Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) offers low-cost, reliable electricity to Sacramento County in California. SMUD obtains 20% of its resources from renewable sources. Its power supply is about 50% carbon free, and it aims for zero-carbon electricity production by 2030.
As an energy provider that lists innovation, workforce development, environmental justice, and enhanced community vitality among its values, SMUD is careful to choose maintenance service providers with similar commitments. In 2007, SMUD selected PRIDE Industries to clean and maintain 18 of its buildings.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of what we do,” said Laurie Rodriguez, director of people services and strategies at SMUD. “Through our partnership with PRIDE Industries, we can build an energized work culture that allows every team member to be their very best.”
From a basement to nationwide
PRIDE Industries is a pioneering social enterprise that provides jobs for people with disabilities, veterans, former foster youth, and trafficking victims. The enterprise was formed in 1966 when a group of parents meeting in a church basement established a nonprofit to create brighter futures for their adult children with disabilities.
Over the decades, PRIDE Industries has grown to more than 3,600 employees working at 395 sites and maintaining more than 100 facilities. It is one of the nation’s leading employers of people who have disabilities and other barriers to employment.
Nationwide, PRIDE Industries provides janitorial services for 26 million square feet of facilities, including 3.6 million square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-compliant buildings. The enterprise received The Deal® Award for Leadership in Sustainability and holds several certifications: ISO’s 9001 Quality Management System, ISSA’s CIMS-GB, and the International Facility Management Association’s Sustainable Facilities Professionals.
Full-service cleaning plus LEED
SMUD uses PRIDE Industries’ CIMS-GB LEED-certified custodial services to maintain its facilities. Daily cleaning services include trash disposal and recycling. The teams also clean drinking fountains, vending machines, furniture, entryways, and counters.
Weekly, PRIDE Industries cleaning teams polish floors and clean thresholds and baseboards. Monthly, they vacuum upholstery and dust high areas and window coverings. Quarterly, they strip, clean, and repolish floors, clean HVAC vents, and shampoo upholstered furniture.
PRIDE Industries workers focus on the smallest details, such as smudges and scuff marks. They also sweep, degrease, mop, and sanitize SMUD’s cafeteria and commercial kitchens daily.
“We count on Pride Industries, and they deliver,” said Rodriguez.
