out for coffee, or even just text with. Are they still in your life? If those connections have faltered, it’s time to re-establish them.
  5. Find some time for quiet. Even if it’s only a couple minutes a day, it makes a difference. To make the most of this approach, consider trying it at about the same time every day, like noon, for 10 minutes. Sit outside if it’s nice, breathe in some fresh air, and enjoy the reset.
  6. Seek help if you feel overwhelmed or unsafe. As I said before, we’re all trying to adjust right now, and it’s okay if you need to reach out to a professional, that’s why they’re there. And if you feel unsafe in your home, please reach out, there are many, many resources available for you. For anyone in need of additional help or resources, the CDC has compiled contact information for various organizations equipped to provide support: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

If you’re a manager looking to support your team, Harvard Business Review offers excellent advice on bolstering mental health for employees, including being vulnerable yourself, building a culture of connection, and modeling healthy behaviors.

Living and leading with kindness and compassion for ourselves and others has become a focus in the COVID-19 era. Let’s embrace this as a silver-lining experience, and hope that our self-care and thoughtful habits become ingrained as we navigate toward what lies ahead. May we find peace, feel the strength of our support networks, and always remember that we’re in this together.

Investing in services and products could lead to tax breaks in the near future

Could infection-prevention measures implemented now pay off in tax credits in the future? That’s a possible scenario, since legislation has recently been proposed to establish a “Safe and Healthy Workplace Tax Credit” under the HEALS Act which would provide businesses with the financial relief needed to implement prevention measures related to COVID-19.

If passed, your company could claim federal tax credits to offset costs related to expenses such as:

  • Technology and services used to protect employees from COVID-19
  • Equipment upgrades designed to improve infection control, such as new HVAC technology
  • Reconfiguring and updating facilities, with the goal of achieving a higher level of cleaning and disinfection
  • Hiring professional cleaning and disinfection service companies
  • Providing personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies to employees
  • Reconfiguration of facilities to achieve social distancing
  • Education and training related to transmission prevention

Eligible businesses would include a breadth of industries, from manufacturers and restaurants to retailers and office-based companies. Nonprofit service providers would be included as well, such as home healthcare providers. One important note is that the tax credit would be subject to limitations based on the number of employees in the workforce.

According to a press release from one of the bill’s contributors, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Siema, the tax credit is limited to two years and would provide slightly lower credits in 2021, which means this would be an especially good year to increase these investments.

Stay Tuned

As this legislation makes its way through the process, UG2 will keep you updated. There may be additional processes you can put in place to reap the benefits of these potential tax credits. Specifically, the UG2 Renew Program would fall under several of the items on the list above, since it protects employees from COVID-19, achieves a higher level of cleaning and disinfection, and offers potential equipment upgrades as well as improved infection control.

In the meantime, these kinds of investments can pay off in many other ways, such as improved health of your workforce or tenants, better operations throughout a building and/or campus, and a better bottom line overall.

Investing now may pay off in tax credits later. When it comes to health, safety, and productivity, your occupants will reap the benefits in the short term

General solutions and resources may not be sufficient

Every private K-12 administrator, teacher, and parent has been embroiled in the heated back-to-school discussions for months, and as those debates continue, one huge point is clear: reopening requires thorough preparation and planning.

With private K-12 environments, prepping for probable student re-entry is only one part of the equation, and it’s possible you may be falling short if your only focus is increased cleaning and disinfection. There are key questions that need to be answered before you can reopen:

  • Open on different schedules. Although many private K-12 school buildings are closed, many spaces must remain open to support residents or faculty living on campus. Space utilization will impact the ability to stagger residential and/or commuter student schedules so that classrooms and other spaces can be cycled and serviced on different days. How can you perform cleaning and engineering services in spaces that are always populated?  How can you communicate complex scheduling requirements to ensure the right rooms are disinfected?
  • Multiple facility types. Student dorms, classrooms, science labs, sports arenas, fitness centers, cafeterias, common areas, libraries, offices, auditoriums, music practice spaces—the list goes on and on when it comes to the types of spaces on a typical private K-12 campus. How can you ensure that all of these facilities can be disinfected and made safer on a consistent basis, given the size, complexity, and variety of these spaces?
  • Budget considerations. Tuition serves as a primary source of revenue for K-12 private schools, but institutions will be challenged by lower enrollment rates, higher spend on cleaning services, lower alumni gifts, and potential faculty recruitment struggles. How can you do more when you may have less to spend?
  • Greater interaction. Even with controls like better social distancing in classrooms and dining spaces, students still gravitate toward one another. What about sports teams? Even with spectators socially distanced, players need to be in close proximity, and often can’t wear masks as part of practice and play. How will you handle the potential rise in infection risk that comes with more interaction?
  • Keeping the community strong. One particularly unique aspect of a K-12 private school is the close-knit community that brings together educators, administrators, parents, students, and staff. Ensuring they all feel supported and safe is crucial, and that requires more communication about what’s being done to keep everyone healthy. Do you know what to convey when it comes to assuring all stakeholders that you’re doing as much as you can?

Because of factors like these, private K-12 education requires a unique approach that addresses these issues on multiple levels. That leads to the biggest question of all: How can you reopen safely when resources may be limited?

Value of an Experienced Partner

Awareness of the unique needs of a campus environment is just the first of many steps toward creating a cohesive, meaningful plan for reopening. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll go more in depth regarding a proactive approach to facility services, and the importance of operations coordination.

Be sure to check back for more blog posts, and don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you work in the private K-12 education space, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational customers.

Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to school—and long after they’re back, too.

Scrutiny about all public environments will be ongoing, so your strategy should be, too.

As the global pandemic continues to extend into an uncertain future, one thing we know is that scrutiny about the cleanliness, disinfection, and maintenance of the spaces where we work, play, eat, and shop is under the microscope.

Creating effective, long-term operational solutions increases the level of cleaning, while creating a sense of security and safety for your tenants, occupants, and employees.

At the same time, you may need other workplace support services tailored to your unique needs, from document management to mailroom sorting to clerical support. Having a partner that can provide a range of options is more important than ever before.

Enhanced Cleaning & Disinfection

At UG2, we can focus on enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for:

  • Restrooms: These shared spaces are highly visible and receive the most scrutiny. That’s why you should consider advanced disinfection services that keep restrooms at the height of cleanliness and technologies that provides verification that services were performed, i.e. UDL app.
  • Kitchen and Breakrooms: Another shared space that requires more support is an area where people are coming and going all day. Even if employees are no longer congregating here, it’s vital to keep it cleaned and disinfected.
  • Conference Rooms: People still need to meet, strategize or pop in for a private phone call throughout the day. Even while practicing social distancing, conference rooms can be at higher risk for germs.
  • Workspace Cleaning and Disinfection: Before the pandemic, it’s likely that many employees weren’t vigilant in preventing germs at their workspaces. Enhanced cleaning of personal work areas can be crucial. At the very least, instilling a sense of responsibility on individuals to practice and uphold new normal protocols and cleanliness is crucial to maintaining a healthy environment.

These areas need to receive standard cleaning and considered for regular disinfection, given they are high frequency touchpoints.  Periodic electrostatic disinfection spraying should be considered. This approach ensures the highest level of health.

Tenant support and services can include other solutions as well, focusing on everything from handyman services, interior glass & window cleaning, appliance & upholstery cleaning, flooring & carpet cleaning programs, as well as concierge-level services.

More Than Cleaning

Tenant support can also come in the form of streamlined operations in general, with workplace support, mailroom services, and document management options. For example, these are just a few of the services UG2 offers:

  • Reception and switchboard
  • Workplace inventory management
  • Quality inspections and reporting
  • Logistics support
  • Mail sorting and distribution
  • Vendor and asset management
  • Copying and printing
  • Large-format printing
  • Document imaging/scanning

The Role of Outsourcing

As building owners and employers adapt to the new normal it is important to consider outsourcing services in order to create operational solutions needed to effectively reopen their work environments

At UG2, we understand that every workplace environment is unique. That’s why we tailor our tenant services and support based on what you need, right now, and into the future. You may require on-site staff for mailrooms, or administrative support to handle clerical tasks, or document management services in addition to maintenance and housekeeping. In these instances, we recruit and train employees who possess the right skills and abilities to integrate into your company culture.

Tenant services should make it easier to support your workforce or occupants, giving them peace of mind about how buildings are run, but also providing assurance to you that you have what you need, now and into the future.

Consider these easy, often budget-friendly, strategies for maintaining your energy costs

At a time when building owners and campus managers are more environmentally conscious than ever, keeping energy usage in check should be at the top of everyone’s to-do list. The good news is that there are many cost-effective ways to increase efficiency while reducing energy budgets. With modern trends and increased education in the integrated facilities services profession, finding energy savings opportunities does not mean revamping an entire engineering strategy or installing solar panels and wind turbines (unless you want to). There are numerous ways to create more efficiency in a way that’s often budget-friendly and easy to implement. Possible options include:

Replace toilets with low-flush models that conserve water usage. The newest styles use as little as 1.6 gallons of water per flush, compared to a standard toilet, which can use from 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. That is a huge savings on your water bill, and it also puts less stress on pipes and other plumbing infrastructure.

Be more proactive with equipment maintenance. Clean cooling and heating coils use less fan and pump energy. Properly lubricated gears, bearings and other power transfer devices operate efficiently and use less energy. When your equipment runs properly,  the need for repairs and potential shutdowns is reduced. Broken and worn out equipment also adds material to the waste stream and increases waste disposal costs. You will save costs over time by being proactive and ensuring that equipment has a longer lifespan.

Install touchless faucets, which lower water usage and provide a higher level of health and safety. These motion-sensor faucets help prevent the spread of viruses and prevent water overflow, thanks to an automatic turn-off mechanism, which means another boost for your water bill savings. They also have self-charging batteries, so you’re not adding to maintenance costs.

Change light bulbs to energy-saving options. Just a few bulbs don’t make much of a difference, but think about the hundreds and possibly thousands of bulbs throughout a facility. LED lighting also reduces hazardous material use and disposal of mercury and other heavy metals. Since each one lasts up to 12 times longer than traditional bulbs, cost savings add up quickly with less replacements, less maintenance time, less universal waste, and lower electricity bills.

Implement motion-detector lights, in areas that are only occasionally utilized, such as storage rooms, emergency stairways, parking garages, or unused office spaces, since keeping the lights on at all times is an energy drain, but keeping them off can be a safety hazard. Motion-detector lights solve both issues, resulting in a smart energy usage strategy.

Ensure filters are changed regularly. Just like in a home setting, a commercial filter that is clogged or dirty can cause heating and cooling systems to work harder, which means more energy usage and potential shorter equipment lifespan. In any facility or campus, there may be hundreds of different types of filters being utilized in various systems, which means it’s important to stay on top of maintenance schedules.

Another great tactic: Get a UG2 Energy Services Audit. We have some of the top facility services managers and engineers in the industry, and they love to talk about efficiency. They can identify issues like insulation problems, air exchange concerns, and underperforming equipment, which can all be a major impact on your energy efficiency and budget. The audit team also makes recommendations based on occupancy and usage, so you can have a tailored energy program that benefits your operation—and your bottom line.

Contact us today to set up an audit and discover ways you can make your facility or campus into a more environmentally friendly, efficient, cost-effective operation.

An easy-to-use app from UG2 can be a game changer for efficiency and safety tracking.

Because of COVID-19 and the intense focus on health and safety that it precipitated; many states are already setting mandates about keeping comprehensive disinfection cleaning logs that must be updated during every disinfection round. Consider the overall paperwork behind this effort: If you have just one restroom that’s disinfected four or five times per day, by different cleaning personnel, how will you record that activity? Now add more restrooms, plus elevators, lobby areas, and other shared spaces. Every day, every time they’re cleaned, you need to track, and log services performed to all designated ‘high touch’ areas.

The high volume of paperwork anticipated for this effort is what led UG2 to look for a technology-driven solution. However, we found that there was no solution that seemed to include all the functionality needed, with the ease of use necessary for everyone, from operations managers to janitors. So, UG2 decided to build their own solution.

The Ease of UDL

The UG2 Disinfection Log — called UDL for short — was designed to be scalable across the entire customer base, compliant in addressing each state’s mandate for logging disinfection services, and fast, easy, and cost effective. UDL has achieved all of these goals. Whenever a UG2 employee finishes disinfecting a space or high-touch surface like an elevator, they use a smartphone to tap a chip that’s embedded in their ID badge. At that point, the app asks a few questions like, Where are you? What work did you do?

Dropdown options take only seconds to record the answers, and those are recorded in an electronic database that meets any state requirement for disinfection reporting. The logs don’t require additional paperwork — or, indeed, any actual paper at all — or management time to sort through and store the information. All data is securely and electronically stored on UG2’s cloud-based server.

While that’s enough to achieve compliance, it’s quickly become clear that UDL has the capability and flexibility to become an even more comprehensive tool than UG2 envisioned. This type of innovation and data gathering tool is being explored for other traditional tracking capabilities.  It highlights that data management is a key goal for UG2 in working with our customers in managing all the productivity drivers of the facility service delivery model.

Ready to Expand

Right now, the UDL app has only been rolled out to 10 locations as a pilot program to see if it lived up to its promise. But now that it’s clear that it works effectively, is scalable, and can do so much more. UG2 is moving toward with full deployment to all applicable sites across all UG2’s Centers of Excellence.

That effort will include tailoring the app for different market sectors with various types of spaces, particularly higher education, which is more of a challenge than a traditional office building.  Athletic facilities, classrooms, chapels, and cafeteria areas will require customized solutions.

Although UDL is a new effort, its very representative of UG2’s customer centric spirit that prioritizes the use of innovation wherever possible to benefit our clients. This technology and the people who envisioned and designed it represent the type of creative, solution-driven approach that has made UG2 an industry leader, and a true partner to our valued customers.

A recent article highlights how to change behaviors and mitigate hazards

In a recent article in Facility Safety Management magazine, UG2’s Manager of Safety & Operational Excellence, Adam Rabesa, shared his insights on the dangers of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace. In order to mitigate this hazard, it takes more than some reminders about grabbing on to handrails or putting up caution signs.

“How can we get facilities staff, tenants, and visitors to use more logical, deliberate thinking when it comes to safety?” he writes. “The first thing to do is acknowledge that it’s pretty much impossible to get people to change their daily habits — especially when ‘automated mode’ is built into our brains.”

Instead of asking people to change their way of thinking and moving, Rabesa notes that it’s better to put best practices in place that focus on processes, so people can still go through their daily activities, with much lower risk.

New Processes

Just as Rabesa does for every UG2 customer that he works with, he suggests multiple, easy ways to minimize the risk of slips and falls. His recommendations include the following:

  • Restrict cell phone use while walking: Looking down at a phone when navigating through a space can cause anyone to be unaware of tripping risk. Rabesa suggests that facilities staff remind people to put their phones away, and that these reminders can help people adapt to new behaviors.
  • Be smart about signage: Signs remind people about rules and safety, but simply putting up a long list isn’t likely to help. You need to create greater visibility and engagement, so design is important. Much like advertising, signs need to catch attention and cause enough recognition to change behavior. For example, Rabesa writes, if you’re in a cold climate, you could use a sign that changes color when it’s freezing to remind pedestrians of icy conditions.
  • Use dollies when moving packages: For those who aren’t used to handling larger packages, a dolly can be an easy way to prevent tripping and falling risk. Rabesa suggests that mailroom personnel can determine when a dolly is needed and “loan” them out as needed.
  • Implement building best practices: In addition to behavior changes like the ones above, making changes to a building, campus, or warehouse space can go a long way toward preventing falls. For example, make sure wide stairways have railings on both sides, not just one. Install metal grates that can capture debris and dirt, so they don’t become slick on an interior surface and cause a fall.

