Facility Focus

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Jon Blakely, CFM, a facilities management consultant based in New Bern, North Carolina. He has four decades in facilities, started out as a small boat coxswain running search and rescue in the U.S. Coast Guard, and now runs Engaged Management, walking into organizations buried in chaos and replacing tribal knowledge with documented systems.A must-listen for facility professionals and building service contractors who want to understand how vendor relationships can fall apart, what a real five-year capital plan looks like, and how the solution can often be found in communication.In this episode, we cover:00:00 - From Coast Guard Search & Rescue to a Career in Facilities01:46 - Why He Resurrected His Old Firm as Engaged Management03:18 - "Frank Knows How to Do This": The Tribal Knowledge Trap04:09 - The First Three Things He Checks in Any Organization05:19 - Boilerplate Proposals & the Vendor Who Never Asks05:59 - Bad Day vs. Broken System: One of Them Always Repeats07:08 - "Just Take Care of It" Is Not a Scope of Work08:21 - Vendor Drift: The Hedges Nobody Paid For09:39 - Same Problem, Two Names: Vendor Drift vs. Scope Creep10:31 - Afraid to Push Back? The Two-Week Check-In11:57 - The Earliest Warning Sign of a Failing Vendor Relationship12:33 - Price-Only Procurement: Cheap on Paper, Expensive in Consequences13:44 - "Your Brand Is Your Voice, Your Work Environment Is Your Body Language"14:47 - Facility Manager vs. Property Manager: Two Very Different Buyers15:36 - Marriage Counseling for a Broken Janitorial Contract18:47 - When the Third Party Gets in the Way20:31 - Who Actually Calls for Help with Capital Planning22:15 - Building the Five-Year Plan23:49 - The Question That Surprises Every C-Suite24:44 - The Role of Facilities Is Not to Maintain the Status Quo26:08 - Asking the Board for $100K: Lead With the Number27:52 - Do Capital Plans Survive a Change in Leadership?29:20 - The First Six Months After an FM Walks Out30:29 - The Boat in Distress: Reading the Scene Before You Act32:08 - The Retirement Wave, Four Generations & the Vacuum Ahead33:30 - Return to Office, "Moments That Matter" 35:01 - Inheriting a Broken Facility: "Restore Clarity First"35:48 - Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast36:53 - The Free Self-Assessment on His Site 39:31 - What He Notices Driving Past Any Building40:33 - The Lobby Culture Wall & the Restroom Test41:54 - The Most Underrated Role in Facilities42:59 - Best Money You Can Spend: The 10x Preventive Maintenance Rule44:20 - Facility Managers Don't Spend Money, They Invest It45:20 - Where to Find Jon: Engaged Management & the Deep Dives PodcastJon Blakely Links:Engaged Management: www.engagedmanagementllc.comJon Blakely on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-blakely-engaged/Deep Dives Podcast on SpotifyPresented by: New Standard CleaningNew Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries. Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.comConnect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with AJ Davis, a custodial operations leader and facilities consultant based in Oregon. He oversees custodial operations across 24-plus sites and a 46-member team for Greater Albany Public Schools and runs AJD Consulting LLC, helping facilities and janitorial companies build leaner, cleaner operations.
A must-listen for facility managers, building service contractors, and cleaning company owners who want to know what separates an average operation from a great one and why AJ's answer always comes back to systems.
 
In this episode, we cover:
00:00 - From a Job with Benefits to 24 Sites & 46 Staff
02:24 - What Running a District Really Looks Like: "Exhausting"
04:15 - Training from Scratch: Even How to Tie a Trash Bag
05:48 - Call-Offs & the Staffing Partner That Keeps Buildings Covered
06:23 - Why Onboarding Is the Game-Changer (the 50-Page Playbook)
08:06 - The #1 Onboarding Mistake: No System
09:28 - Borrowing MTSS from the Classroom for Custodial Training
11:26 - Inventory, Restocking & Hunting for Better Prices
13:36 - Building Trust and Getting Ahead of the Glove Shortage
15:33 - Accountability Without Micromanaging
17:29 - "Why Are You Sorry?" Leading Time-Off with Compassion
19:07 - Professional Development: Why Once-a-Year Training Is a Joke
20:00 - Equipment That Pays for Itself: Square Scrub & the Clarke Boost
22:14 - The Tennant iMop and Where NOT to Use It
23:29 - From 5 Carpet Machines to 25: Selling the "Why"
24:29 - The Machine Everyone Neglects: Auto-Scrubber Maintenance
26:42 - Floor Care: Polished Concrete, VCT & the Asbestos-Tile Problem
28:35 - A Hospital Trick for Dust: TrapEze
30:17 - The Never-Strip Debate & Prep That Makes or Breaks a Floor
32:52 - Summer Scrub-and-Recoats vs. In-Between Buffing
34:30 - Walking Into the Budget Meeting: Leading with the "Why"
36:45 - The Annual Equipment Overhaul: Asset Tags & Etching
37:38 - Keeping a Team Motivated (Costco Pizza Included)
39:35 - Advice for New Custodial Leaders: "Breathe"
40:13 - The Power of Staying Positive
41:40 - Rapid Fire: Milwaukee, Wet Vacs & Coffee
44:57 - What He Notices Walking Into Any Building
 
