Husband and wife Doug and Kristen Shoup, owners of Shoup’s Cleaning in New Philadelphia, Ohio, regularly contribute to their community, from donating time and money to a child advocacy center to offering discounts on their services to first responders. So when they received a US$5,000 grant for their business, they didn’t hesitate to spend it in a way that would benefit their employees and customers.
The Shoups received the grant from home service operations management software provider Jobber. They’ll use part of the grant to send their housekeeping supervisor, Chris Stucin, to ISSA’s Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) Train the Trainer workshop at ISSA Show North America 2022 in Chicago.
“We were super excited when we heard about the grant so we could give Chris this opportunity,” said Doug Shoup. “He will be able to come back and train all our housekeeping team members.”
“Chris recently finished a supervisor bootcamp course with ISSA, and he told us, ‘There’s another class I need to take,’” said Tiffany Poland, general manager of Shoup’s Cleaning. “Ultimately, we want all of our workforce to be certified [through CMI].”
A thriving family business
Founded by Doug’s father, Doyle Shoup, in 1970, Shoup’s Cleaning serves offices and a variety of business sectors, including manufacturing, trucking, and health care. Although Doug helped with the business before he graduated from college, he earned an engineering degree and instead became a technical writer. Kristen, who joined the business while she was in college, stayed on, working as both a cleaner and in the office. When Doyle retired last year, Doug and Kristen decided to take over the business.
Like many companies, Shoup’s Cleaning has struggled in the past few years to maintain staffing yet still strives to provide a safe environment for its employees. To limit the time its workers spend on ladders and lifts, the business will use the remainder of its grant money on a water-fed window-washing pole system.
“The pole extends 55 feet up so workers can wash windows five stories up while keeping their feet on the ground,” said Doug. “Increasing awareness of your safety culture goes hand-in-hand with education and customer satisfaction,” said Tiffany.
Supporting the community
Taking care of valued customers is a priority for Shoup’s Cleaning. The business offers discounts to senior citizens, churches, and first-responder facilities. “First responders have been extremely helpful to our family, so we thank them by giving a discount,” Doug said.
Another family priority is donating to Noah’s Hope, a child advocacy center named after their 2-year-old son who died while in the care of a babysitter. A jury found Noah’s babysitter guilty of beating him.
Noah’s Hope provides services that help reduce further trauma and promote recovery to residents of Tuscarawas County and neighboring communities. For instance, it offers a child-friendly method of interviewing young victims, recording their testimony so they don’t have to appear in court before their abusers.
The Shoups have been active with the center since it was established in 2011. “We’re on the board, we help with fundraisers and awareness activities, and we clean the facility,” Doug said. “One of our goals is to pay off the center’s mortgage.