The combination of simple-to-implement behavior changes and safety practices with a few adjustments like grates and mats can increase your prevention efforts, says Rabesa.

Value of Analysis

Another important aspect of fall prevention is a job safety analysis, also known as a JSA or Hazard Assessment. If you’ve never done one of these before, take the time to go through a facility, including the outdoor spaces—like parking areas, entrances, sidewalks, and even green space—and consider risks with a critical, objective view. Pay particular attention to spaces where incidents have occurred in the past, even if they were minor.

Whenever there’s a change to the environment due to rebuild or modification, Rabesa recommends a re-examination of the JSA for potential, new hazards.

“When it comes to preventing slips, trips, and falls, understanding human mindsets is just as important as keeping walkways dry and free of debris,” he writes. “By combining tactics aimed at altering behaviors with practical safety techniques, you can dramatically reduce incidents and injuries, and help keep everyone in your facilities safe.”

For more information and insights, check out the full Facility Safety Management article and be sure to visit our blog for posts on safety and operations strategies that you might consider for your space.

A recent article highlights the challenges and opportunities shared by colleges and universities of every size

In a recent Spaces4Learning article, UG2 CEO Louis J. Lanzillo, Jr., shared his thoughts on the challenges that higher education will face when it comes to reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike some industries that can implement stringent controls on workforce return, campuses are much more difficult to monitor, clean, and disinfect because their spaces are community-centric and geared toward collaboration.

“You cannot impose a rigid schedule for disinfection without, to some extent, imposing restrictions on the nature, use, and access to these spaces,” he said. There’s also the sheer number and diversity of facilities—each with its own issues when it comes to environmental controls, cleaning, and disinfection. Lanzillo added that other challenges include:

  • Reinforcing accountability and responsibility of each member of the campus community.
  • Environmental and HVAC-related issues, including increasing the number of filter changes, increasing MERV ratings on filters, and investing in advanced technologies.
  • Dealing with higher costs of cleaning and disinfection.
  • Logistics related to student arrivals and departures, classroom and auditorium scheduling, and residential and athletic facilities.
  • Managing the fear factor of accessing and disinfecting spaces with personal protective equipment, which may alarm students and parents.
  • Supply chain concerns for essential items.

New Protocols

Lanzillo spoke about UG2 ReNewSM, a program that enables colleges and universities to achieve higher levels of health and safety. The Cleaning4Health component focuses on four main areas:

  • General housekeeping: This is the significant cleaning and disinfection required to keep every occupied space cleaner and safer, and it’s where the right products make all the difference.
  • Response to incidents: One of your professors has just tested positive. What happens now? That’s a question that needs to be answered before it occurs, not after.
  • Disinfectant spraying systems: Automation and innovation can play a huge part in keeping a campus healthier and safe, even on a budget.
  • Personal protective equipment: Your facility services staff are on the frontlines of your campus. Keeping them protected means supplying them with the equipment they need every day.

The Engineering4HealthSM component of UG2 ReNew includes crucial strategies as well, including cleaning and disinfecting cooling/heating coils and condensation drain pans, replacing air filters and increasing MERV ratings, eliminating potential contaminants in the airstream, and using advanced technologies for disinfection.

Engineering4Health also ensures all mechanical systems are working well and proper air exchange levels are set. UG2’s technical staff have also been trained to disinfect access panels, mechanical room entry and exit touchpoints, and frequently used tools that may be shared within the technical team.

Phases for Return

Prepping for “day one” is a crucial part of every campus reopening, Lanzillo noted, but that’s only part of one phase that higher education needs to understand. He emphasizes that all of the phases for opening, maintaining, and protecting campuses can create an informed and meaningful approach. Consider this four-phase strategy to keep your campus on track to be healthy and safe:

  • ReSet: Preparing for day one. This is when the cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing can be intensive, and it’s also when maintenance schedules and protocols should be established going forward.
  • ReTurn: This phase begins when campus buildings open, but not everyone is back yet. This is usually a shorter phase, but an incredibly important one, because it will give you an idea of the comfort level for those who are returning.
  • RePopulate: Campus has opened, and everyone has returned and is using the buildings, adjusting to new protocols. What happens in this phase is essential for long-term success.
  • ReCalibrate: This will be the ongoing phase of continuous operation, where observational data is used to modify and improve planning and prevention. If you haven’t set up a plan to be flexible and open to changes, this phase will be expensive and potentially problematic.

“Our focus right now is on ReSet,” Lanzillo said. “This is critical for ensuring all open facilities, from dorms, offices, classrooms, and libraries, to elevators, bathrooms, labs, athletics, and auditoriums, are ready for students, staff, and faculty. And that all stakeholders understand what the institution is doing to prepare.”

Tackling High Energy Costs from All Directions

Heating, cooling, and electricity are among the most expensive line items in a facility budget. How can customers get a handle on the energy costs at their properties? At UG2, we have built an Energy Services program to help our clients understand how they can improve their facilities while achieving significant savings and maximum efficiency.

The Challenge

A private, world-class university based in Massachusetts partnered with UG2 for comprehensive integrated facilities management. The operations team at the school was perplexed when they discovered that the energy costs for a newly constructed building were almost 50% more than originally profiled. Like so many colleges and universities, this institution has a focus on delivering the best education possible while keeping tuition costs down. Energy use was having a significant impact on the budget, and they didn’t know why.

Rob Ryan, UG2’s Associate Vice President of Operations, recognized the challenge and offered UG2’s expertise to help them understand and optimize their energy costs.

“The facility was only three years young and never achieved the energy efficiency outlined in the original developer’s model,” says Ryan. “It was using way too many therms and costs were out of control.”

UG2’s Energy Services team partnered with ICO Energy and Engineering, Inc. to conduct a full audit of all energy and engineering functions of the facility, including HVAC systems, hours of operation, occupancy, and sequence of operations. The team evaluated the facility from bottom to top, recommissioned the controls, profiled the energy usage, and reviewed all energy conservation measures (ECMs).

The Results

The team identified 25 different energy conservation measures the university could address to reduce energy usage.

The Cost

UG2 estimated the cost to implement all the necessary changes to be $65,000. Understanding that any cost to implement would be a challenge to implementation, UG2 did some research on how to defray the costs.

“We showed the local utility vendor our new model demonstrating projected energy reductions and they committed to funding the full $65,000 for the project,” says Ryan. “Therefore, the university’s out-of-pocket costs were zero.”

The Savings

UG2 estimates that the university will exceed $184,000 in savings in the first year alone. “I was delighted to be able to tell them that not only will this project not cost them a dime, but it will also deliver ongoing year-over-year savings while significantly decreasing their carbon footprint,” says Ryan.

With the success of this project, the university has now entrusted UG2 to provide a campus-wide energy scoping study that will include rebates and incentives to offset capital costs.

For the highest level of health and safety, rely on engineering to play a major role

As campuses prepare for reopening in a COVID-19 world, many of them are placing a strong emphasis on extensive cleaning and disinfection to make spaces safer for staff, faculty, and students. But what does that mean? Even the phrase “deep cleaning” doesn’t indicate the type of multi-level, multi-stage effort that’s required to truly mitigate the risk of infection—while keeping maintenance and janitorial staff protected.

By understanding the main protocols of a comprehensive cleaning program, you can put your campus on track to develop a meaningful and effective plan for reopening.

Listed below are just some of the initiatives you should include in your preparations, based on the UG2 ReNewSM Engineering4HealthSM program:

HVAC Prep and Maintenance: Now, more than ever, indoor air quality is essential. Air filtration and safety checks are key for ensuring that returning staff, faculty, and students stay healthy. HVAC work is about far more than firing up the equipment, it involves extensive engineering expertise for upgrades, training on-site staff, and testing systems to ensure there are no potential issues like mold and bacterial growth that could pose a serious health hazard.

Electrical Work: As a campus prepares for reopening and the months afterward, electrical setup and maintenance will be a big part of achieving operational efficiency, especially if more security controls are being put in place. For example, a campus might have more access controls than in the past, to allow for better physical distancing. A comprehensive engineering plan takes into account how changes in usage can affect the overall level of efficiency and cost.

Installation of New Equipment: As part of a comprehensive engineering plan, it may be necessary to replace older equipment that’s less efficient, or that doesn’t provide higher levels of health benefits and safety. Also, campuses may consider installing more touch-free options such as entry doors in areas like restrooms or shared kitchen spaces, to make cleanliness a higher priority.

Plumbing Readiness: Similar to HVAC, campus-wide plumbing should be thoroughly inspected by engineering, especially after hot summer months that might have resulted in stagnant water—a potential health hazard that could severely sabotage a reopening plan.

How a building is maintained is crucial to the successful creation of a healthy campus environment. The Engineering4Health program offers best practices in addressing all aspects of a building’s operation, including systems like filtration, air stream disinfection, air exchange, plumbing traps, deep cleaning of cooling and heating systems, and maintenance of seasonal systems like air conditioning, among many others that maximize health and safety benefits, both now and into the future.

Expanding Your Knowledge

In previous posts, we’ve covered why colleges and universities have unique needs for reopening and what your institution will need to get ready for re-entry.

As you consider the phases of reopening and everything that needs to be put in place for short-term and long-term success, don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you’re in higher education, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s extensive experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational clients.

Our UG2 ReNew Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to campus—and long after they’re back.

How a UG2 engineering team turned the COVID-19 pandemic reduced tenant volume into an opportunity to tackle backlog projects addressing necessary improvements

Like every other city in the U.S., and most around the world, Baltimore began to see its commercial buildings temporarily shuttered after Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in early March, and then issued a stay-at-home order later that month.

At 100 North Charles Street, though, that declaration wasn’t an excuse to minimize engineering services and wait out the pandemic. Instead, the UG2 engineering team viewed the shutdown as a unique opportunity to implement numerous changes that could only be achieved with reduced tenant occupancy.

“Because our engineers weren’t getting the type of troubleshooting calls that we handle daily, it gave the team a chance to address larger projects that could set the building up for success when it came to re-opening,” said UG2 Regional Engineering Manager Jeff Jensen. “Under the outstanding leadership of our Chief Engineer Gordon Smith, the team sprang into action and made the most of every moment. I’m proud of my engineering team for staying the course during the ‘downtime’ and keeping the team very productive. Had these projects gone to outside vendors to complete, the cost would have been substantially higher than our in-house team completed them for.”

Here are some major initiatives and work that will impact building health and safety well into the future:

Cleaning and Revitalization of the Mechanical Chiller Plant: The chiller plant area had previously become a dumping ground for obsolete equipment, tools, and debris. The area appeared cluttered and dirty, as well as poorly lit. Peeling paint, non-insulated water lines, tangles of old cords and wires, and surfaces filled with discarded mechanical items made the space feel congested, unorganized and unsafe.

Although UG2 had been awarded the contract in mid-2018, servicing the tenant and owner was the top priority, which means the mechanical plant was the last to get addressed. But when the stay-at-home orders meant no more tenant calls, the engineering team was able to clean and revitalize the entire mechanical space into a major show piece that any engineering team would be proud to work in.

Not only did they remove all the clutter, but they also painted floors and walls, creating a safer and more usable space. They replaced lighting to brighten the space, and put insulation wrapping around the chilled water lines, boosting operational efficiency.

“There are still a few items we need to address; however, the transformation has now made the mechanical spaces one of the premier areas to include when touring the facility,” says Jensen.

Fountain Maintenance: When the building was developed, the owner’s vision was to include a fountain on the front pavilion design which is a marquee attraction for the building. But as every commercial engineer knows, when fountains age, issues can crop up—and this one is no different.

When the team came on in 2018, the fountain was in rough shape. The old water lines were leaking, creating a potential hazard in the basement. The team re-piped the entire system, which was a tremendous project, but one that created a transformation in terms of efficiency and operation. During the recent shutdown, the team was able to change out more piping and install new lighting, giving the fountain new life and appeal.

Engineering Team Space: Previously, each member of this four-person team had a “nook” as a workspace, as well as a small closet or cubby for their tools. But these spaces were separate from each other, which means that collaboration only happened during planned meetings or via calls and texts.

With the block of time afforded by the pandemic shutdown, the team focused on cleaning out an area on the garage level that had been used, much like the mechanical plant area, to store old junk. After cleaning it out, they hung a new ceiling, ran electrical and internet cables and put in lockers as well as a table where the team could sit together while social distancing.

“This really helped bring the team together and allows them to discuss maintenance issues and tickets without having to track each other down,” says Jensen. “That type of immediate feedback will shorten the time it takes to address each ticket and helps them to brainstorm ideas more effectively.”

Lighting and Painting: Since they didn’t have to work around occupant schedules, the engineering team was able to do a significant amount of painting throughout the building and replaced numerous lights in the lobby area to make that space brighter and more inviting.

They also did a significant amount of prep work to get vacant floors presentable for potential tenant walk-throughs, which will help boost occupancy once business owners and their employees are ready to come back to shared spaces.

“First impressions last forever,” says Jensen. “When people walk into that lobby, they say, ‘Wow’ because it’s clean, well-lit, and modern, and the same is true of the restrooms, hallways, and tenant spaces. This team is doing much more than just mechanical work, they’re striving every day to make this building into a place where people want to be.”

Staying Proactive: All these changes are part of a larger effort to be proactive, Jensen adds. Like every UG2 team, the engineers at North Charles Street feel that they’re in partnership with the building’s owner and take on initiatives as if the building was their own.

“They have a sense of ownership and pride, and that goes a long way toward taking care of a building in a meaningful way,” Jensen says. “They are certainly not on standby while the building is closed to occupants. Their efforts will ensure that when people are ready to return, they’ll be coming back to the best possible space.”

Returning to work is important, but even more crucial is an effective, long-term plan

Understandably, many companies, schools and organizations are laser focused on getting back to normal but there’s going to be a “new normal.” As people begin to occupy shared spaces again, of course it’s important to make sure those areas are ready, including implementation of protocols that will emphasize health and safety.  Are you prepared for the new normal? Without a solid plan in place that anticipates needs for facilities management, you will be forced to take a reactive approach—trying to solve problems and put out fires as they happen, while other issues are fueled by a lack of a cohesive strategy.

That’s why it’s vital to think beyond Day 30 or Day 60, but even further ahead to Day 180. What protocols will you have in place six months after you re-open? Answering that question now can help ensure you actually get to that milestone.

Looking Ahead

Obviously, with a pandemic like the coronavirus, there is still much uncertainty, especially about potential future waves that could send us all back home again. But that should enhance your momentum and focus, not cause you to take a “one day at a time” approach. The more stability you can put into place now, the better prepared you’ll be if you do have to pivot and change your operations.

The goal with a 180-day plan is not to eliminate risk completely—an impossible task—but rather, to mitigate the risk of infection while offering assurance to everyone who is in your facilities. That peace of mind is essential to getting operations running again.

