Supreme Maintenance Organization (SMO), a janitorial service provider in Greensboro, N.C., is celebrating its silver anniversary in 2014.

Twenty-five years ago, after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, David Murphy asked his best friend, Gary Collins, who had just graduated from Elon University, to start a business with him. They borrowed their moms’ vacuum cleaners, contributed $100 each and started a cleaning business.

To this day, Collins likes to remind everyone that “David had to borrow his $100,” the company said in an announcement. 

The pair landed their first cleaning contract, worked hard, and soon found themselves cleaning day and night. As the company grew, Murphy and Collins hired family members. Today, the company employs over 450 people across four states and serves over 10 million square feet daily for some of the most prominent businesses and organizations in the Southeast.

As the company continues to grow, Murphy and Collins have never forgotten where they came from and it is these humble beginnings that have given them a deep appreciation for their employees and what they do on a daily basis.

According to Collins, “This has created one of our company’s core philosophies and the reason that we consider our valuable employees to be internal customers.”

In April of this year, the company will formally celebrate its 25th Anniversary at the Koury Convention Center by gathering with family, friends, and current and former employees and service partners.

Supreme Maintenance reports that the future looks bright for the company as 2013 was one of its best years; it experienced a 25 percent growth rate over the previous year.

“The future is indeed bright as we continue to grow our market share and our geographical footprint," Murphy says. "We are very much looking forward to the next twenty-five years.”