Jason Lee, CEO of Lee Building Maintenance, Shares 4 Qualities That Make His Cleaning Company Unique

written by: Zanne Lamb-Hunt

Jason Lee, born and raised in Frederick, grew up right across from the Frederick Fairgrounds in the Lucas Village Community. He attended local schools and graduated from Thomas Johnson.

He’s the CEO of Lee Building Maintenance. His wife, April, is the President of the company. They have three daughters. “We’re enjoying Frederick. It’s truly grown and changed over my forty years on this Earth.”

Jason is a past-President of the Rotary Club and always strives to make a positive difference. There are at least four qualities that make Lee Building Maintenance an amazingly successful company.

* The Personal Touch — “We’re always going to have that personal feel.”

It’s not a cookie-cutter service approach. Jason assists clients in putting together a service package that’s custom created for their specialized needs.

Jason cares about the image of your business as well as his own. He’s prepared to offer the maintenance solutions that will help your business to run more efficiently.

* Community Oriented — “It’s in our hearts to make sure we’re doing great things in the community.”

Jason seeks out “non-profits we can hook up with and grow.”

* Career Opportunities — There are several positions to consider that come with complete professional training.

It’s an opportunity to learn new skill sets to provide top-notch service and take pride in your work performance.
It’s possible to work up the ladder to reach a management position.

* Staff Appreciation — “You’re more than someone who cleans the toilet.”

It’s about more than cleaning. It’s about “providing clean health.”

Lee Building Maintenance gives workers the uniformed look and qualified feel of service professionals. Expect to be motivated with pride!

Jason’s Entrepreneurial Road Started At Burger King

Jason recalls being employed at Burger King right out of high school. He had the entrepreneurial spirit from the very start. “I kind of had that hustling mentality. It was there where I found an understanding of the cleaning game.”

Week after week, Jason would sign the invoice for the guy who cleaned the windows. Eventually, he asked the question that would change everything. “How many different accounts do you have?”

Jason knew there were about eleven BK franchises but he wasn’t expecting Brandon’s response. “Oh, I think we clean a couple hundred locations.” The invoice was for about $68.25. “I went back to the adding machine, punched some numbers in and went WHOA!”

He wasted no time in following a new path to his dream of becoming a business owner. “Literally, the next day, I went out and did research on finding some window cleaning tools.” A few days after that, Jason was knocking on doors and getting his first clients.

Mentors Made The Path Wider

In 2004, he was introduced to Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) and attended their convention in Nashville. “My world changed. I found plenty of mentors in the cleaning business, being around companies that were doing half a billion dollars a year!

That gave me a whole new look. Whereas I started out doing windows, I looked to broaden the scope of what we do.”

How Spouses Manage Being Business Partners

Jason points out that it’s a whole new dynamic when a husband and wife work together. “It’s been fun. I think we’ve done well.”

They’ve been able to sit down with other entrepreneurial couples “to talk about how to structure your days. This is a 24 hour business. It never stops. When you work with your spouse, you tend to always be thinking about work. But, we have to create those moments.”

Looking back, Jason thinks they were meant to be entrepreneurs together. It was a shared vision. “We actually have another business that’s in the wings right now. Our personalities meshed. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs.”

Jason Made A Huge Difference In The Life Of A Homeless Man

When Jason was still at BK, he saw a gentleman by Wal-Mart holding an ‘I want to work’ sign. After passing him by, Jason turned around and offered the homeless man a job.

“We got him together. We went over to Wal-Mart and got a uniform set up for him and got the toiletries he needed. This was back in 2000.

This gentleman has gone on to continue to work. He’s actually bought two vehicles, bought a home and whenever I see him it’s a delight. I know the good Lord above told me to give this guy an opportunity. That’s what a lot of people have done for me. They’ve given me opportunities.”

Jason’s Biggest Challenge Along The Way

“To continue to adapt to change. One thing I’ve learned is to get myself out of the way. I still work at that every day.

We think that’s so easy to do but it’s a challenge. I’ve been in this body for forty years. What goes on up in this brain of mine, it can get in the way of success.”

Advice Jason Would Give To Himself If He Could Go Back In Time

“I would tell myself it’s okay. This is a journey. It’s step by step, day by day, week by week, year by year. Just be patient. Take your time. Everything will be okay.

It’s like anything. You do well and you want to get more if you can. But, there’s a patience aspect. It’s a roller coaster. Ride it out, baby!”

Jason Recommends A Book To Quiet The Entrepreneurial Mind

Make The Noise Go Away by Larry G. Linne

“It’s been a cool book to read.” It addresses all the noise that CEOs have going on in their brains and how to have a key person take some of that noise away.

And, Jason has his own quote to help the ‘peaceful’ process along. “Smile and enjoy every day as a Friday. Make every day a Friday and there will be a lot more smiles walking around!”

He reminds us, “If you really dream to do big things, then it can happen. It’s going to take time. It’s not the microwave effect. But, dreams can come true.”

Reach out to Jason at Lee Building Maintenance today to discuss all of your commercial cleaning needs and specialized solutions. “We do everything from cleaning Class A facilities to manufacturing plants and all the in-between.” Bonded and fully insured.

Call: 240-651-0433 or Fax: 240-651-0463

jason@leebuildingclean.com

leebuildingclean.com

Contents Provided by Frederick Advice Givers Podcast #052: Eric Verdi Interviews Jason Lee