To meet that need, UG2 has developed a 180-day operational roadmap that includes four main pillars of recommendations:

  • Operational Changes: As cleaning protocols ramp up, there needs to be a multi-phase plan that reviews building occupancy specifications, repurposes staff, identifies areas that need to remain closed to building tenants, anticipates ramp-up levels of occupancy, and evaluates cost management.
  • Communication Strategies: When it comes to health and safety, communication is key, and those who use a building should have a wealth of information when it comes to strategies like desk sanitization, social distancing, fitness center usage, cleaning protocols, breakroom usage, security desk processes, conference room use, and more. These are important to put in place immediately, and to augment with longer-term efforts like ongoing training and program enhancements.
  • Technology Enhancements: Every facility will have distinctive needs when it comes to implementing technology, and it’s helpful to look ahead at what may be required months down the line. For example, it may be helpful to install more automatic cleaning and disinfection products before a workforce returns, and later augment that with enhanced scrubber options.
  • Contract Structures: With changes in operations, increased scope in terms of cleaning and disinfection, and new requirements for managing a facility, contracts need to be reviewed and likely amended to accommodate these shifts. Defining staff hours and basing that on occupancy should be clearly articulated. Contractual requirements that were sufficient just a few months ago may fall short now as you’re redefining what you need to move forward.

As you plan the months ahead, consider implementing UG2 ReNew, a program that helps you navigate, adapt to, and thrive in the “new normal”, with elevated services that provide exceptionally pristine and healthy environments.

You need more than just “deep cleaning” to maintain a healthy environment

As campuses prepare for reopening, all of them are emphasizing a strong focus on extensive cleaning and disinfection to make spaces safer for staff, faculty, and students. But what does that mean? Even the phrase “deep cleaning” doesn’t necessarily include the multi-level, multi-stage effort that’s required to mitigate the risk of infection—while keeping maintenance and janitorial staff protected.

By understanding the main protocols of a comprehensive cleaning program, you can put your campus on track to have a meaningful and effective approach to reopening. There are four key phases that can take any campus from a reactive to a proactive approach, based on the UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health program. Listed below are the four main cleaning protocols for campus reopening:

General Housekeeping: This is the deep cleaning and disinfection that will be required to keep every occupied space cleaner and safer. Not only will all high-frequency touch points be cleaned, but they’ll also be disinfected using an EPA-registered antimicrobial product suitable for non-enveloped viruses. Housekeeping should also involve pre-cleaning heavily soiled non-contact surfaces like walls, followed by antiviral disinfectant.

Response to Isolated Incidents: What if a faculty member tests positive for COVID-19 but has been using her office and lecture hall for the past few days even though she had symptoms? Or if several cafeteria workers test positive and the kitchen needs to be closed down? The fact is, outbreak events will occur on your campus. Not having a cleaning plan for them—including training on how to handle contaminated materials—in advance could put you at a significant disadvantage.

Disinfectant Spraying Systems: When it comes to optimizing your cleaning protocols, automated systems can be a boon. Innovative spraying technology such as electrostatic sprayers allow for 360-degree surface coverage and sanitize rooms 80 percent faster than conventional methods.

Personal Protective Equipment: Absolutely, you need to do everything you can to keep your facility services team members safe. That means supplying all cleaning personnel with the right kind of PPE, such as gloves, goggles or face shields, and making disposable particulate face masks available.

While a more extensive plan for general housekeeping is crucial, having only that phase in place can cause campuses to fall short of what they really need to maintain health and safety on an ongoing basis. Although the emphasis right now is on reopening, that is only a short-term situation—for more insight about longer-term approaches, see our recent blog post, The 4 Phases of Reopening for Higher Education—and focusing only on deep cleaning could expose you to risks, potentially just weeks after opening.

Most significantly, these cleaning protocols don’t follow one another, they coincide. They happen simultaneously, which means they make each protocol stronger and boost protection and safety throughout a campus.

Expanding Your Knowledge

In other previous posts, we’ve covered why colleges and universities have unique needs for reopening and what your institution will need to get ready for re-entry. Check back next week for insights on how engineering can boost health on campuses.

As you consider the phases of reopening and everything that needs to be put in place for short-term and long-term success, don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you’re in higher education, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational clients.

We can offer operations, maintenance, custodial, and management resources, and also work with your in-house facility services staff so you get additional industry expertise, operational knowledge, greater purchasing power, and more access to specialized equipment, all without adding to headcount. Our new UG2 ReNew Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to campus—and long after they’re back, too.

How to increase safety practices at work

Safety isn’t something most people actively think about while at work. It doesn’t usually enter their mindset until something goes wrong. When that happens, the incident gets all the attention, then safety becomes top-of-mind for a while. But more often than not, people eventually go back to doing things the way they had in the past and safety takes a back seat until the next incident occurs.

However, that’s not the way it should be. Safety should play an important role in everything we do. If you cannot do a task safely, you cannot do it successfully.

So how do you infuse safety into your workplace? Safety awareness should be part of everyone’s job. Here are several methods you can use to instill an ongoing culture of safety:

Build Safety into Job Descriptions
By including safety in the job description, you cultivate the idea that everyone has a responsibility for their safety and the safety of the people around them.

You can also require employees to submit a “safe act” or “unsafe act” observation. At the safety meetings, review the observations, address areas of concern, and share good behaviors. Unsafe acts may include witnessing someone going upstairs without using handrails or taking out the trash without wearing gloves. Over time, you will see how everyone can contribute creating a safer work environment.

To further cement safety in employees’ minds, managers should review the employee’s safety performance at each performance appraisal and include ways to reward and highlight good practices.

Include Safety at Every Meeting
Safety communication needs to be ongoing and consistent. One way to do this is to integrate some level of safety conversation in every meeting.

Customize Safety Training
Make your training relevant to the participants you’re addressing.  Use the training as an opportunity to present real situations they can experience as part of their job responsibilities. Work together in possible work scenarios and how to respond safely if they face a similar situation.

Encourage and Recognize Acts of Safety
Create a safety suggestion box for employees and make it anonymous so they are more likely to submit ideas. For instance, do you regularly include safety metrics or incident tracking in your regular employee communications? Has the team been recognized for safety achievements? Provide appropriate rewards and highlight individuals who have excelled in safety, publicize their achievements in meetings, and communications like emails and blogs.

Safety is critical, but it doesn’t necessarily happen naturally. In our organization, we take safety very seriously and we constantly remind our employees about the importance of returning to their homes safe and healthy at the end of their workday.  If you think that your organization can benefit by building a better culture of safety, please contact UG2 to see how we can help.

How our virtual classrooms are supporting employees now and into the future

Despite stay-at-home orders and social distancing due to COVID-19, the operations and maintenance (O&M) employees at UG2 still have robust opportunities to expand their skills, thanks to virtual classrooms. Recently rolled out on June 24th, the first virtual class of O&M employees from across the country “attended” training held in Massachusetts, demonstrating that physical distance doesn’t have to be a barrier to learning.

Employees were able to access a breadth of knowledge about Chilled Beam Technology in this three-hour training. This is just the start of a rich, ongoing offering that will continue to drive efficiencies, innovation, and knowledge.

Although this was the launch of virtual training, it’s an extension of the existing facilities maintenance UG2 Training & Innovation Lab. This Lab features, a new, state-of-the-art facility designed to help the company expand its workforce at a time when many companies are competing for talent, particularly in the skilled trades. Located in UG2’s Natick, Massachusetts location, it’s quickly become part of the Company’s multi-tiered approach to talent development of those who we call PHDs: passionate, hardworking, and dedicated.

“In today’s tight labor market, combined with an aging skilled trade workforce, it’s critical to invest in our team,” says Jim Lane, SVP, Operations & Maintenance at UG2. “This training lab has been helping us build our team the right way and ensure that we create a sustainable program for talented O&M employees.”

The Training & Innovation Lab helps transfer knowledge from more experienced workers to those new in the trade, and also enables entry-level employees to advance their careers with new skills, including qualifying for licensed certifications. Curriculum includes courses on topics like HVAC and multi-stack systems, customer service skills, building automation systems, and more.

Since it was launched, the Lab has allowed UG2 to offer advanced technologies through comprehensive training; the launch of the virtual classroom is just one more way that the Lab stands out as a driver of continuous process improvement.

At UG2, we’re dedicated to ensuring that our employees get the professional development they need, in a way that benefits clients and drives performance. We encourage all employers to make the most of this time with similar virtual initiatives that can keep us all moving forward, and connecting in meaningful ways.

Prioritize Safety with Mitigation Strategies and Planning

Trying to prevent hazards comes naturally to us in our personal lives. Whether wearing seat belts to protect us in the case of accidents, putting a lid on a cup of coffee or tea to prevent a spill, or looking both ways before crossing the street so we don’t get hit by cars – we’re constantly protecting ourselves without even realizing it.

But in our work lives? Not so much. Or at least, not nearly enough. We tend to fall into patterns and regular schedules at work, which can make us complacent and not as aware of our surroundings.

As buildings reopen and we start going back to work, now is the perfect time to revisit how to incorporate hazard recognition and mitigation into this critical part of our lives.

Common Workplace Hazards

What are the most common hazards at your facility? Here are a few your staff and tenants may be running into:

  • Slipping on floors that are wet from rain dripping off coats, shoes, and umbrellas, or floors that have been cleaned but can’t be recognized because proper signage hasn’t been placed in the area.
  • Tripping on mats at building entrances, elevation changes or the intersection of different floor materials, like tile and carpet.
  • Falling by missing a step, double stepping, and not using the handrail on staircases.
  • Being exposed to chemicals by not wearing proper PPE or using them improperly.
  • Being struck by a vehicle in the street, in a parking lot or in a loading dock.
  • Electrical shocks from loose wires or equipment that has not been properly locked and tagged out.
  • Falling from heights, possibly from using ladders where tenants congregate such as lobbies and office spaces or in front of doors.

Recognizing Hazards

Some of the best ways to avoid hazards are to slow down and look around. By not rushing through tasks you’ll be less inclined to take shortcuts and become more aware of your surroundings.

All facility managers should conduct hazard recognition training for employees. However, while learning to recognize hazards is essential, reducing potentially hazardous situations is even more critical.

There are things every facility should have on its list of hazard mitigation tasks. This includes using clear and attention-getting signage where needed ( e.g., on wet floors, around ladders, and near changes in floor elevation). It’s also important to pay special attention to areas with low or inadequate lighting. Not being able to see properly can make it difficult to recognize hazards. Outside areas should be taken into special consideration since the amount of natural light changes with the seasons.

Job Safety Analysis/Job Hazard Analysis (JSA/JHA) Tips

Regardless of what steps you take, the truth is, you can only mitigate and eliminate the hazards you know about. That’s why conducting Job Safety, or Job Hazard, Analyses should be at the top of everyone’s list. Here are some tips to keep in mind when performing JSAs/JHAs on the tasks employees perform at work:

  • Involve and engage employees: Discuss what you are going to do and why, and explain that you’re studying the task and not the employee.
  • Identify applicable OSHA or other regulations and standards that may apply.
  • Review incidents related to the JSA that you are conducting.
  • Break tasks being reviewed into steps and, when possible, begin each step with a verb. For example, “Step 1: Reach for mop and bucket. Step 2: Place bucket under sink to fill with water.”
  • Review all steps with workers to make sure you’ve covered the entire process.
  • Identify hazards associated with each step, and determine which hazards can be mitigated or eliminated. Finalize new procedures to mitigate risk of the task.
  • Periodically review the JSA/JHA, particularly when there is a change to your environment due to a rebuild or modification, a change in the task itself, or if a new piece of equipment is being added to a procedure. Train employees on the new JSA/JHA.

Want to learn more about how to build hazard recognition and mitigation into your facility management plans? Contact UG2 to discuss your needs.

UG2 Brings Innovation to Facilities Management with EPAY Facial Recognition

At UG2, we are constantly working to improve our service delivery model, modernize systems, and increase efficiency. With thousands of hourly employees distributed across multiple sites, we identified timekeeping as a high priority for innovation. New facial recognition technology is replacing traditional punch clocks, and we’re in the forefront of adopting it. Our goal: improve productivity and accuracy while providing more time to work directly with customers.

“Labor and labor hours are an enormously significant factor for productivity, management, and customer service,” says Jeff Peterson, Senior VP of Strategy & Innovation for UG2. “We are always seeking innovative solutions to help us manage our workforce effectively, so that we can deliver higher quality and more cost-effective service to our customers.”

Traditional systems such as punch cards are mechanically reliable and widespread, but a closer look reveals their shortfalls. “Time card data gets captured, then converted into a spreadsheet, then transferred into payroll,” says Peterson. “There are a lot of steps where human error can impact the accuracy of a paycheck.”  Fingerprint scanning solutions modernize data capture, but they can be finicky with employees who handle equipment oils and cleaning solutions — any dirt or residue can impact scans. “The innovation in this space now is with facial recognition and mobility,” says Peterson. “Employees walk up to the clock, the camera recognizes their face, and punches them in or out. It is a natural regular part of their day.”

UG2 researched systems and chose EPAY Systems, the leader in facial recognition for timekeeping, as its technology partner. EPAY’s time clocks use cutting-edge facial recognition biometrics that measure and match employees’ unique facial characteristics. Time is captured accurately and integrated seamlessly into payroll and other databases with no additional re-keying of data.

“Our solutions are designed for companies like UG2, which has a large and distributed hourly workforce,” says Michelle Lanter Smith, Chief Marketing Office, EPAY Systems. “We specialize in making it easier for companies to manage those complex time keeping needs.”

UG2 started partnering with EPAY in 2018 and currently has more than 1,500 employees — approximately 40% of our workforce — using the system at 26 sites. We’ve discovered the following benefits for the back office, our employees, and our customers:

  • Enhanced Service Productivity: Our account managers can spend less time reviewing punch cards and managing data, and more time with our customers. Our investment in this technology enables us to continue moving in a customer-centric direction.
  • Reduced Costs: Managing timekeeping for a large, distributed labor pool is costly; increasing efficiency in our systems can have a real impact.
  • Improved Accuracy: Errors can occur in multiple points during the traditional punch card process, from mistaken or fraudulent punches to errors in data entry and transmission. Facial recognition eliminates much of the potential for human error, bringing accuracy to the entire system.
  • Environmental Suitability: Fingerprint scans fail when employee’s hands are cold or dirty, and the technology can’t always capture a good print. Facial recognition is a better fit for our environment.
  • Ease of Use: Employees like how easy the system is to use, making the punch-in process quick and efficient.

Now more than ever, a touchless system is also crucial for health and safety. With COVID-19 precautions, having multiple employees use the same system at around the same time would be challenging, if not impossible, when it comes to cleanliness. Being unable to disinfect the whole apparatus of a traditional timecard system, within a short time frame, would put employees at risk.

The EPAY system integrates into our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs, which both focus on best practices with janitorial, maintenance, and safety. Having a system that is easy to use, reduces errors, and protects employee health is a crucial component of better, safer operations.

While the EPAY system automates many time-keeping processes, the system still is flexible and customizable. UG2 sites have different shift schedules, overtime calculations, union requirements, spoken languages, and other business rules and factors — account managers can easily make changes to accommodate every variable and option.

“Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to set up the EPAY system for flexible shifts and other factors,” says Ivan Serrett, Account Manager, who is the on-site manager for a large complex. “It’s more accurate than other systems we’ve used, and it cuts out two or three steps in the approval process. This system is definitely easier.”

