Janitronics Prepares for the Third Generation

Given a wide berth from their father, each of the third-generation Harris siblings took their own career path, which ultimately brought them all back to Janitronics. 

“Dan's specialty is in customer experience, and sales. Brian works in operations. And Abby does our marketing,” Harris, Jr. explains.  

This generation stands poised to shape the company's future in an era marked by rapid technological change, increasing competition, and a growing emphasis on sustainability, among hiring and retention challenges and acquisition-hungry competitors. Their ability to navigate these challenges while honoring the company's legacy will be a defining test. 

For Abby, the journey to Janitronics involved navigating the ups-and-downs of a college experience during the height of the pandemic. She was unsure of her next move after graduation, but felt the pull of her initial plan to start a career in marketing with an advertising agency located in Albany, New York. The long-term goal? Work for Janitronics and grow the legacy. Luckily, things worked out just in time.  

“I went to college in Rochester, New York, where I studied marketing. I was unfortunately in school during COVID, which hit my junior year,” she recalls. “No one was prepared for that, and the curriculums online just weren't preparing us for the future, especially for seniors trying to step into the work force. I often wondered, what am I going to do after this?” 

Already very familiar with the family business, joining the legacy at Janitronics was something that was always on the table.  

“I had numerous conversations with my dad about what I was going to do after college, and what route I should take,” she recalls. “Marketing is very broad, so there are a lot of options. Luckily, I got an internship in right before COVID hit.”  

Abby learned a lot during this time, gaining valuable experience — likes, dislikes, workplace skills. 

“I was able to earn my MBA directly after graduating with a BS in marketing and took the next steps into pursuing my professional career back home, which then lead me to Janitronics a year and a half later,” she recalls.  

Abby stepped right into her new marketing role with the company and got to work implementing fresh ideas, new processes and modernizing the branding. Her brothers Brian and Dan, though, were already in the fold, having both separately worked their way to Janitronics following different college and professional experiences.  

For Brian, he had his eyes set on operations.  

“I went to school in Boston, studied economics, and I was looking at opportunities out there,” he explains. “As I was approaching the process of making a decision, our COO, called me up and said, ‘I want you here. You know this could be the best opportunity for you.’” 

Wanting to make a long-term impact, the prospect was tempting.  

“It was a great opportunity to step out and join a very successful company. I could help take it to the next level. I wouldn’t have the chance to do that as quickly elsewhere,” Brian explains, emphasizing it was the right move. He credits the opportunity to start quickly with Janitronics as a crucial factor — the corporate world can be an ugly one, and he was happy to stay out of the mud.  

Dan, though, knows a thing or two about the murky underbelly of business. He lived it.  

“I was in New York City for five years and had various jobs in software and IT sales,” Danny mentions. “I worked with some really great companies where they had good training and leadership.” 

His experience was eye-opening, at times. 

“I got a chance to see the sausage being made and get some street smarts,” he says. “It was a great experience when it comes to understanding how larger corporations are run, how departments work together and all the organizational activities.” 

After filling a variety of roles, Dan got a crack at sales and ran with the baton.  

“Sales is really what clicked with me,” he recalls. "I ended up moving back to the area, and knew what I could do at Janitronics.” 

For Brian and Dan, the seed to eventually unite with Janitronics had been planted long ago, when they had the chance to clean facilities for the New York Giants minicamp.  

“We flipped over the dorms and had a great time with it,” Brian remembers. “We did some work in practically every area of the business, and started thinking about training and quality management, and slowly taking over more and more of our different operations and processes.” 

This gradual approach into the business, favored by Harris, Jr., pays dividends. And helpful advice from their grandfather sticks with them.  

Dan, Brian and Abby all remember having weekly, multiple hour-long conversations with their grandfather. They’d discuss that at the end of the day, there's no control over what people will think or say. It's all about how you respond and behave.  

And that’s the example the Harris siblings are carrying into the coming decades.  

As the family jokes about the pressure to keep the ball rolling, there’s one observation that stands out.  

“We’re a good team,” says Harris Jr.  

Jackson Silvanik is the managing editor of Contracting Profits, Sanitary Maintenance, and Facility Cleaning Decisions magazines, as well as CleanLink.com.