Janitronics Welcomes Third Generation of Leaders

“It was a point in my life that I never want to be at again. I've worked diligently from that day on to never have to sit at that table and look at what bankruptcy would have done to us,” recalls Jim Harris, Jr., describing the winter of 1988. “Not just personally, but professionally, we would never have recovered. Oftentimes, when you fill out a form for a bid, they ask if you ever filed for bankruptcy — not just in the last seven years — ever.” Now, 36 years later, the company is as strong as ever. 

This memory wasn’t Harris’s first of the industry, but it was his introduction to leadership. His father and the company’s founder, Jim Harris, Sr., had been steering the ship for years, and in a moment of uncertainty, with business prospects gloomy, Harris, Sr. called on his trusted son to use his business acumen to get back on track. The move to bring Harris, Jr. in paid off. Today, Albany, New York-based Janitronics Facility Services is a successful, well-regarded and respected facility service contractor, but that doesn’t mean getting there was easy. 

For Harris Jr., the course was set early. He graduated with a finance degree from Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1984, and took up his new desk at the family business a few days later.  

“If you don’t outperform the guy near or with you, you’re not staying here,” he recalls the greeting from his father. It was a warm introduction to a tough world of business and decision-making, and it would be an attitude he leaned on when eventually deciding to welcome his own children into the fold. That do-or-die pressure that helped cement the foundation of Janitronics helped pave the way for a new generation of the family to take their turn at the plate, eager to embrace the challenge of keeping things running at a high level. The main difference for this third generation is that the choice to join the fold would be more autonomous. 

Looking Ahead 

The specter of succession planning looms large for many business owners and operators; a generational leadership transition is inching ever closer, and sand is running low in the hourglass to set things on a steady path. For those in the commercial cleaning industry, the challenge is often compounded; though the work is indispensable, it’s not always a desirable industry. For many, the choices are murky. Close up shop? Hand it off to someone? Put it up for sale? For some, that looming transition isn’t just a shift in operations, but a critical step in continuing an established legacy.  

The Harris family offers a compelling case study in generational leadership. Founded in 1972 by the late Jim Harris, Sr., the company has grown steadily into an industry titan. A visionary who recognized the potential of the cleaning industry beyond mere janitorial services, Harris, Sr. transformed the business into a comprehensive facility solutions provider. His leadership also extended beyond his company; he served as president of the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) and was a vocal advocate for industry advancements and training initiatives. 

It often seemed like Harris, Sr. would never hang up his cleats, but he eventually noticed that his hardworking son was excelling and planned a hand-off to allow him free rein to guide the company into a new era. Though they consulted BSCAI connections and colleagues about the legal components of such a transition, the process seemed off-putting for their “all-in” family approach. Knowing the needs of their business, the lay of the industry, and the health of the finances, the Harris’ zeroed in on a slow, steady transition process. 

“It wasn’t like I was vice president on a Friday and Monday I was president,” says Harris, Jr. (For an in-depth look at the first Harris hand-off, click here.)

Sizing up the Future 

Today, with decades of experience behind him, Harris, Jr. finds himself sizing up the next era of the company. Fortunately, he can assess the opportunities with an experienced eye.  

“It was 1979 and my dad was the keynote speaker at an international conference,” says Harris, Jr. “I got to see the scale of the janitorial industry. People have no idea the size and scope of it.” 

It was a defining moment. 

“I wasn’t even going to go into cleaning. I was going to go into the restaurant business,” he says. “That trip changed me. It was amazing, the ability to scale this business with limitless boundaries.” 

It’s a reality that Harris, Jr. has worked to share with his own children. 

Dan, Brian and Abby represent the third Harris generation poised to helm a continued era of success at Janitronics. And though the tradition and foundation of Janitronics is strong, the industry is always growing and evolving. Rapidly changing landscapes in terms of hiring, workforce retention, scheduling, supply chain challenges, fluctuating costs and more, will certainly keep the Harris’s on their toes. Fortunately, it turns out the siblings bring their own outside expertise and experience to the table from various corners of the business world.  

As one such tweak to the process, none of the kids report directly to their dad. Brian and Danny report to the chief operating officer, while Abby reports to the vice president of sales and marketing. This slight separation allows work to stay work and family to stay family when it comes time to relax; at least in theory.  

“I did that purposefully, because now it’s not the case that sometimes I'm their father, and then sometimes I’m their boss,” says Harris, Jr. “I didn't get to come up that way and my experience was tough.” 

For a family that embraces and works for the success of their operation, they’re also able to roll down the volume on work talk when family time rolls around. 

“My father believed in working 100 percent and playing zero percent. Everything was about work,” Harris, Jr. recalls, and stresses that he would change that narrative once given the chance.