Our initial installations of the EPAY facial recognition solution have proven successful, so we are moving fast to roll it out to more UG2 locations. “We are excited about the benefits of the EPAY system for UG2 and our clients,” says Peterson. “New ideas, new techniques, and new technologies are just one of the ways that UG2 drives innovation in the facilities management industry.”

Who doesn’t like shortcuts?

With all the demands placed on us, the last thing we want to do is waste precious time. Taking shortcuts often seems like the most sensible thing to do. It’s also how we are programmed.

It’s been shown that each of us has two brain systems: one is fast-thinking and handles automated behavior, and the other is slower, more deliberate, and requires more energy. As Daniel Kahneman points out in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, a “law of least effort” applies to physical exertion. He says, “If there are several ways of achieving the same goal, people will gravitate to the least demanding course of action. Laziness is built deep into our nature.”

Success Breeds Complacency

The more often that you successfully complete an action, the less you must think about it, the more automated it becomes –the more complacent you get. That’s why, for instance, it’s so hard for sports teams to win consecutive championships. As much as they try, the mindset just isn’t the same.

Losing a game isn’t dangerous, of course. It’s just frustrating. Taking shortcuts in facility services, on the other hand, can be dangerous. Cutting steps out of a process – like changing a light ballast without going back to the workshop or utility cart for safety glasses or using the wrong tool because the right one isn’t on hand – may get jobs done faster. However, shortcuts unnecessarily increase the risk of an injury to yourself or others around you.

For example, safety could be compromised when transporting materials from the loading dock to a tenant floor or the workshop. You typically use the loading dock dolly. Today, it is either being used or was misplaced by the previous user. You know the right (safe) thing to do is get another dolly, but today is not the day for wasting time. The former takes extra time and effort, so most people opt for the latter. But if that item being moved is heavy, you can injure yourself and/or someone else in the process. And if it blocks you from seeing a spill, the mess at the trash compactor, or you simply miss a step, an accident can occur.

Preventing Shortcuts

To enhance safety in an ideal world, you’d prevent potentially dangerous shortcuts altogether. Since eliminating shortcuts goes against human nature, a safety culture is difficult to achieve. Instead, your goal should be to prevent them from becoming the norm. Here are a few ways to achieve this result:

  • Build shortcut prevention into safety training: Most companies provide safety training when new employees are hired. Make sure that the training includes information on why to avoid shortcuts. Conduct simple refresher courses on a regular basis.
  • Instill a ‘doing-things-right’ culture: Make sure your facility services supervisors and managers understand that doing things right is more important than doing them fast. Have staff remind people not to take shortcuts if they are seen doing so. Take the time to do the task right the first time, not the second. Great injury prevention programs empower employees to keep others safe, not just themselves.
  • Communicate near misses: Everyone understands the need to immediately report injuries and accidents. However, near misses generally aren’t reported. To prevent today’s near miss from becoming tomorrow’s accident, encourage employees to report them. Communicate the near miss that resulted from a shortcut to the rest of your staff so they can avoid that behavior in the future.
  • Use signage: Put up signs reminding staff about the correct process for tasks that are prone to shortcuts. To create greater visibility, design signs that are graphically bold and are specific to your workforce and facility.

Shortcuts aren’t always a bad thing. There are times when processes are unnecessarily convoluted and removing steps is the smart thing to do. But more often than not in facility services, shortcuts lead to unnecessary risk. Since avoiding them goes against human nature, we need to do everything we can to change the shortcut mindset and focus on doing things the right way.

How to prepare for health and safety, now and into the future

Prevention is a powerful strategy for creating higher education spaces focused on health and safety—both now, for reopening campuses, and into the future, as a proactive way to keep those campuses pristine, cost effective, and well maintained.

By putting the right amount of preparation and planning into the process and understanding that reopening and maintenance will involve different phases, higher education can achieve a comprehensive prevention approach. These are four main phases that can take any campus from a reactive to a proactive track, based on the UG2 ReNewSM program:

ReSet: Preparing for day one. This is when the cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing can be intensive, and it’s also when updated maintenance schedules and protocols should be established. The campus should be deep cleaned, and prepared for occupancy through a wide range of operations updates, from changing all the filters to flushing the plumbing to cleaning HVAC coils. All of these steps play a critical role in virus prevention, and in offering safety assurance to faculty, staff, students, and parents.

ReTurn: This phase begins when some campus buildings open, with limited occupancy. This is usually a shorter phase, but an incredibly important one, because it will give you an idea of the comfort level for those who are returning. It can also show gaps and shortcomings in your plan, such as inadequate signage, changes in shared space usage patterns, and mechanical and maintenance issues that need to be addressed.

RePopulate: In this phase, the campus has fully opened and buildings are functional and adjusting to new protocols. This is where communication is paramount, conveying details and expectations about new rules, changes, and updates on the importance of prevention strategies so that everyone on campus knows their role in health and safety. This is also the phase where observation is key, to understand how spaces are being used, whether airflow is sufficient, if more disinfection is required, and whether cleaning specifications needs to be adjusted.

ReCalibrate: This will be the ongoing phase of continuous operation, where that observational data is used to inform modifications and improve planning and prevention. Unfortunately, health experts believe Coronavirus will be with us for a long time, possibly even after a vaccine is developed. Every campus needs to keep that in mind, and continually pivot based on what students, faculty, and staff require. That requires ongoing recalibration of protocols and processes.

Right now, as campuses plan to reopen and take the first steps toward creating a plan, most are in ReSet mode. While that’s crucial to implement, that’s not a phase an educational institution can maintain prospectively, months after reopening has occurred and needs have changed. Knowing the different phases—and, crucially, when to transition into each–will be an integral part of keeping a campus healthier and safer for months and even years ahead.

Expanding Your Knowledge

For more insight, check out our last post, What Your Institution Will Need to Get Ready for Re-entry. In upcoming posts, we’ll continue to do a deeper dive into the specific phases of cleaning protocols, and how engineering can boost health on campuses.

Be sure to check back weekly for these posts, and don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you’re in higher education, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational clients.

Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to campus—and long after they’re back, too.

Opening the doors again is only the first step—here’s what you need to maintain health and safety

As more states ease stay-at-home restrictions, thoughts naturally turn toward what’s needed to maintain a safe and clean environment. As part of the UG2 ReNewSM program, reopening involves three phases that can ensure operational efficiency, greater security, and higher levels of cleaning and disinfection.

ReTurn

Zero to 60 days and/or 50% office usage

As buildings begin to be occupied again, this phase is about reviewing building occupancy specifications and repurposing staff to meet the needs. For example, more cleaning personnel may be added at during the day to ensure a higher level of disinfection.

This phase also comes with identification of high-touch points in shared spaces, with a plan on how to keep those clean throughout the day, not just during a once-daily cleaning. This might include entry doors, elevator call buttons, handrails, door handles, faucet handles, coffee machines, vending machines, copy machine touchpads, and conference room tables.

Cleaning protocols will be reviewed, especially for open work areas and shared spaces, and most likely, certain areas may be closed to all building tenants to maintain cleanliness, such as break rooms or fitness centers.

To help returning tenants, this phase also includes increased communication, including signage that reminds them about social distancing, handwashing, desk sanitizing, and safety protocols.

RePopulate

60 to 120 days and/or 50% to 75% office usage

After a few months as tenant occupancy increases, UG2 and building management will increase staffing levels to compensate for additional activity. For example, day porter staff will likely be increased to provide greater awareness and services within a space.

At this phase, it’s likely that places previously closed—fitness areas, indoor seating spaces, and shared kitchen areas—will begin to be opened, as long as social distancing can be maintained. Because of this, new cleaning procedures and equipment will be implemented, particularly if occupants are using these spaces frequently. Communication in this phase includes program enhancements, safety updates, and changes in protocols.

ReCalibrate

120 to 180 days and/or 75% to 100% office usage

As tenant occupancy increases towards full usage, UG2 and building management will again evaluate staffing levels to ensure that additional activity and use is not compromising cleaning and disinfection protocols. Most likely, day porter staff levels will level off while night cleaning staff will be increased, to account for greater building occupancy.

With more staffing and disinfecting needs comes incremental costs, so an important part of this phase is to look at procedures that can help offset cost. For example, that might mean centralizing waste management services, or leveraging supply chain partners in a more effective way. Communication efforts will continue to emphasize program changes and safety updates.

Recognizing that our customers have different needs and timetables for reintroducing people into the workplace and onto campuses, UG2 ReNew offers a comprehensive, methodical approach aimed at mitigating risk and providing a healthy and safe environment for all.

Why safety needs to be a priority in operations and maintenance

In every work environment, safety should always be a top priority—and that can take many forms, from adequate employee training to efficient air ventilation that maintains health to reviewing procedures for a post-pandemic return.

For operations and maintenance (O&M), that focus should be even more of a top-of-the-list necessity. Here’s why you need to keep O&M workers safe right now and into the future:

  • In-demand skills: Even as our economy heads into record unemployment levels, that’s no guarantee that you’ll find O&M workers looking for employment. In fact, it’s likely that the opposite is true; every company will want to hold on to these team members because their skills are critical right now. These experts are usually working in the background to make sure buildings are operating efficiently, and the pandemic is bringing their skills, abilities and contributions into the spotlight.
  • Specialized knowledge: In addition to O&M skills, these employees have knowledge of a facility that others simply don’t have. They know the equipment, what needs to be done and how to repair and replace items before they become an expensive headache. That allows them to respond quickly, efficiently, and most of all, proactively. Without that specialized insight, it’s likely that maintenance tickets for your building or campus will start to stack up quickly. Keeping workers safe and doing the work they’re best at doing is part of effective operational strategy.
  • Trusted by tenants: With the combination of skills and facility knowledge, O&M team members become advisors to building owners and managers. Tenants come to rely on them, and that means they feel comfortable mentioning problems when they’re still minor, rather than waiting until those issues get worse and usually much more costly to address. These O&M employees are valued and trusted, and often given wide latitude to put new programs into place.

Lack of focus on proper safety measures can increase risk of injury, which means you may have O&M employees going out on workman’s comp and leaving an open position behind—one that is tough to fill. Even in a turbulent economy like we have right now, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find team members who can step into these vital roles with all the skills, knowledge, and work ethic that you need.

Whether you’re a building owner with an on-staff team or you’re outsourcing your O&M needs, take time to review safety measures for these valuable, indispensable, and much-needed workers.

Not sure what safety practices and protocols should be in place? Contact us to discuss your needs, UG2 makes safety our highest priority.

Opening your campus requires a comprehensive plan. Are you prepared?

When it comes to preparing your campus spaces for re-entry—including lecture halls and classrooms, dorms, cafeterias, libraries, arenas, offices, and more—having a comprehensive cleaning and disinfection plan in place is only the first step, albeit a significant one.

Higher education has unique needs when it comes to bringing students, faculty and staff back into spaces that have been closed for several months. You’ll need a plan that encompasses a range of strategies so your institution is acting in a way that’s proactive instead of reactive. Here’s what to consider:

  • Ongoing, multi-level cleaning program: Whether you’re using in-house or outsourced janitorial services, your disinfection program will be very different than it was in the pre-pandemic world. It is no longer about emptying wastebaskets, vacuuming, and wiping high-touch point surfaces down whenever possible. You’ll be making a considerable investment in cleanliness, and you need to ensure that funding is allocated intelligently.
  • Technology and equipment upgrades: Before re-opening, it’s worth doing an audit of your entire HVAC system as well as operations and maintenance equipment. Whether you bring in outside contractors or use your in-house team, the audit should focus on upgrades that can keep your campus safer and healthier, as well as opportunities for increased efficiency, saving you money in the long run.
  • Resource allocation: Few campuses have all the expertise and labor they need in-house to operate at the highest possible level just before and after re-entry. Any plan that looks at the next year needs to include estimates, responsibilities, and benefits of outsourced resources for maximum operational impact.
  • Student responsibilities: Will your students wear masks on campus, including resident halls and cafeterias? Will they be spaced at least 6 feet apart in lecture halls? Will study groups be required to sit outside whenever possible? Establishing and communicating expectations as they relate to student responsibilities and interactions will be a major part of your re-entry plan. Decide in advance what you expect them to do, so you can begin communicating before they return to campus. You’ll also need to display informational materials like posters that remind them of their role in maintaining health and safety.

In addition to these elements of your reopening plan, it’s crucial to have the type of insight and knowledge that comes from an experienced partner. Even though we’re living in a time of great uncertainty about what’s ahead, there are fundamentals that will always be key, no matter what the future brings: proactive strategy, experienced professionals, knowledge of specific systems, and experience in meeting operational challenges. Partnering with UG2 can give you all these benefits, and help you prepare for whatever the future brings.

Expanding Your Knowledge

For more insight, check out our last post, Why Colleges and Universities Have Unique Needs for Reopening and in upcoming posts, where we will continue to do a deeper dive into the specific phases of reopening, cleaning protocols, and engineering.

Be sure to connect with us on social media so you don’t miss our new blog posts. Don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to discuss your specific needs. If you are a higher education professional, now is the time to build capability and resources for re-opening. We are here to help. We apply deep experience and insights that have proven valuable to a range of higher education clients.

Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to campus—and long after they’re back, too.

Tips to make sure you’re keeping health and safety as top priorities when business re-opens

As states begin to lift stay-at-home orders, businesses and organizations are working to put more health and safety controls into place for reopening—for example, increasing cleaning and disinfection, installing more touch-free systems, and reviewing HR policies in terms of sick time and working from home.

Employees, too, should be prepared to play their part in the effort. Just because a company may re-open doesn’t mean everything can go “back to normal,” in the way it was pre-pandemic. Instead, here are some strategies to keep in mind during the transition:

Maintain Social Distancing: Being together with colleagues again will feel like a relief, but save the handshakes and hugs until public health experts give the green light. In the meantime, social distancing will still be important, and some companies may also require face masks. Even if it’s not policy, face mask use is advisable in situations where distancing is not possible, and/or if you’re caring for others at home who are in a high-risk group.

Re-Consider Travel and Meetings: As part of the social distancing focus, those jokes about “this meeting could have been an email” may feel a little more serious. Just as non-essential travel will likely be discouraged, so too should non-mandatory meetings. If a meeting is deemed necessary, consider the configuration of people in the room to maintain space, or even better would be to have a meeting outdoors if possible.

Stay Aware of Shared Spaces: In any building or facility, there are areas where people naturally come and go, such as elevators, kitchen areas, bathrooms, locker rooms, and meeting rooms. When you transition back, there should be procedures in place to maintain distance and cleanliness in these places in particular. Maybe that means additional disinfectant wipes, or more handwashing in addition to increased awareness.

Keep Up the Handwashing: At this point, everyone has been made aware of the importance of washing hands and refraining from touching their faces, and this will continue to be a focus when you head back to a shared environment. Remember these key rules:

  • Use running water: Research has shown the temperature of the water doesn’t matter, although people tend to prefer warm water. But cold water works, too, if that’s your preference.
  • Lather up: Wet hands first and then use soap and begin rubbing the hands together. No need to try and find antibacterial soap or some special blend, experts have noted any soap works. It’s the detergent-type action that helps germs slide off your hands and into the water.
  • Put in the time: Research suggests only about 5% of people wash their hands for as long it takes to get truly clean. That time, 20 seconds, is about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, but you can also count or choose a catchier tune. The chorus of “Dancing Queen,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” are all about 20 seconds, for example.
  • Be thorough: Spots that people typically miss include the back of the hands up to wrists, the lower palms, between the fingers, and in the nail bed.
  • Use a paper towel to dry: Experts note that rubbing hands with a paper towel can also remove some germs, so you may be getting rid of some that survived the hand washing process.
  • Keep hands moisturized: Frequent washing can dry out your skin, which may lead to tiny cracks or nicks. Prevent this by making moisturizing part of your routine.