About the Guest:
AJD Consulting LLC: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ajd-consulting-llc/
Andrew Davis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-davis-49255583/
 
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning New Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries. Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.
Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.com
Connect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Joel "Doc" Craddock, a commercial cleaning veteran and facilities consultant based in Rochester, New York. Over 40+ years, Doc went from cleaning his church for 25 cents an hour, to running operations for the region's largest janitorial contractor, to building his own company. Today he runs both his cleaning company and a consulting practice for owners trying to figure out what comes next.
A must-listen for facility managers, building service contractors, and cleaning company owners who want to know what really separates an average operation from a great one.
In this episode, we cover:00:00 – Getting Started & the Story Behind "Doc"02:10 – From 25 Cents an Hour to His Own Company06:22 – "I'd Be Worried If You Weren't Worried"09:05 – You're Only As Good As Your Last Clean11:59 – The Services That Set Companies Apart15:36 – What People Get Wrong About Hybrid-Office Cleaning17:44 – Proving You're Getting What You Pay For18:29 – The Hospital That Black-Lighted the Crew22:56 – Cutting the Budget Without Cutting Corners24:15 – The Bathroom Math That Ends the Debate27:37 – The Most Expensive Mistake: Wet Floor Signs30:18 – Documentation, Liability & the Deafness Claim33:26 – Using AI & Photos to Track the Work34:46 – Hiring: Why You "Hire the Smile"38:29 – Vetting a Contractor: W-2s & Background Checks40:53 – RFP Red Flags: "Sterilize," Buffing & Spot Cleaning42:56 – Cleaning Tech: Real Value vs. Smoke and Mirrors44:15 – The Architect Problem: Buildings With No Closets46:29 – The Hardest Part of Building a Business48:58 – "I Knew Cleaning. I Didn't Know Ownership."50:15 – Rapid Fire: Tools, Backpacks & Coffee54:15 – What Stands Out on a Walkthrough
About the Guest: Joel "Doc" Craddock is a commercial cleaning and facilities professional with 40+ years in the industry, based in Rochester, New York. He worked his way up through the region's largest janitorial contractor before founding his own company, Docs, and now also consults for owners building sustainable, service-diversified businesses.
DOCS Facilities SolutionsJoel's LinkedIn Page
 
Presented by: New Standard CleaningNew Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries. Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.
Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.comConnect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Willem De Cock, a hospitality and corporate-catering strategist based in Marbella, Spain. Willem spent roughly 15 years running five-star hotels across Bahrain, Egypt, Madeira, Amsterdam, and Belgium before turning to the world of large-scale corporate catering. For the last four years, he's worked independently helping some of the biggest companies in Europe rethink how they feed their people. We dig into the part of workplace dining almost nobody talks about: flow.
We cover the science of free-flow restaurant design, why a poorly built dining room is far harder to fix than a bad menu, how AI and data are reshaping catering, and why the way companies write their catering tenders may be working against them. Willem also shares the story of how his own software, CaterFlow, outsmarted him solving one bottleneck only to reveal another he never would have caught on his own.
This is a must-listen for facility managers, building engineers, and contractors who want to understand how workplace dining really works, and why it has quietly become one of the biggest levers for bringing employees back to the office.
 
In this episode, we cover:00:00 – How Willem Got Started in Hospitality02:36 – The Classic Hotel Management Path03:32 – From Consultant to Software Founder: CaterInsight & CaterFlow04:57 – Why Companies Need to Own Their Catering Data05:45 – Cater Profile & the Power of Flow06:52 – Cafeteria Lines vs. Free-Flow Design07:53 – Moving 1,250 People in 90 Minutes08:37 – When Bad Flow Costs You (and Kills Dessert)10:01 – Designing for the "Netflixer" Generation11:51 – How CaterFlow Collects & Simulates the Data14:57 – When the Software Beats the Expert15:50 – Architects, Kitchen Builders & Licensing the Tool17:14 – The Biggest Inefficiency: A Lack of Data19:12 – Why a Company Restaurant Is "Like a Marriage"20:25 – Cutting Waste by Rethinking the Daily Menu22:14 – How Lunch Brings Employees Back to the Office24:15 – Why Catering Is So Hard for Facility Managers26:50 – Choosing a Caterer Who Takes You from A to B29:46 – Caterers, Suppliers & the Logistics Equation30:53 – Subsidized Food: Profit vs. Break-Even33:11 – A Magic Wand for the Future of Catering35:25 – Favorite Project: When CaterFlow Outsmarted Him37:21 – Rapid Fire: Restaurants, Coffee & Scripted Service42:37 – Books, Cuisine & What FMs Should Measure
 
