West Windsor–Plainsboro, New Jersey
Regional School DistrictCustodial Services
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District is a 10-school, pre-K through 12 public school district serving New Jersey students between West Windsor Township and Plainsboro Township. After over a decade of challenges with a previous custodial provider, the school district was ready for change just in time for a new challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Challenge
A thriving New Jersey school district needed more from their custodial partner: dependable leadership, consistent service quality, and the right disinfection resources for their 10 schools. But the high turnover and poor quality exemplified by their current vendor failed to provide reliably healthy learning environments for students and faculty. With the COVID-19 pandemic on the horizon, one challenge quickly turned into another at a crucial time.
Solution
With the pandemic solidifying itself as a long-term obstacle, the school district needed a custodial partner who could navigate change without compromising service; a team that listened to their shifting needs while understanding the budget sensitivities, operational efficiencies, and cleaning and disinfection needs of a robust educational system. Given their strong union ties and established local presence, ABM was chosen to step in.
Prioritizing the school district’s timeline was key to demonstrating flexibility and establishing immediate uptime. Despite their contract not officially starting until the summer, the district communicated the need for a hands-on partner as soon as possible. ABM wasted no time, meeting with administration as early as March to hear the district’s needs and goals firsthand. ABM’s Regional Operations Team personally spearheaded the conversation to ensure unified leadership and a strong first step forward.
Given long-standing operational issues and the increasingly important goal of safeguarding the district, ABM expedited a 60-day transitional period to completion in only 30 days. This efficient use of time was aided by the almost immediate on-site deployment and supervision of ABM’s Regional Director at no cost to the district.
Relying on local talent was an efficient next step. Of the 70 custodial team members employed by the former provider, 90% joined ABM for positions that offered hands-on training, growth opportunities, and morale-boosting recognition activities at a competitive wage for the region. Weeks before their official start date, ABM was able to put trained team members on the ground and into action.
To encourage a sense of community in this uneasy time, leadership created personalized organizational charts for each school, making it easy for teachers, students, and additional faculty to identify and connect with ABM team members at every facility on campus.
As the hesitancies of working with a new provider and the fears of a global virus collided, providing reassurance to school administration was paramount. ABM insisted on regular reviews and campus walkthroughs to evaluate and continually improve their performance. Between administration feedback and a third-party review, ABM’s cleaning results and team performance have been consistently favorable. That remained the case as students, sports, and extracurriculars soon returned across the district in a hybrid format. At every new consideration, ABM advised the district and adapted their protocols as necessary.
With their partnership and custodial servicing running smoothly, ABM offered support in another way. To help fund the district’s community service goals, ABM donated ten thousand dollars to food-insecure families, with plans to provide additional contributions annually.
Unprecedented times or not, meeting a client like West Windsor-Plainsboro on their own terms was essential to tackling their unique challenges. For this New Jersey school district, their new vendor relationship was finally consistent, clear in expectations, and mutually beneficial – in ways that extend beyond the school doors.
Benefits
- Listened carefully to administration’s challenges and quickly adapted to meet their needs
- Advanced capabilities to perform transitional phase in only 30 days
- Retained 90% of former provider’s custodial team members
- Processed, trained, and positioned new team members on campus within weeks
- Worked with district to formalize quality assurance program
- Received favorable reviews from both administration and third-party consultant
- Created new financial sponsorship to support community service efforts
Testimonials
“From the custodians, all the way to ABM’s management team, I have seen a true commitment to customer service.”
“They helped make our transition smooth. They hired existing employees to keep continuity, and increased productivity as well as the cleanliness of our buildings.”
- Dr. David Aderhold, Superintendent, West Windsor-Plainsboro Schools
About ABM
ABM (NYSE: ABM) is a leading provider of facility services in the United States and various international locations. ABM’s comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission critical solutions and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban, and rural areas to properties of all sizes - from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants, and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit [ABM.com](https://www.abm.com).
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