Stay Healthy: Right now, your immune system is your best defense, which means that as much as health and wellness has been a priority before, it’s now more important than ever. In addition to distancing and cleanliness, implement some of the tactics that research has shown works for boosting immunity:

  • Stay hydrated
  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Limit alcohol
  • Get more sleep
  • Stay connected with others
  • Take breaks
  • Get outside every day
  • Exercise consistently, and move more in general
  • Stay home if you’re sick

After what seems like years apart at this point, it will definitely feel like a step forward to try and regain some normalcy. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of health and safety, for yourself and everyone around you. Staying aware and having more safeguards in place can go a long way toward being able to enjoy being back in shared spaces.

Using the same strategies as corporate or business facilities isn’t a good fit, and here’s why

As organizations of every type look ahead toward reopening after Coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders, they are naturally planning for increased health and security for their employees. That includes making sure shared workspaces are appropriately spaced, air systems have the best filters, and high frequency touch points are part of the regular cleaning protocol.

Those are valuable, important steps for every company. However, if you’re a college or university, stopping there means you’re stopping short by a potentially huge degree. Higher education campuses are distinctive in their needs, for multiple reasons. Key questions that need to be answered before you can reopen:

  • Open 24/7. Although some campus buildings do close, and there are offices that can be cleaned overnight, campuses themselves have numerous spaces that are always open because people live there. How can you perform cleaning and engineering services in spaces that are always populated?
  • Multiple facility types. Resident dorms, classrooms, science labs, sports arenas, fitness centers, cafeterias, common areas, libraries, offices, lecture halls, auditoriums, music practice spaces—the list goes on and on when it comes to the types of spaces in a typical campus. How can you ensure that all of these can be disinfected and made safer on a regular basis, given the size and complexity of these spaces?
  • Budget considerations. Obviously, there are small businesses that need to function with limited funds, but higher education is on a whole different level. With Coronavirus-related issues like lower enrollment rates, decreased public funding, and lower alumni gifts, budgets that were already stretched tight may be close to breaking. How can you do more when you may have less to spend?
  • Greater interaction. Even with controls like better social distancing in classrooms and dining spaces, college students still gravitate toward one another. And what about sports teams? Even without spectators, these players need to be in close proximity, and often can’t wear masks as part of practice and play. How will you handle the potential rise in infection risk that comes with more interaction?

Because of factors like these, higher education requires a different approach that addresses these issues on multiple levels. Although some will choose to delay reopening, that can be highly problematic as well. A recent opinion piece by Christina Paxson, president of Brown University, highlighted the potentially catastrophic ripple effect that could come from staying closed.

That leads to the biggest question of all: How can you reopen safely when resources may be limited?

Value of an Experienced Partner

Awareness of the unique needs of a campus environment is just the first of many steps toward creating a cohesive, meaningful plan for reopening. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll go more in depth about operations leadership, planning, outsourcing, reopening phases, specific cleaning protocols, and engineering.

Be sure to check back weekly for these posts, and don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you’re in higher education, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of prestigious higher education customers.

Our new UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to campus—and long after they’re back, too.

Stanford University Provides Financial Support to UG2 Employees Affected by Pandemic-Related Layoffs

Like every other college and university in the country, Stanford University had to close substantial portions of its campus as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of the UG2 employees who clean and maintain parts of the campus were immediately affected due to temporary layoffs. But they won’t be lacking support— Stanford decided to provide financial assistance to these employees, in recognition of the incredible work they do to keep Stanford’s campus community healthy and safe.

“Stanford is very generous in their support of these employees, who are well respected and regarded by everyone at the University, from staff and faculty to students,” said Louis J. Lanzillo Jr., CEO at UG2. “We believe the University’s resolve to see that these employees are cared for is a reflection of the professionalism and importance these hardworking UG2 team members bring to Stanford, and we are extremely grateful to Stanford for providing assistance during these challenging times.”

UG2 will coordinate payments that will help minimize the financial impact of these Coronavirus-related layoffs. UG2 employees who have been working at Stanford and are now laid off can expect to receive payments over the coming weeks.

Without the correct preparation, you could be putting returning employees and students at risk

Even with uncertainty regarding the re-occupancy of buildings in a post-COVID-19 world, one thing is for sure: Summer will arrive on schedule. Will you be ready? Even more importantly, will you have re-opened your spaces in a way that doesn’t present a new health risk?

Obviously, Coronavirus prevention is an issue, but it’s not the only one. As a recent Purdue University study highlighted, there are no government or industry standards for returning plumbing systems to safe use after COVID-19 related shutdowns.

That’s a huge problem, because it means some buildings will simply open their doors again, albeit with freshly cleaned surfaces. But unless stagnant plumbing systems are properly flushed of bacteria, it puts everyone in a building or facility at risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory condition that can often lead to hospitalization, and in about 10% of cases, death.

Another issue is air quality. This is where Coronavirus, and others, comes into play. The American Lung Association notes that poor air quality can not only make diseases more likely to spread, but also cause viruses to remain in a space longer.

The good news is that these issues are preventable. Prevention requires acting now to ready a facility for reopening and the warm months ahead. Here are the major areas to consider:

HVAC Preparation

Although it’s important to ensure that your facilities maintain a comfortable temperature, there’s more that goes into HVAC preparation than making sure the air conditioning system is operational.

Now, more than ever, indoor air quality is essential. Air filtration and safety checks will be crucial parts of making sure your returning workforce stays healthy, in this season and beyond. HVAC prep work should involve upgrading and maintaining clean-room facilities, ensuring that on-site staff are trained in the latest maintenance protocols, and testing the systems to eliminate any potential problems like stagnant water.

Electrical Work

As the temperature increases, so do the demands on equipment and systems when it comes to your electrical setup. Evaluating when peak usage occurs and how your electrical systems can be made more efficient is a great way to keep costs in check and ensure fewer system failures.

Electrical preparation also involves checking even the seemingly smaller components of a setup, like junction boxes and light bulb usage, with the goal of achieving operational efficiency. During the past few months, your facility may have needed to put more security controls into place; for example, to control access points. Making sure your electrical system can handle those demands as the workforce returns allows for an uninterrupted re-entry for your employees.

Plumbing Needs

Similar to HVAC, your plumbing should be thoroughly inspected with efficiency and health in mind. That includes water systems, filters, clean-out plugs, and sewer lines. This is also a good time to upgrade any bathroom and kitchen areas with more touchless fixtures, which will help improve hygiene.

Effective operations and maintenance will help to ensure there are no energy losses or potential problem spots that could become major issues at a later date. From air quality to plumbing line insulation to proper training, including all the parts of a facility and maintenance strategies in a holistic way gives us the ability not just to prepare for one season, but for all of them.

Please contact us to start a conversation on how to get ready for the season ahead.

Returning to “normal” will likely require a major reset—and we need to be ready

As we’ve all experienced, Coronavirus has caused widespread disruption across nearly every aspect of what was once “normal,” from when we go grocery shopping to how we work to ways we parent. For some, this whole situation feels akin to the biggest, longest, and most destructive storm in history, and many are just waiting for it to start blowing over.

Unlike a storm, though, there’s no clear ending, followed by getting back to our everyday lives once we clean up the damage. Along with the human and economic toll, there will also be a personal toll for most people. And we should be aware of the potential emotional impact that’s likely to linger as we start rebuilding our lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people coming out of stay-at-home orders and quarantine can have a range of reactions, including:

  • Fear and concern about their own health and health of loved ones
  • Mixed emotions of relief, grief, anger, and frustration
  • Ongoing stress from needing to stay vigilant about health and hygiene
  • Defensive about perceptions that others are taking precautions either too seriously or not seriously enough
  • Guilt about feeling distracted, or being unable to perform usual work or parenting tasks
  • Feeling helpless in the face of potential second or third waves of the virus

According to psychologist Shauna Springer, this pandemic has induced an epidemic of anxiety, and she notes that articles on self-care and gratitude may miss the bigger picture of how most people are viewing the future, and how that view may shape our society for years to come.

People of all income and wealth levels are suddenly feeling financially insecure, Springer observes, and that uncertainty can play a major part in loss of confidence overall. Also, priorities are shifting as people stay at home and for some, that’s an advantage — they might make more time for family togetherness, for example — but for others, that just brings more stress.

As we transition back to being together again, there ways to help overcome some of these emotional hurdles, and they’re worth considering both personally and professionally:

  • Take your time and acknowledge that coming back may feel just as unfamiliar as the isolation did.
  • Talk about how you feel; many times, simply labeling a feeling like “angry” or “scared” reduces its strength.
  • Establish a routine, and make sure that exercise, sleep, and meals are part of that.
  • Set priorities and goals. Mayo Clinic advises that you don’t need to become overwhelmed by developing a life-changing list of things to achieve. Instead, set reasonable daily goals and outline steps needed to reach those goals. Those create small “wins” that help you conquer feelings of anxiety and uncertainty.

The fact is that there is no more normal, at least not like we’ve experienced it. But we’re in the unique position right now to see that as an opportunity, not a loss. By focusing more effort on emotional health, connection, and kindness with ourselves and each other, we can build a “new normal” that supports us all.

Just as 9/11 changed security, the Coronavirus will likely change our industry for good

Many have speculated what the post COVID-19 era will look like and while there are many variables, one thing is for sure – the facilities services industry will be forever changed.

To understand how a monumental event like the current pandemic will shape the facility services industry, it’s helpful to look at what happened to another industry—and indeed, the effect on the nation’s health overall—in the wake of a traumatic occurrence.

The most relevant parallel would be to look back at how the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 created a permanent shift in the security field, because I believe there are likely several similarities that give us a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Behind-the-Scenes Work Becomes Visible

Before 9/11, security at airports was largely invisible. Passenger security checkpoints were expeditious, except for weight limits, baggage restrictions were minimal and non-invasive.  Identification checks were not always mandatory, at times you simply handed your ticket to the gate agent and walked on board. The airport was so open, you could meet visitors right at the gate.

The attacks highlighted how porous this system was in terms of security and control. Similarly, the current pandemic is demonstrating the importance of a workforce that has been mainly “out of sight, out of mind.” People working in offices, going to college, attending a concert, or shopping in a mall didn’t give much thought, if any, to cleanliness or disinfection. Likely, the only time most people thought about cleaning was if a space was dirty.

Now, the level of cleanliness and disinfection is top of mind for everyone, because of its critical role in reducing the risk of virus transmission. Not only are these procedures under scrutiny, but so are the hygiene and practices of the people working to ensure that spaces are clean and well maintained.

After all, before the virus began spreading, did people really think that much about grabbing a door handle and then rubbing their eyes? Or about the quality of the air they might be breathing inside a building? With issues like this now at the forefront of this battle on COVID-19, the work of facility services is more visible than ever.

Expertise Becomes a Top Priority

After the shock of 9/11, there was a rush to put security controls into place everywhere—not just in airports, but in other buildings that suddenly seemed all too vulnerable. Safety became paramount in a way it simply hadn’t been before. For that to happen, organizations of all types turned to experts who had decades of experience in creating security plans as they overhauled their standard operating procedures.

The same shift is already happening within the facilities services space and will likely become even more pervasive. As a leadership team, those of us at UG2 operate on the understanding that hope is not a strategy. It is in knowledge, innovation, communication and courage of conviction that we find the tools to navigate what lies ahead.

I am constantly amazed at the breadth of insight at UG2 at every level—this is what allows us to be proactive and preventative now, instead of merely reactive. Being able to look ahead at what’s needed in the next year, not just when buildings begin to re-open, requires experience and intelligence. Having that already in place will propel us, as an industry, to greater prominence.

Community Becomes Invaluable

Although there is ongoing political polarization, fortunately, there is also a sense of unity. Much like 9/11 created a shared sense of tragedy that led to more momentum to keep ourselves, our families, and our workplaces safe, COVID-19 has the capacity to give us a cohesive purpose as well.

Of course, the pandemic is heartbreaking—the loss of life, the mental health challenges, and the uncertainty about what’s ahead all weigh heavily on us right now. Hopefully, the biggest shift of all will be a renewed focus on joining together to support our communities.

Looking Ahead

Decades of experience teaches us that we still haven’t seen everything. These times, and the degree of economic impact and the speed with which it took hold, predate our leadership’s tenure in the industry. In fact, this harkens back to the Great Depression.

What we do know is that we need to be nimble and flexible to adjust to what becomes the new normal and truly act as an extension of our clients in order to service their customers superbly and professionally.

We need to be the firm that people reflect on as a “true partner” when things get tough.

While we think we understand many or most of the critical aspects of what’s ahead, we will encounter some unexpected surprises and we need to respond methodically, resourcefully, and expeditiously.

Times like this, while heartbreaking and gut-wrenching in many respects, also illuminates many positive things, like the selflessness and commitment that our people have exhibited. When confronted with adversity, many individuals or organizations freeze or buckle under the stress and pressure. Our organization and people have done exactly the opposite. We have kicked into a higher gear than I thought possible. The teamwork, camaraderie, positive approach and mindset has been truly inspiring and wonderful to witness.

Assembling our entire leadership twice weekly to get updates from all perspectives, garner and address everyone’s issues and concerns, and those of our clients has been informative and extremely beneficial.

The inspiration for developing and constantly improving our UG2 ReNew Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health platforms and programs is evidence of the “higher gear” we are shifting into.

As we navigate through this toward the future, my hope is that we remember—as an industry but also as individuals—that we’re in this together. That’s how we’ll get through it and come out on the other side of this stronger.

Get answers to some of the most-asked questions

Lately, we’ve been getting numerous questions from our customers about the use of ultraviolet (UV) light and whether it acts as a sterilization or disinfection technique that’s worth pursuing. Here’s some information that should clarify how UV is used—and when it’s not appropriate.

What is Ultraviolet?

Ultraviolet (UV) light is one form of electromagnetic energy produced naturally by the sun. UV is a spectrum of light just below the visible light and it is split into four distinct spectral areas – Vacuum UV or UVV (100 to 200 nm), UVC (200-280 nm), UVB (280 to 315 nm) and UVA (315 to 400 nm).

What is Ultraviolet C?
The entire UV spectrum can kill or inactivate many microorganism species, preventing them from replicating. UVC energy at 253.7 nanometers provides the most germicidal effect. The application of UVC energy to inactivate microorganisms is also known as Germicidal Irradiation or UVGI.


UVC exposure inactivates microbial organisms such as bacteria and viruses by altering the structure and the molecular bonds of their DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is a blue print” these organisms use to develop, function and reproduce. By destroying the organism’s ability to reproduce, it becomes harmless since it cannot colonize. After UVC exposure, the organism dies off leaving no offspring, and the population of the microorganism diminishes rapidly.

Ultraviolet germicidal lamps provide a much more powerful and concentrated effect of ultraviolet energy than can be found naturally. Germicidal UV provides a highly effective method of destroying microorganisms.

Does UV light sterilize everything in an area?

First, a note on definition. Disinfection and sterilization are both a type of decontamination process, but differ in terms of method and result. Disinfection reduces harmful microorganisms, while sterilization kills all microorganisms. This is an important distinction, because unless we’re in a scientifically controlled environment, we’re not able to sterilize, only disinfect. That said, reducing harmful microorganisms is crucial, and UV light is an effective component in an overall disinfection strategy.