About the Guest:Willem De Cock is a hospitality and corporate-catering strategist based in Marbella, Spain. The son of an expat engineer, he grew up traveling the world before training at hotel school in Switzerland and spending some 15 years in five-star hotels across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. He then moved into large-scale corporate catering, where he has spent the last 25 years in operations, innovation, and strategy. Through his consultancy he now advises major companies and caterers, and is the creator of CaterInsight and CaterFlow - data and AI tools that help organizations understand, benchmark, and optimize their workplace dining.https://aloha-caterflow.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemdecock/
Presented by: New Standard CleaningNew Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries.Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.comConnect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Suresh Prasad, a facilities and workplace management professional based in India's Delhi-NCR region, for our first-ever conversation with an international guest. We dig into what it really takes to run modern corporate facilities on the other side of the world.
We cover vendor management, ESG, large-scale office build-outs, and the role of AI and IoT in energy and operations, along with the day-to-day realities of keeping a building (and its people) running smoothly. Suresh also shares the kind of stories every facility pro will recognize, including a Sunday-night emergency that shut down a floor for two days.
This is a must-listen for facility managers, building engineers, and contractors looking to broaden their perspective on how facilities operate around the globe.
 
In this episode, we cover:
00:00 – How Suresh Got Started in Facility Management
02:43 – A Facility Manager's Day-to-Day Role
04:04 – Managing Multiple Sites 
05:30 – KPIs, Stakeholders & Vendor Management
06:55 – Why Vendors Are Crucial in India
07:58 – What Separates a Great Vendor from the Rest
09:23 – Working in Extreme Climates (40–50°C)
11:54 – Cyber City & the Rise of Gurugram
14:37 – India's Fast-Growing Infrastructure
15:59 – Balancing Development & the Environment
16:29 – How ESG Is Reshaping Facilities in India
18:13 – Where Facilities Waste Money
19:27 – Building an 83,000 Sq Ft Office from Scratch
21:19 – Hot-Desking & Seat-Booking Software
22:46 – Being On Call 24/7
24:14 – A Sunday-Night Sewage Pipe Burst
27:22 – How FM Shapes Employee Satisfaction & Parking
30:28 – Comfort, Coffee & Workplace Amenities
31:58 – AI & IoT in Facility Management
35:15 – What Makes a Great Facility Manager
38:05 – Advice for Future Facility Managers
42:08 – Planning a Large-Scale Office Build
44:37 – Rapid Fire: Tools, Coffee & Friday Nights
 
About the Guest
Suresh Prasad is a facilities management professional based in India's Delhi-NCR region. Since 2013, he has built his career across major organizations including Genpact, Infosys, CBRE, and United Airlines, managing everything from daily operations and vendor relationships to large-scale office build-outs. He brings a global, people-first perspective on what it takes to keep modern facilities running.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suresh-prasadclustermanager/
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning
New Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries.
Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.
Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.com
Connect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Mark Walter, Project Manager at Leidos Engineering, to break down how energy is used inside large automotive plants and what it takes to manage major infrastructure and efficiency projects in modern manufacturing facilities.
We cover automotive paint shops, steam systems, HVAC infrastructure, energy audits, solar power, battery storage, operational waste, and the realities of executing projects inside facilities where uptime is critical.
This is a must-listen for facility managers, building engineers, energy professionals, and contractors looking to better understand industrial operations, energy efficiency, and the future of facility infrastructure.
 
In this episode, we cover:
00:00 – Henry Ford & The Origins of Modern Manufacturing
00:57 – Intro to Automotive Plant Energy Projects
03:42 – Eliminating Steam Systems in Old Factories
05:24 – Where Automotive Plants Use the Most Energy
08:00 – Hidden Operational Energy Waste
09:15 – ROI on Energy Efficiency Projects
15:05 – What an Energy Audit Looks Like
18:33 – Commissioning & Running Buildings Efficiently
20:25 – Protecting Production During Facility Projects
24:23 – Contractors vs In-House Facility Teams
27:36 – Solar Power, Battery Storage & Rivian
30:21 – Electric Vehicles & The Future of the Grid
32:45 – How Facilities Collect & Use Operational Data
36:18 – Budgeting for Energy Projects
41:23 – Automotive Plant Culture & Vehicle Loyalty
43:24 – Favorite Energy Project Completed
46:55 – What Henry Ford Would Think Today
 
About the Guest:
Mark Walter is a Project Manager at Leidos with a background in engineering, sustainability, and large-scale energy projects for the automotive industry. His work focuses on helping industrial facilities modernize infrastructure, improve efficiency, and execute complex projects without disrupting production.
 
