The Hurley Group

Cleaning up┬áItÔÇÖs easy for a growing company to forget the values that set it on the path to success; facilities services provider The Hurley Group takes pride in keeping those values at the heart of everything it does, Andrew Pelis learns. In 1956, Richard Hurley and his younger brother Michael began a contracted floor service company. Initially a mode of secondary income, Industrial Floor Service flourished into what it is today, a formidable force within the facility services industry.┬á┬áWith 5,000 front-line staff cleaning 200 million square feet of industrial, aviation, higher education, retail, commercial and healthcare space each night, HurleyÔÇÖs annual revenue is in the $160 million dollar range. Its financial strength aside, Hurley has a strong reputation for its management, recognized externally as one of CanadaÔÇÖs 50 Best Managed companies for eight years. HurleyÔÇÖs ability to continue to grow its business, progress its employees internally, and strengthen its hold in the marketplace is a true testament to this designation and a contributing factor to its selection as one of the Top 20 Service Providers in North America by the Building Service Contractor Association International (BSCAI) in 2006.HurleyÔÇÖs corporate head office is located in Toronto, Ontario. In addition to field offices in Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg, there is Martin Building MaintenanceÔÇöa division of The Hurley GroupÔÇölocated out of London, Ontario, and PeterboroughÔÇÖs Hunt Brothers, acquired in 2007. HurleyÔÇÖs offices also extend to the United States. Hurley of AmericaÔÇÖs head office is located in Woburn, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Rochester, New York.ÔÇ£Our entry into the US market took place roughly ten years ago,ÔÇØ confirms Philippe D. Mack, senior vice president of operations. ÔÇ£Today the US market represents 15 to 20 percent of our revenues. Most of our growth has been in Canada through organic growth within our existing client base and entry into new markets like Halifax and Winnipeg, where we have expanded our comprehensive aviation sector.ÔÇØOne of HurleyÔÇÖs great successes is its attainment of airport contracts throughout North America. Recently Hurley has extended its offerings to include aircraft grooming. On June 1 this year, HurleyÔÇÖs aircraft grooming division had the honor of preparing Emirates AirlineÔÇÖs Airbus A380 for its maiden voyage out of Toronto Pearson International Airport. Mack explains, ÔÇ£This extension into grooming is a prime example of how we can offer more services to existing customers. We currently service four airports in North America.ÔÇØ Clients tend to agree that the services are of the highest quality, as Hurley has contributed to attaining multiple awards for its local clients, including three Best Station awards for grooming operations this past year, along with assisting in three Best Airport Experience awards.HurleyÔÇÖs vision has been focused on consistently upgrading and expanding its services to a diverse client base while attracting highly skilled and experienced professionals with industry knowledge and world-class managerial skills. ÔÇ£We have really tried to simplify our approach internally, making it easier for our operations to focus on our clients,ÔÇØ says Mack. ÔÇ£We run autonomous operational units with local decision makers who implement a consistent corporate strategy. They are supported by a world-class financial group from our head office, allowing us to maintain a lean and centralized banking relationship. We then provide a series of shared services that the field can draw upon to better service our clients when required: human resources, risk management, procurement, marketing and information technology. Three basic elements: operations, finance and support.ÔÇØHurleyÔÇÖs corporate statement says, ÔÇ£We will always provide the highest level of customer service possible.ÔÇØ It is this mantra that truly highlights HurleyÔÇÖs work ethic and dedication to its customers. This philosophy founded the development of HurleyÔÇÖs technology. Today, Hurley provides a cutting-edge accountability system that is quite unique to contracted housekeeping. It is this technology that allows HurleyÔÇÖs valued customers to be apprised and abreast of all activities that are taking place within their facility. From shopping malls, universities or airports, Hurley is able to implement a simple ÔÇ£point, click, scanÔÇØ component that is readily available on line. ÔÇ£We pride ourselves on being market leaders in IT,ÔÇØ says Mack, ÔÇ£and this plays a big part in our communications with our clients, particularly in assembling reports and providing accountability. We have a number of facility maintenance contracts in the oil and gas industry, and our technology allows us to interface with client programs.ÔÇ£Our aim is to make Hurley a place where employees can grow and see the potential for themselves,ÔÇØ he continues. ÔÇ£One percent of our revenues is reinvested into training, and as technologies advance, it is essential for our workforce to understand our vendorsÔÇÖ systems.We constantly look at ways to eliminate inefficient time, to become leaner and to interface more with one another. The people we bring into the organization may have worked in a niche area such as industrial cleaning, but we try to rotate people around the Group to share different experiences and offer ideas to other areas.ÔÇØWhat about the future? ÔÇ£Succession planning, employee turnover and increased competition constantly throw up challenges to us. ItÔÇÖs a challenge to redefine ourselves and to stay lean and retain and develop the industryÔÇÖs best talent,ÔÇØ says Mack.ÔÇ£The downturn in the economy has presented more opportunities for us, as some players have become less creative and have been unable to reinvent themselves successfully with sustainable solutions. We will continue to evolve and to expand into new markets in Canada and North America, and to offer one solution for customers, without jeopardizing quality and service delivery models. We have an unwavering environmental platform focused on sustainable solutions, offering ISO 14001 environmental registration to over 100 client sites, exclusive relationships with companies like Tennant that allow us first access to electrically charged water-based cleaning technologies to replace harsh chemicals, and distribution partners who act as an extension of our services through environmental field audits of our client locations.ÔÇØHowever large The Hurley Group becomes, this company and its senior management never forget where they have come from and the work it took to get the organization to where it is today. Industry veteran Mack is well versed in the ever-changing ways of contracted housekeeping and facility services. ÔÇ£My grandfather always said that you will never starve in this business,ÔÇØ Mack recalls. The statement is as true as it is sentimental; in order to stay successful, facilities need to make a good, lasting first impression, and appearance is always a first impression. ÔÇô Editorial research by Kristina Perley┬á