How is UV used in disinfection of a building?

Most likely, you’ve seen images or video of UV disinfection on the news since it’s being used right now in places like airline cabins and subway cars. Those systems are different than what’s used in HVAC air-handling equipment and water filtration, mainly because there are major differences in applications.

Ultraviolet light for germicidal disinfection (UVGD) has one major limit. UV only works in its light path and can be blocked by objects creating shadows. Inline water filters and air handlers work well because we move the particle being disinfected directly across the light path for a specific amount of contact time. That light needs to be in the UV-C wavelength to be effective — blacklights, on the other hand, have a UV-A wavelength and are not effective because the energy won’t be strong enough to penetrate the lipid skin of a cell.

This issue can be minimized by using multiple UV bulbs to generate UV irradiation from different angles, but that would take a lot of time in one small space. Another solution is to use larger robotic disinfection systems. These systems are being used in hospitals and medical research where the cost of the robot units is offset by the potential lost revenue of hospital acquired infections (HAI) if they weren’t used. These robots may be less practical elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean some degree of UV disinfection won’t be helpful.

What about the handheld UV wands now in the consumer market?

These are nice tools, but effectiveness and practicality limitations do exist. First, the light must be hand-waved for a specific length of time over the surface and through the air of the inanimate object being disinfected. This is time consuming, and subject to a lot of human error, whereas electrostatic chemical disinfection can often be completed in a fraction of the time with the same efficacy and cost.

Second, these bulbs often contain high amounts of mercury and can present safety and disposal hazards. Finally, it’s not clear whether these wands on the market are calibrated to the right wavelength all the time. Some may be just blacklights, which do nothing to damage DNA, so that means it wouldn’t be strong enough to penetrate the nucleocapsid of a virus or envelope of other pathogens. Consumers need to do their research when purchasing these tools.

What’s the benefit of installing UV-C lighting in water and air systems?

This is the single point where we control a free-floating molecule and it is for this reason, it may be the most practical application for non-healthcare facilities. Air and water are fluids, we can push or pull those fluids in a very controlled way past a contact surface and use that surface to apply the light.

These systems must be engineered with the proper fixtures, placement, safety, and lamp type based on criteria such as the volume, velocity, humidity of the space, design temperatures, use of space, control surfaces, and a host of other considerations. The benefit is that while air is moved across the filter media, ongoing disinfection occurs.

As buildings become more efficient—in ongoing efforts to save cost and reduce the carbon footprint—newer systems are designed to reuse and recirculate more of that air repeatedly through economizers and return air mixing boxes. This makes inline filtration and disinfection a more important component in the overall effectiveness of a healthy facilities management strategy to reduce harmful pathogens and one that UG2 considers with customers when discussing Engineering4Health as part of our UG2 ReNewSM strategy.

What else should be in place for an efficient disinfection system?

Light from any UV-C filtration in an air handler or water system cannot reach the hard surface in the room. For this reason, this type of system should only be employed alongside other engineering controls and human behaviors as components in a holistic facilities management strategy.

These include an effective janitorial program, a properly trained staff using the correct personal protective equipment, correct social distancing, and well-maintained room pressure and/or isolation based on room occupancy and potential infection levels. And of course, proper hand hygiene.

UG2 Announces UG2 ReNew, Elevated Facility Services for the Transition Towards the Post-COVID-19 World

New Program Mitigates Risk of Infection, Delivers Peace of Mind, as Employees, Students, Consumers, and Fans Reoccupy Facilities

April 21, 2020 BOSTON –Today, UG2 announced it has launched UG2 ReNewSM, a comprehensive program for mitigating the risk of infection from COVID-19 and other viruses as people return to work, school, retail, and entertainment facilities. UG2 ReNew details recommended standard operating procedures, communications strategies, and technology enhancements for ensuring safe and healthy environments, as well as peace of mind, for UG2 customers and employees.

“UG2’s mission has always been to deliver pristine and healthy environments with a five-star level of customer service. Never has this been more crucial than it is today,” said Louis J. Lanzillo Jr., CEO at UG2. “As the world moves into COVID-19 recovery and buildings become reoccupied, people will be concerned about risks to their health and the well-being of those around them. They will expect elevated levels of facility services that set the standard for the future. UG2 ReNew provides the guidance and services needed to protect occupants from exposure, ease their fears, and help facilities navigate, adapt to, and thrive in the new normal.”


UG2 ReNew takes a methodical and comprehensive approach to defining service delivery in this new era. It provides a best practices roadmap for reopening and operating facilities as they become more and more occupied over time. UG2 ReNew consists of two programs, Cleaning4HealthSM and Engineering4HealthSM, which are tailored to the unique needs of each client.

• Cleaning4Health: New protocols for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in areas throughout a facility, from those used by individuals and small gatherings to large groups and the general public.
• Engineering4Health: New Operations and Maintenance protocols for environment management that help prevent the spread of infectious disease through HVAC and refrigeration systems, such as filtration, air exchange, air stream disinfection, and use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

Each of the above programs includes 3 phases: ReTurn, RePopulate, and ReCalibrate, implementing operational changes, technology enhancements, communications strategies for behavior protocols, and guidance for appropriate engineering or janitorial services and staffing levels. Equally important, they detail how UG2 holds its teams accountable for executing superior services that enable a pristine and healthy environment for all.

For more information about UG2 ReNew, click here and contact us at 617-279-8100.

About UG2
UG2 sets a new standard for excellence in comprehensive, integrated facility services. We deliver innovative solutions, pristine environments, and a passion for customer service from a team with more than 350 years of experience in the facilities maintenance industry. Our suite of solutions includes Janitorial Services, Operations & Maintenance, and Workplace Solutions for clients in Commercial, Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Life Science, Public Venue, Retail, and Industrial markets. We use advanced technologies to deliver efficient service, constantly refine our processes to ensure our team continues to lead, and emphasize a culture of excellence throughout our organization. UG2 is based in Boston with regional offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Northern California and Chicago. UG2 has been recognized as one of the fastest growing privately held organizations in the industry. For more information, please visit www.ug2.com and follow us @UG2IFS.

How UG2 is working to help you thrive in the “new normal”

Since our founding, UG2 has made the safety and well-being of our people and customers our top priority. We have also been dedicated to utilizing sustainable practices, providing five-star customer service, setting the industry’s best practices, innovation that moves us forward, and partnerships that enable our customers to navigate through any challenge.

Now, we’re leveraging our foundation to launch UG2 ReNewSM a program that helps our customers, not just mitigate risk, but also thrive in the “new normal” and instill a higher level of comfort and security for the people who occupy and utilize their facilities. We’re taking our industry-leading level of cleaning and boosting it to next-level cleaning and disinfection services to make sure we’re in-line with what customers need in the post-pandemic era. Additionally, the ReNew program offers innovative, customized components that address the unique needs of the most demanding customers in the various industry segments we service.

What Is UG2 ReNew?

This operational roadmap includes communication strategies, technology and innovation enhancements, operational improvements, and contract structures that give you the ability to lower risk of infection and to offer peace of mind to anyone entering or working in your facilities. Places like these are like living, breathing ecosystems that require thoughtful care, and that’s why UG2 ReNew offers:

  • Customized timetables and programs for reintroducing employees or students, with new procedures based on increasing rates of occupancy over a specific time frame.
  • Cleaning and disinfection that focuses on leveraging different technologies and strategies for a comprehensive, innovative approach that increases health and safety.
  • Expansive, effective strategies for operations and maintenance that optimize major systems like filtration, air exchange, air stream disinfection, and more.
  • Communication of new behavior protocols with in-house janitorial and engineering staff, along with resources they need to achieve higher levels of safety, operational efficiencies and cleanliness.

Most importantly, UG2 ReNew offers the true sense of partnership our customers have come to know and appreciate. We’ve never just responded to short-term requirements; we focus on anticipating what every customer needs, and working collaboratively with them to implement mid- and long-term services that optimize investment and return. UG2 ReNew brings that same commitment to superior service, with even higher levels of cleaning, disinfection, and environmental management that can help to mitigate risk, now and into the future.

With UG2 ReNew, we will collaborate with our strategic partners and create customized plans for each portfolio and its unique business requirements.

Working Together in the New Normal

In many ways, the effects of the global pandemic will be the start of this new era in our industry. The anxiety, uncertainty, and sense of vulnerability will linger long after employees return to work, students arrive on campus, and schedules shift back toward pre-pandemic routines.

Even though we might return to favorite activities and professional habits, a mindset shift will stay in place—one that involves hyperawareness around cleaning, disinfection, social distancing, and other precautions.

This is the new normal. Everyone who maintains facilities needs to begin adopting practices that offer a higher level of service for healthy, safe environments. UG2 ReNew can be a key part of ensuring you have the resources, plan, and partnership needed moving forward.

In the face of adversity, there is also opportunity — that’s why UG2 is helping employees take on new challenges.

Worldwide, we’re all faced with a new normal that doesn’t feel normal at all. Structuring our days can be a challenge especially when the future feels so uncertain. That’s caused many of us to think differently about how we’re spending our time. At UG2, we’re working to ensure that our employees are staying connected, healthy, safe, and empowered.

For many, including myself, taking things “one day at a time” has become a way of life.  We are focused on prioritizing our own health and well-being, taking care of our family members, staying connected to friends and other loved ones, and remaining committed to our work-related responsibilities.

If you’re like me, you’ve had good days and bad days—and that’s okay. This is an unprecedented event, and the boundaries between work and home are blending and blurring more than ever. It’s natural to feel the weight of your emotions when things are uncertain and to some degree, feel out of our control. At the same time, it’s also a time of opportunity, personally and professionally. I encourage those at home to explore the following:

  • Take time for reflection and meditation and create a consistent sense of mindfulness.
  • Look at the free online courses offered by numerous colleges and universities, to harness new skillsets or strengthen existing ones.
  • Watch TED Talks, either on the TED site or on YouTube, to bolster your knowledge, be inspired, or feel fresh motivation.
  • Start a regular exercise routine, which is one of the top ways to stay emotionally and physically healthy.
  • Read more widely and break out of the habit of scrolling on your phone.
  • Set new goals for the future, after the stay-at-home orders are lifted. Think about what insights this time has given you and how you’ll use those insights to shape your future.

What UG2 Is Doing

As you can see, many of the suggestions above involve learning, personal development, and professional growth. At UG2, we’re working to make sure our team is supported in those directions, thanks to a considerable effort to foster the skills and engagement of all our employees. Here’s what we’re doing right now:

  • Making our online learning portal available to all UG2 employees, which offers over 150 learning modules on various topics, as well as five curriculum tracks focused on building and strengthening skills like communication, presentation and meeting skills, time management, managerial skills, and business writing skills.
  • Sharing unique learning opportunities such as college and university courses on topics like negotiation skills, financial accounting, building high-performance teams, public speaking, persuasive writing, optimizing diversity on teams, the science of well-being, and many more.
  • Sharing interesting and educational webinar opportunities as they become available.
  • Developing and publishing blog content to educate and inform.
  • Delivering new trainings relevant to today’s circumstances: Emerging Viruses; University Precautions Against Infection; Living with Uncertainty; Working Remotely.

Whether you’re taking on personal or professional challenges, the main theme of your efforts should be nourishment. On some days, that might simply be putting a meal on the table while juggling work responsibilities. On other days, it may involve thinking about signing up for an online degree program. There’s no wrong answer when it comes to self-care.

Remember, we have a unique opportunity right now to pursue our personal growth while making sure that we do not compromise our mental and physical wellness. Nourish and be kind to yourself and above all, stay safe.

Give your workforce and user community peace of mind with health and safety improvements

At this point, the impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown, but one thing is certain: Your workforce will be coming back after the dust settles.

  • Will your building be ready for them?
  • Will you utilize this time wisely to posture your building and habitat for the health and well-being of your community?
  • Are you taking the necessary measures to be a leader in the New Post-Pandemic World?

While this period of time represents a challenge for many organizations, it also presents an unprecedented opportunity to invest in the health and safety of your assets through major systems like filtration, air exchange, air stream disinfection and preventative cleaning. As a strategic partner, UG2 can work with you to ensure that your upfront investment pays off with a much more efficient building that protects your employees, visitors and assets.

Lately, there has been extensive focus on additional cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting processes for all high-touch surfaces and while that’s still crucial, what about your HVAC system? Consider that this is what’s supplying clean air to your building’s occupants.

HVAC and Refrigeration systems play a critical role in the prevention of the spread of infectious disease. Reviewing and understanding the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidance* for air exchanges within a space, temperature, humidity and pressure relationships, filtration requirements, and the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) to protect building occupants should be top of mind to any building owner or manager.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that facilities increase air circulation and filtration wherever possible. Within our own industry, ASHRAE has been proactive, compiling resources and publishing a thorough library that covers preventative actions building owners can take for virus outbreaks as it relates to HVAC Systems. Follow this link for additional information:

https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/about/position%20documents/airborne-infectious-diseases.pdf

ASHRAE has also put together a comprehensive collection of online resources that includes research papers, seminars, handbooks , and more which can be found by following the link below.

https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/resources

With buildings now empty, it’s an ideal time for actions like these:

  • Replacement of filters, including those in air handling units, VAV boxes & fan powered terminal boxes. This can eliminate potential contaminants that travel within the airstream. Also, companies should look to increase the minimum efficiency MERV rating value on their air filters. (ASHRAE recommends MERV 8 or higher to provide a higher level of filtration in an office building. For some healthcare applications MERV ratings of 17 or higher are applicable to provide HEPA & ULPA levels of filtration.) Additionally, look to tape the seams of your filters with duct tape to prevent any unfiltered air penetrating your coils and recirculating into occupied spaces.
  • Advanced deep cleaning, such as disinfecting cooling & heating coils and condensation pans, as well as all parts of a system involved in air exchange. Cleaning coils with an antibacterial cleaner will mitigate the risk of many viral contaminants making it to the airstream.
  • Using Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) light to disinfect HVAC coils in large air handlers should be considered. The benefit is to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and provide clean, efficient HVAC operation with reduced maintenance and energy costs.
    • UVGI is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet (ultraviolet C or UVC at 280-100nm wavelength), light to inactivate a microorganism through the destruction of its nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA. The light generated by the lamps are designed to kill microorganisms on coils, surfaces, in water and/or in the airstream—including mold, flu viruses and bacteria. These systems are similar to what hospitals and the airline industry use to disinfect airplanes and ORs. UVC light provides the most benefit where humidity levels increase during the summer months.
  • Painting the floors with microbiological paint in mechanical and equipment rooms is a low-cost, high-impact strategy for reducing dust and other particulates that can get into the building’s air handling system. Not only does this type of paint kill multiple types of contaminants upon application, it also makes surfaces resistant to microbes for years afterward.
  • Maintenance and cleaning of summer-related systems like roof top air conditioning to ensure they are working well, and proper air exchange levels are set.
  • Remember to change your water filtration media. If you don’t currently have water filtration, this is a great time to install them. This will eliminate potential contaminants, such as those that develop when water sits stagnant in a system and can turn into a potential legionella risk.
  • Installation of touchless bathroom fixtures, including urinals, toilets, faucets, soap dispensers, automatic paper towel dispensers, purleve solutions and automatic air sanitizers, will provide a more sanitized environment within your restrooms and can have the added benefit of reducing energy consumption (and cost).
  • Priming plumbing traps. With buildings being empty for several months, no water is consistently flowing through sanitary and storm water drain lines, causing floor drain traps to dry and sewer gases to back up. Adding water, enzymes or peppermint oil to the traps now can eliminate the risk of this potentially significant issue.
  • Steam trap replacement and infrared studies can provide additional economic benefit, and with buildings being less occupied, resulting maintenance like torque down to reduce friction or Megger testing to ensure proper insulation of motors can be conducted with less business interruption.