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning
New Standard Cleaning provides commercial cleaning services throughout Chicagoland and serves a variety of industries. They are committed to delivering consistent results and building strong partnerships across every account.
www.newstandardcleaning.com
 
Connect with us: Facility Focus Podcast LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Kevin Richardson, Technical Director at NeverStrip Floor Coatings, to break down commercial floor types and how facilities can rethink long-term maintenance.
We cover VCT, LVT, tile, concrete, and rubber flooring, along with the traditional strip-and-wax cycle and why many facilities are moving toward more sustainable, lower-maintenance solutions.
This is a must-listen for facility managers, building engineers, and janitorial contractors looking to improve floor performance, reduce labor, and extend asset life.
In this episode, we cover:
· The most common commercial floor types (VCT, LVT, tile, concrete, rubber)· Why the traditional strip-and-wax model is breaking down· How modern floor coatings reduce labor and long-term costs· Daily and periodic maintenance best practices (flat mop vs string mop, auto scrubbers, pads)· How to calculate ROI on floor coating systems· Common mistakes in floor care programs· Tile and grout restoration and sealing systems· How coatings improve cleanability, durability, and appearance· Sustainability benefits including reduced water and chemical usage· PFAS concerns in traditional floor finishesAbout the GuestKevin Richardson is the Technical Director at NeverStrip Floor Coatings. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in carpet cleaning, restoration, and floor care, Kevin now works with contractors and facilities to implement modern coating systems that improve durability, reduce maintenance, and simplify cleaning operations.
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning
New Standard Cleaning provides commercial janitorial services to the Chicagoland area, specializing in after-hours cleaning programs for facilities across a wide range of industries.
Their mission is to safeguard health and elevate the image of every space through customized cleaning programs and consistent service.
Learn more:www.newstandardcleaning.com
Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Keith Garratt, Business Development Director at Pudu Robotics, to break down how robotic floor cleaning is changing the way facilities operate.
We cover autonomous floor scrubbers, AI-powered cleaning and how robotics are being used to improve consistency, reduce labor challenges and increase efficiency across modern facilities.
This is the kind of technology facility managers are aware of but many don't yet understand how to implement or add it to their program.
If you’re responsible for building operations, janitorial programs, or managing cleaning teams, this episode will give you a practical understanding of how robotics could fit into your facility.
In this episode, we cover:
How robotic floor cleaning machines actually work
The role of AI in autonomous cleaning
Where robotics make sense (and where they don’t)
Labor challenges and how automation helps solve them
Cost vs. ROI of robotic cleaning equipment
How to integrate robots into an existing janitorial program
The future of cleaning in large facilities
About the Guest
Keith Garratt is the Business Development Director at Pudu Robotics, a global leader in service robotics. Keith works with operations professionals to implement autonomous cleaning solutions that improve efficiency, consistency and operational performance.
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning
NSC provides commercial cleaning services to Chicagoland and serves a variety of industries. They are committed to delivering consistent service and building strong partnerships across every account. 
Learn more: www.newstandardcleaning.com
Connect with us:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast

In this episode of the Facility Focus Podcast, I sit down with Steve Maring, a water treatment consultant with Kroff Chemical, to break down the complexities of water treatment across different types of facilities.
We cover cooling towers, boilers, closed loop systems and wastewater. We discuss scale, corrosion, bacteria and system failures. The kind of stuff every facility manager deals with but rarely gets explained this clearly.
If you’re responsible for building operations, maintenance, or working in the field, this episode will give you a practical understanding of how water impacts your facility every day.
In this episode, we cover:
How cooling towers actually work
The biggest issues with boilers and water quality
Scale, corrosion, and bacteria explained simply
What happens when systems are neglected
Wastewater treatment and compliance challenges
How water treatment impacts cost and efficiency
About the Guest: Steve Maring is a water treatment consultant with Kroff Chemical based in Western Michigan. Steve works with commercial and industrial facilities to solve water-related challenges across HVAC systems and wastewater. His experience ranges from sky scrapers to poultry facilities!
Presented by: New Standard Cleaning
NSC provides commercial cleaning services to Chicagoland and serves a variety industries. They are committed to delivering consistent and building strong partnerships across every account. Visit them at www.newstandardcleaning.com for more information.
Connect with us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/facility-focus-podcast