Strategies like these are challenging to deploy during normal operations, and usually involve bringing in engineering specialists on off-hours (evening, weekend, holiday) situations, or doing this type of work on a rolling basis. But the current significantly reduced occupancy rates, offer an opportunity for this work to be performed more efficiently and effectively. UG2 has proactively streamlined the supply chain and availability of the essential inventory for these upgrades to ensure the timely completion of these initiatives.

Best of all, bringing in professionals now creates environments that are better geared towards preserving the health and safety of your employees and community, and provides cost savings and competitive advantage for you. Now is the time to act and seize this moment.

*This refers to the ASHRAE March 23, 2020 letter to the World Health Organization to ensure you are addressing COVID-19 concerns with respect to the operation and maintenance of your HVAC systems.

To our Remarkable Employees, Customers, Supply Chain Partners, and Community:

These are unprecedented times. At UG2, we know that so many are struggling with uncertainty about what’s ahead and even about what today will bring. That’s why I’m so proud to see how UG2 team members are working with our customers and the communities we are proud to serve, as valued partners to provide meaningful support and collaboration.

As a national service provider, our mission is more urgent than ever before. The importance of maintaining high safety and cleanliness standards has never been more vital, and our focus on people, process, and innovation to address each customers’ unique business requirements is a foundation that gives us strength and leadership at a time when it’s needed most. UG2 is finding ways to quickly respond and take appropriate actions to support customers while also protecting our most valuable asset, our employees.

UG2 is taking a thoughtful approach in its decision making during these challenging times. We know short-term actions may have long-term repercussions. For example, reduced staffing now can have negative consequences once “shelter-in-place” orders are lifted. That’s why we’re working with all our customers to achieve the best possible outcome—not just now, but in the future.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who have stepped up in a time of emergency and have shown leadership and commitment—that includes our colleagues, partners, and community members. Without those efforts, navigating through these uncharted seas would be impossible. We are proud to stand with you, because we know that working together is the only way to get through these challenging times. As we all abide by government advisories, observe social distancing, and maintain good cleanliness habits, we’re reminded every day of our responsibility to each other.

We have always been deeply committed to holding each other up and showing excellence in every situation, large or small. This is no different. We are with you, as fellow citizens and professional partners, and we will get through this together as a community that stands strong.

What every employee needs to know to help prevent the spread of viruses

The growing prevalence of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has put hand washing in the spotlight, and for good reason.

Surfaces can not only harbor coronavirus germs for up to 48 hours, possibly longer, but other viruses can also live on surfaces for days, if not weeks. The reason why non-airborne viruses, such as COVID-19, spread quickly is from touching virus-laden surfaces (or through handshakes for example) and then touching their face (nose, mouth, or eyes)—which allows the virus to enter the body.

Of course, regular cleaning of surfaces is helpful on a company-wide level. But according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the best way to stop this chain of transmission on an individual level is with more frequent hand washing.

Keep in mind that washing hands with soap doesn’t actually kill viruses or bacteria. Instead, the process works by removing them from your hands. That’s why it’s important to be thorough, so they can “slide off” your hands and down the drain. Here’s what your employees should know:

Use running water: Research has shown the temperature of the water doesn’t matter, although people tend to prefer warm water. But cold water works, too, if that’s your preference.

Lather up: Wet hands first and then use soap and begin rubbing the hands together. No need to try and find antibacterial soap or some special blend, experts have noted any soap works. It’s the detergent-type action that helps germs slide off your hands and into the water.

Put in the time: Research suggests only about 5% of people wash their hands for as long it takes to get truly clean. That time, 20 seconds, is about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, but you can also count or choose a catchier tune. The chorus of “Dancing Queen,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” are all about 20 seconds, for example.

Be thorough: Spots that people typically miss include the back of the hands up to wrists, the lower palms, between the fingers, and in the nail bed. However, don’t scrub the hands so vigorously that they end up dry and cracked. Those small cuts can then become a vulnerability, where viruses can enter.

Use a paper towel to dry: Experts note that rubbing hands with a paper towel can also remove some germs, so you may be getting rid of some that survived the hand washing process. This is why paper or cloth towels are much preferred over blowers or air-dryers, which can actually kick up the bacteria into the air and recirculate them. That’s a reason that many cruise ships don’t have any air dryers onboard.

Grab another towel for faucet and door handles: After all the effort, don’t re-infect the hands by touching surfaces that may have germs, like the faucet, countertop, or door handle on the way out of the bathroom. Use a towel to turn off the water, and open the door, and then throw that paper towel away.

Use hand lotion: Even when you’re trying to be gentle during the washing process, frequent hand washing can lead to drier skin, which makes you more prone to small cracks and cuts. Using lotion can keep skin healthy and assist in good hand hygiene.

Also, be sure that if you’re in the bathroom, you don’t put your phone down on the sink while you wash your hands. That could cause your phone to pick up germs, and they’re right back on your hands again.

The CDC notes that using hand sanitizer is helpful when hand washing is not available, but that good old scrubbing with soap and water really is the best strategy when it comes to knocking out viruses.

Employers should help their workforces plan ahead by providing useful resources

The situation with novel coronavirus COVID-19 is fast moving, and it’s impossible to know at this point what will happen in terms of quarantines or other infection control. That’s why employers should be helping employees now to plan for possible work-at-home days, and when employees need to stay at home when they’re sick or have an ill family member.

Consider conveying these suggestions to employees, and supporting them with resources where needed.

Get technology in place

Is your company able to support an entirely remote workforce? That’s the question many employers are facing right now, and it helps to get participation from employees. Give them guidance on what types of secure online connections are needed, if they need to get a VPN connection, or how to download teleconferencing and workflow apps like Zoom, Skype and Slack. Zoom technology can be used to connect remote teams, no matter where they are.

Even if employees are still coming into the office, they should do a “test run” from home to make sure they can access company assets that are relevant to their jobs. That way, if they need to stay home, they’re already set up.

Create an intranet if one isn’t available

If your company goes remote-only, how will you send out messages about developments, or keep employees connected to one another?

Tools like Slack are helpful for intra-departmental communication, and company-wide emails can be used for announcements, but it’s also useful to put other resources in a shared space. You can create a private company intranet or even a private Facebook group. Also make sure employees have contact lists and other relevant databases in order to do their jobs.

Have necessary supplies

As Italian residents discovered in a very short timeframe, quarantine orders can happen quickly. That doesn’t mean it will occur in the U.S., or if it does, that it will affect your employees. But it’s still a good idea to have supplies that can last at least a few weeks, if not a month.

That includes food and water, but also should include pet food, medications, cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter drugs like pain relievers and cough syrup in case someone gets sick. Experts are warning against “panic buying and hoarding,” but the American Red Cross suggests that purchasing at least some necessities for an extended stay at home is a good idea.

Hopefully, it won’t be necessary to send all employees home for an extended period of time. But it’s far better to be prepared and have it not happen than to be caught in a situation where a remote workforce means plunging productivity.

Follow these 8 tips for a healthier, better-protected, well-prepared workforce

With conferences and events getting cancelled and novel coronavirus COVID-19 spreading to more states and communities, employers need to act now in order to maintain health, peace of mind, and productivity for their workforces. Some planning now can help you mitigate the risk of exposure while still keeping your company running strong.

UG2 offers these tips on how your company can be proactive:

1. Focus on social distancing

This is the buzz phrase of the moment and for good reason. The more people there are in a space, the higher the risk that coronavirus can spread. That’s why we’re seeing sporting events without attendees, cancelled events, and the Pope conducting Mass through Skype. But social distancing can be useful and achievable in the workplace, too. Consider using teleconferencing via technology like Zoom, Skype, and Slack instead of having in-person meetings, and limit or cancel company events to mitigate exposure.

2. Limit non-essential travel

Another important tactic when it comes to social distancing is cutting down—or even cutting out—travel (for now). Even though the coronavirus hasn’t (as of this writing) hit every state yet, health experts are already advising that people should travel only when necessary and to avoid being around large groups of people. Also, there is a possibility that some areas may go under quarantine if the situation worsens. You don’t want your employees stuck for weeks, or even months, away from home—only to come back and face additional weeks of quarantine because of their travels.

3. Encourage working remotely

Particularly for those who may be at higher risk—older employees and those with chronic illnesses that affect their immune systems—being able to continue working safely is crucial. Employers should be thinking about how to set up workflows that utilize technology like shared online documents, instant messaging, and video conferencing. This is also a good way to be proactive when it comes to potential school closings, which is already happening in certain U.S. locations. Check with your technology team to ensure that you can put secure network resources into place to support the workload of the entire company if all employees are told to work remotely. It may not come to that, but you want to be prepared if it does.

4. Make disinfectant wipes available

Shared spaces should be kept cleaner than ever at this time. Have disinfectant wipes handy can prompt employees to use them more often. For instance, place some wipes in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as other common areas like conference rooms. Also let employees know that it’s important to keep workspaces clean, whether that means desktops, the handles of warehouse loading equipment, or inside the cabs of delivery trucks.

5. Promote healthy habits

Although many of the current coronavirus strategies are short-term solutions, some experts are noting that those with less-than-ideal health habits, like smoking, may be at higher risk for infection. As part of your prevention plan, emphasize that keeping your immune system strong means not just frequent hand washing (although that’s crucial), but also eating fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and lowering tobacco and alcohol use.

6. Prep for staying home sick

It is important to tell employees is that they should stay home if they’re sick. This is relevant not just for coronavirus, but also for flu season, which is still in full force. Encourage employees to prepare in advance if this should happen, so they don’t have to run out to the grocery, pharmacy, and other locations when they may be contagious. Help them set up technology resources they may need, and suggesting having enough food, water, pet supplies, and medication on hand for at least 30 days.

7. Look at your policies

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that employers revisit their sick leave policies and ensure that they are flexible enough to allow any sick employee to stay home. The CDC also advises that companies not require a healthcare provider’s note for return to work, since doctors’ offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide documentation in a timely manner. Also, that policy may expose employees to illness unnecessarily.

8. Increase cleaning procedures

Even if you have a cleaning plan in place, you may want to consider additional cleaning services that can provide more extensive disinfection. Talk with your UG2 contact to ask about what’s available.

 

The CDC emphasizes that the best strategy for employers is to “plan, prepare, and respond” to COVID-19, which includes staying on top of ongoing developments. Know what’s happening in your area, and let employees know that you’re there to support them.

 

UG2 launches a blog that will bring together tips, stories, trends, and innovation.

Customers, employees, and industry partners all know UG2 for its dedication to being an innovative, community-minded, people-centric company that embraces every opportunity to share best practices and creative problem solving.

Now, all of that will be showcased in a must-read blog, called The New Standard.

Unlike company blogs that merely feature announcements, The New Standard will be a hub for ideas, people spotlights, employees in action, tips and tricks, and trends our customers need to know. Look for exciting posts like these:

  • How UG2 is fostering the next generation of facility services employees
  • From Project Cleaner to Operations Manager: Emboding the UG2 spirit
  • What UG2 is doing to protect you and your employees during flu season
  • How a UG2 project took this company to a new level of success
  • Competing for skilled trade talent in a digital world
  • Back to school: Essential components of a higher ed facilities program
  • The changing face of facility management: What you need to know
  • Top tips for keeping your workplace—and yourself—safe during the winter
  • Project spotlight: How UG2 transforms an arena to a party scene and back again

This is a just a sample of what’s to come, and UG2 is looking forward to sharing all the wonderful stories — people, projects, and innovation — that set us apart.

The New Standard is an exciting way to strengthen UG2’s thought leadership, while highlighting the many amazing employees we have on our team,” says Kathleen Luce, UG2 Director of Marketing & Communications. “Be sure to bookmark this blog, you won’t want to miss what’s coming next.

Safety isn’t just about keeping walkways clear. Here are a dozen tips for what to keep in mind until spring.

When most people think about “winter safety” they envision dressing in layers to stay warm and driving with more caution. While those are both incredibly important, they aren’t the only safety considerations to keep in mind as the weather gets chilly. Here are 12 suggestions for enjoying the season safely:

1. Keep Your Hands Out

Even if you don’t have gloves or mittens handy, think twice before walking outside with your hands in your pockets—keeping them tucked away increases the risk of falling because you’re not able to correct your balance as quickly when you start to slip.

2. Go for Mittens

Gloves sure look fashionable, but donning mittens can actually save your life. With your fingers touching each other inside mittens, they generate more body heat than when they’re inside gloves. Be smart with your footwear, too, by wearing shoes or boots with non-slip soles.

3. Warm Up Before Shoveling

Before you tackle all the snow and ice at your workplace or home, do some warm-up moves first like dynamic stretches, marching in place, or even just walking for a couple minutes. When your muscles are warm, you can work more efficiently and reduce injury risk.

4. Skip the Coffee and Smokes

Before shoveling or doing any strenuous work, avoid caffeine and nicotine. They increase your heart rate and may cause your blood vessels to constrict.

5. Warm Up Your Vehicle

Before delivering goods or driving to work, warm up your vehicle to reduce the moisture condensation on the inside of your car windows. Remember, though, not to warm up your vehicle in a closed garage.

6. Report Damaged Lines

After a winter storm, immediately report any downed power lines or broken gas lines in your area or workplace. And of course, be sure to stay clear and make sure everyone around you is aware of the danger as well.

7. Get Your Car Ready

Before you get too far into the winter season, make sure your car has more than an oil change to be ready. Service the radiator and maintain the antifreeze level, check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.

8. Keep Your Tank Full

When vehicles are low on fuel and it’s very cold outside, ice can develop inside the tank and fuel lines. Avoid this risk by making sure to keep your tank full, especially on those chilly evenings when temperatures might drop below freezing.

9. Put Together a Winter Emergency Kit

Winter storms and vehicle trouble can often come without warning, leaving you stranded and waiting for help to arrive. Be ready for that kind of emergency with a fully packed kit in your car or truck that includes: portable charger, extra batteries, blanket, non-perishable food items like protein bars and water, flares, tire pump, booster cables, snow shovel, maps, compass, flashlight, battery-powered radio, first-aid supplies, and plastic bags.

10. Clear Snow and Ice

Even if the walkways are clear, be sure to look around at other places where snow and ice can be a problem, such as handrails, roofs, scaffolds, and curbs. Inspect overhead areas to make sure snow and ice has not accumulated. Use anti-slip materials like sand or salt to make walkways and parking lots less slippery. In areas where snow and ice tend to build up the most, make sure there is excellent lighting and clear signage.

11. Keep Shovels and Mittens Handy

To make snow clearing into a team effort, store shovels and gloves in areas where all personnel can locate them.

12. Inspect Ladders and Scaffolds

Before using ladders, ensure that they are completely free of ice, snow, and other materials that may cause slips or falls. Keep ladders and scaffolds maintained and protected from snow and ice by covering them before the end of the shift. For double protection, consider installing safety rails on higher areas, in case of ice buildup there.

What all these tips have in common are awareness and preparation. Keep on top of weather reports to know what’s coming, but be prepared for sudden changes as well. Most of all, stay aware of your surroundings, think about the type of extra measures you can take to keep yourself and others safe, and be proactive in implementing safety before an incident occurs, not after. That will go a long way toward letting you enjoy the season, no matter what it brings.

Complimentary snack with your mocha latte? The changing face of facility management.

Visit an office today and you may be greeted with a specialty coffee station in the lobby, grab a snack from the wall laden with free treats in the common area, or visit the game room outfitted with ping pong and a kegerator. Today’s office environments have become amenity rich and are growing more so every day. People entering the workforce have come to expect much more than a water bubbler and a pot of stale coffee with powdered creamer. What’s driving the trend, and how can companies keep up?

Historically low unemployment rates combined with a shift in attitudes from those entering the workforce has meant that employers need to work harder to recruit and retain employees. They’re doing more to appeal to the next generation, including creating a fun and enriching workplace culture. Today’s workers view employment as more than a job; it is a lifestyle, and one that often extends beyond the typical 9-5. Workers want convenient comforts, including complimentary food and beverages around the clock and in-office gathering spots for downtime.

As a facilities management company that built a reputation providing superior janitorial services, we now find our customers are asking for many more advanced workplace solutions. We’re eager to partner with our clients and are constantly adapting our practices and training for this new environment. Our job is to help companies stay on top of their enhanced office spaces and create a welcoming and well-functioning office.

Cleaning-Plus Solutions

Here are just some of the services that our customers now request above and beyond our signature green cleaning services:

  • Kitchen services such as stocking and brewing coffee, sodas, and fruit water and replenishing snack walls. We constantly cycle floors to ensure all consumables are fully stocked, even when off-hours employees grab a late-night snack. Free beer is now a common amenity, and our team changes kegs and keeps everything clean and spill free.
  • Refrigerator organization, including bi-weekly detailed trash outs. We eliminate that “mystery smell” by organizing a weekly lost & found so employees can claim forgotten items in the fridge.
  • Storage organization for snacks, paper products, and beverages. We break down shipments of supplies on a nightly basis so that when the morning team arrives for their shift, all inventory is in bins ready to distribute as needed throughout the office.
  • Game room cleaning and organization, to keep ping-pong areas tidy and all surfaces clean and trash-free.
  • Conference room/collaboration space organization, including arranging tables and chairs in any required formation. We organize all equipment in a uniform manner and can set up any space to our client’s specifications. If they have a special meeting, we’ll configure the furniture, lay out pads and pens, and organize laptop chargers. When the meeting is over, we’ll line the chairs up around the table, tidy the room, and leave it perfect for the next crew.
  • Office moves of all sizes, from 50 to 350 employees. Moving from Floor 7 Tower 4 to Floor 4 Tower 3? Our team will transfer crates and install monitors so that all employees need to do is put down their laptop on their new desk.
  • Front desk staff to answer phones and direct visitors, and concierge services for employees and guests.

Extended work hours mean adjusting our workflow to accommodate our clients’ employees. Our team has always operated 24/7; we now have even more flexible scheduling to keep each office at its best without impacting or interrupting daily work.

Training to Support the Culture

Many of our cleaning teams were used to working after the office emptied for the day. They had little, if any, interaction with office workers, and no need to talk with anyone but each other. But as the workplace has changed, we have adjusted our training so that our employees stay a step ahead. We still conduct extensive training for our staff on our signature green cleaning methods but have added a host of other training to meet today’s needs.

We train our team of PHD’s – Passionate, Hardworking, and Dedicated employees – in hospitality skills so that they understand their role in maintaining office amenities and comforts. We help them polish their communication skills so that they can be an accepted part of the office culture. We’re no longer the hidden cleaning team; we’re having a two-way discussion with the workforce each day.

Office workers interact with our employees constantly, offering suggestions, ideas, and requests. We are the on-site eyes and ears and report valuable information back to the client. More often than not, we are able to accommodate any new amenity or provide any service. We have become our clients’ partner in creating an exceptional office space.

With each workplace addition and enhancement, UG2 takes pride in our continued ability to adapt to our client’s needs. Large high-rise facilities with a corporate workforce will have different services and expectations than funky co-working spaces; we do the work upfront to determine how to be the best partner today and into the future.

New amenities and services? Bring it on – we’re happy to help!

There is fierce competition for talent in the operations and maintenance (O&M) industry. The industry’s growing number of retirement-eligible skilled workers is outpacing the entrance of young laborers into the trades, creating a labor constraint for those of us in the O&M business. Sitting back and waiting for the situation to improve is not an answer – following are some innovative ways to find the talent needed to keep our workplaces operational and well-maintained.

The Stats Don’t Lie – Skilled Labor Shortage is Real

More than 40% of today’s skilled trade positions are held by people aged 45 and up, according to staffing firm Adecco, and more people aged 25 – 44 work outside the skilled trades than within. As skilled tradespeople near retirement age, there just aren’t enough people lined up to take their places. Adecco estimates that 31 million skilled trade positions will be vacant by 2020.

“As our labor pool tightens, the demand for skilled trades continues to increase. Repair and maintenance professionals are experiencing 1.3% unemployment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with 3.8% for the US overall.”

At UG2, we don’t need the stats to confirm the shortage of talent; we feel it every day. As one of the fastest-growing O&M companies with more than 3,500 employees throughout the US, talent fuels our growth. Our team provides the support that our clients rely on, day in and day out. Here’s how some ideas on how to tackle this issue.

Recruit Early and Often

Labor shortfalls mean we need to look beyond traditional recruiting strategies. Yes, we still participate in job fairs and use on-line postings, but we start developing our pipeline for talent early in the cycle. We partner with high schools in the communities where we live and work to extend apprenticeship opportunities to individuals interested in Facilities Management. Students work with us for a summer in preparation for a full-time job offer following graduation. These programs outline a clear career path for students with a stable employment future.
We also have created internship programs with Mass Maritime Academy and Lemoyne College – many students from these programs have a job with us lined up well before they graduate.

Encourage Ongoing Education

It’s hard to imagine a company in the O&M space surviving today without a strong internal training program. There just aren’t enough trained candidates available, so it’s imperative to groom your own talent.

At UG2, we offer a comprehensive training program that covers everything from customer service to safety and technical training. We also opened our own training facility where we can transfer knowledge from more experienced workers to those new to the trades, enable entry-level employees to advance in their careers by teaching them new skills, and keep pace with expanded scope of technology that we use in delivering service.

Curriculum at the UG2 Training & Innovation Lab includes courses on:

  • Pumps, Seals & Alignment
  • Building Automation Systems & Tools
  • HVAC & Multi-Stack Systems
  • 5-Star Customer Service Excellence

The Training & Innovation Lab offers the training our employees need to advance in their careers at UG2 and become eligible for new opportunities throughout the company.

We also encourage employees to pursue training on their own, and offer to reimburse the tuition for programs that help them reach career goals and further their professional development.

Expand Your Search

In high-tech growth areas, companies compete for talent by offering ever-increasing wages to lure employees. This is an unsustainable practice.

Instead, we have expanded our search. We now recruit in areas within a 90-minute drive radius from client sites to reach employees who welcome stable jobs with benefits, training, and opportunities for advancement. In some circumstances, we even offer innovative transportation solutions for employees.

Expanding our outreach has enabled us to exceed our recruitment goals and build a qualified talent pool for future open positions in a way that is more sustainable than simply increasing wages. Most importantly, our approach enables us to recruit and retain the best talent to serve our clients.

Focus on Retention

Finding new talent is just one aspect of building a workforce; retaining employees is equally as important. Employee retention requires a multifaceted approach that has the employee in mind. In addition to fair wages and competitive benefits, facility management companies need to offer opportunities for continuing education, career advancement, and skills growth.

Engage a Partner

Not every company is equipped with the resources to create and operate a well-rounded skilled labor recruitment, retention, and training program. That’s why we encourage many companies to consider choosing an external service provider.

Companies can focus on running their business rather than building staff and outsource the responsibility of recruitment and training, offering clients access to highly qualified staff without any of the work involved in building the team.

Employees at dedicated O&M companies are more loyal and dedicated, in part because they have a defined career path. With an extensive network of sites across the United States, UG2 can offer our employees opportunities to transition between locations, training to advance skills, and ongoing promotions and advancements.

Other benefits of working with an O&M expert include cost savings on everything from overtime to equipment, continuous improvement programs that provide superior service delivery, and reducing risk around OSHA and other regulatory compliance.

Go All In

If your company is facing workforce shortages in the skilled trades, be prepared to go all in to tackle it. Find candidates before they graduate from school, offer extensive training programs to groom your people from within, be creative in broadening your geography, and be prepared to offer a clear and compelling career path.

Take every avenue you can, and be on the lookout for new opportunities. If you decide you’d like to partner instead, just reach out. We’d be happy to welcome you to our family.

Entertainment & Sports Arena Project Spotlight

Behind the Scenes at an Arena

There’s nothing like hearing the final buzzer when your team has won the game, or feeling the blizzard of confetti your favorite band shoots into the crowd during their signature song. You’ve had a beer or two, maybe enjoyed a hot dog, and head for home humming your favorite song or recapping the game highlights with your date.  As you hop on the train, our third crew of the day is just getting started. The UG2 team has been onsite since early in the morning to set up the facility, passed you several times during the event as they restocked paper towels in the restrooms, and now is transforming your entertainment & sports arena from a party scene back to sparkling clean.

It’s all in a day’s work for UG2.

On any given day as many as 125 UG2 employees are onsite, on the job – here’s what happens in the typical 24 hours before, during, and after an event.

First Shift  – PreGame

It’s starting to get busy, with beer deliveries, kitchen staff prepping their stations, and fans looking at the merch in the pro shop. We’re spreading out through the facility to clean employee offices, retail stores, and anything you can see. We unload deliveries and stock them in the proper areas, all while keeping an eye out for spills. We are constantly looking for anywhere we can be proactive.

If the day’s event includes a giveaway such as t-shirts or rally towels, our crew walks through the stands to put them on each seat for the lucky fans. If the teams have a shoot-around or a pre-skate, we do a thorough mop of the floor, clean the seats, remove any trash, and even clean puck marks from the shield around the ice.

Second Shift – Game On!

Showtime! The energy level gets so high during the game or concert that our employees catch an adrenaline buzz. There is nothing like being in an arena full of fans! Our team needs all of the energy they can get as they are constantly on the go for the entire event.

Our first priority is safety: arenas typically hold tens of thousands of people, and we don’t want a single one to slip and fall. Every team member is equipped with a radio to call in any issue they see; a dispatcher gets the right person to take care of everything from replenishing restroom supplies, to sweeping up popcorn from the concourse, to mopping up spills. We are on it!

We have teams trained for every area, from the general concession areas, to the locker rooms, to the VIP suites. We are constantly balancing who goes where throughout the event, and do a lot of cross-training to make sure we never skip a beat.

One skill that goes across the board: friendly and five-star service. All of our employees are PHDs – Passionate, Hard Working, and Dedicated. We know that we can make or break your experience, and we want you to go home feeling great about the venue, whether your team wins or loses.

A newer area of training we have incorporated is social media awareness. We don’t ever want to see an overflowing trash bin tagged with the arena name on Instagram, or video of a team member leaning on a broom on Facebook Live. We know that we are the front lines of the arena’s public face – we take that job very seriously. That means extra staff, ever-faster response time, and constant awareness of the surroundings so that any issue is taken care of before you even notice.

Third Shift – From Party to Pristine

The show is over and the fans clear out. A fresh UG2 team arrives, ready to make the arena look as pristine as it did the day the doors opened. While you sleep, we are hard at work wiping down every seat, using green cleaning methods with no harmful chemicals. We pick up every piece of trash, including concert confetti, beer cups, and peanut shells. We mop every floor and take advantage of the empty facility to do all of our deep cleaning.

When the morning comes, we do it all over again. Arenas are such busy facilities that there are often multiple events in a day. Our teams are like clockwork, meeting every deadline no matter how tight. We often go three months without missing a day taking care of an arena, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We are constantly looking for new ways to provide exceptional service to make sure that the concert or game is such a special experience you can’t wait to come back.

The heart of every educational institution is its people – the educators, staff, and students who compose the community. In order to flourish and learn, the community needs a clean, safe, and well-maintained campus. While every school needs a year-round facilities program, there are some tasks that are tougher to tackle during the busy academic year. Summer is a great time to do some off-season work to get ready.

Here are some facility services elements to consider for your campus

Trip and Fall Hazards

Summer is a great time to scan the passageways and walkways for potential hazards such as loose bricks, crumbled cement, overgrown roots, and unseated thresholds. Assign each team member a zone of campus for a walk-through to discover any obstacle or problem that needs repair. It’s easier to shut off an area for maintenance before the students come back to campus. And it’s far better to take the time to conduct the repair now than risk harming anyone in a trip or fall accident.

Deep Cleaning

People are germy, and campuses are loaded with touchable surfaces in classrooms, lecture halls, cafeterias, and dorms. A typical cafeteria checkout keypad has more than 13,000 organisms, this fact derived from a cleaning product firm SaniProfessional. Doorknobs in men’s dorm rooms contain more than 1.5 million bacteria colony forming units per square inch, this fact derived from College Stats. That’s one thousand times the CFU per square inch of a typical toilet seat. Bacteria can live on gym equipment for days.

These germs are just as harmful as cracked pavement to your community’s health. Preventing the spread of bacteria and germs can reduce illness and absenteeism. The summer is a perfect time to deep-clean every surface and to establish a disinfecting and sanitizing routine for year-round practice.

Systems Check and Maintenance

Campuses require significant HVAC and other facilities systems – now is the best time of year to perform routine cleaning and maintenance and to repair any faulty systems. Don’t wait until a plumbing issue creates a no-water situation for an entire dorm or cafeteria; invest in preventive maintenance to minimize impact to the community. Routine cleaning and repairs cost less in time, money, and stress than those done under emergency situations. Schedule systems maintenance for the slower summer months and ensure peak performance for the busy seasons ahead. An added bonus: many routine maintenance tasks result in changes that save energy and improve systems efficiency.

Energy Efficiency

It may be more than just a poorly functioning boiler that is driving up your campus energy costs – every campus should conduct a top-to-bottom energy audit twice a decade. At UG2, we partner with energy specialists to check all energy and engineering functions of the campus, including HVAC systems, hours of operation, occupancy, and sequencing for all controls. The resulting energy profiles enable us to recommissin controls, profile energy usage, and review all energy control measures (ECMs).

These audits often identify more than two dozen conservation measures that pay for themselves over time in reduced energy costs. We also can work with utilities to defray the up-front costs of implementing changes.

Grounds and Landscaping

Well-maintained campuses can be visual show stoppers – students, staff, and visitors all enjoy strolling the grounds. First impressions matter for prospective students, too, so campuses should invest the time to stay on top of the maintenance. Trim low branches and overgrown shrubs, weed and mulch all beds, and review all pathways for obstacles that could hinder leaf and snow removal. Because before you know it, the seasons will turn and we’ll be ready for a new cycle.

Many higher education facilities have the luxury of a “slow” season to manage these tasks. Take the time now to do the deep work and it will be easier to implement a strong routine for facilities maintenance that keeps your campus at its best year round.