Relationships Create Clean Buildings

An overarching lesson of the hit show Ted Lasso is that a team isn't a team because they work together—they are a team because they trust one another. From fictional groupings like the Mystery Gang to real relationships such as the cast of Friends, the heart of any productive partnership is people. In the commercial cleaning industry, trust in people is the foundation of any successful venture. When facility leadership and jan/san distributors share mutual ownership of organizational outcomes from the onset, a basic contract can become a winning alliance.

Investing in both building and management needs is why Nathan Henderson, Director of Housekeeping for Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, finds value in his partnership with Nassco, Inc., New Berlin, Wisconsin.

“We’re trying to maintain the lifespan of the building,” Henderson says. “Nassco does that by providing the tools, equipment, and supplies. They’re local, they communicate, they’re vested.”

Fiserv Forum, home of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Milwaukee Bucks and the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Marquette Golden Eagles, has had an ongoing partnership with Nassco since the building’s opening in 2018. A high-profile and high-traffic venue, it was essential for Henderson to partner with a distributor who was accessible, listened, and could provide timely solutions.

“We check in at different levels multiple times a year to make sure we remain aligned with our goals, are making progress, and are addressing any concerns our customers may have,” shares Kurt Melzer, President of Nassco. “The partnership with our vendors, customers, and team is critical to making sure our customers are aware of what is possible now and in the future to improve their organization.”

To Henderson, Nassco operates as a local, one-stop-shop where each member—sales representative, customer service personnel, equipment specialist, etc.—offers optimal proposals that enhance facility operations. For instance, when the lithium batteries in a new shipment of cordless vacuums combusted during a concert load-in, Nassco worked with their manufacturers to provide replacements for the vacuums, chargers, and batteries.

“They wanted to make sure I was whole and set based on my needs of vacuuming carpet throughout the building. That led to an opportunity to really work and build that relationship a little bit stronger,” Henderson shares. “It worked out successfully on both ends, where we both got what we needed.”

Floor care is of particular importance for the 730,000-square-foot arena. Whether it’s peak or off-season, Henderson ensures the floor is maintained. Nassco not only aided Henderson by replacing malfunctioning floor equipment but also assisted through service provisions, such as floor polishing and carpet extraction.

“In conjunction with pricing, we are able to provide a service aspect to our offering, specifically around floor care cleaning equipment at Fiserv Forum that allows our valued customer to maintain their fleet without incurring any downtime,” Adam Schmidt, Senior Account Manager at Nassco and recipient of the 2026 Sales Leader Award, notes.

These actions elevate the relationship between Fiserv Forum and Nassco from transactional to strategic. However, this type of transition does not happen at the onset. Before facility and commercial cleaning managers open communications with a prospective partner, they need to do their research.

“Have your information ready on how you operate your building—what kind of paper you use, what kind of trash liners and sizes you use,” Henderson recommends.

In Henderson’s experience, knowing the finer details of building operations prior to bidding or forming a new partnership allows for better building advocacy. This gives the manager an idea of what to ask for, and the distributor a better starting point to provide relevant products and prices.

And when a problem presents itself and a manager does not have an answer, the distributor should step up and provide one.

“We approach new clients by first understanding their operations and identifying where we can create meaningful impact,” Tommy Higgins, Vice President of Sales for Nassco, says. “Becoming a strategic partner means being an extension of our customers’ operations—helping them reduce costs, improve productivity, and empowering them to clean and maintain their facilities in the most efficient and effective ways possible.”

Even better, preemptive problem-solving is an effective way for distributors to demonstrate their expertise and capability.

“I’ve always challenged my vendors to bring something to the table that I haven’t thought about or to find a solution that I haven’t even looked at to solve,” Henderson shares.

Nassco does this regularly. The company made Henderson aware that the trash bags he typically ordered were not the same size as the facility’s waste receptacles. The cost-effective solution was the provision of a right-sized, durable liner—the result of which has saved Fiserv Forum approximately $3 per case.

Of course, the best-fit solutions are not just those that target the issue but also meet building initiatives.

“With Fiserv Forum being such a high-profile, high-volume location, they are always looking for ways to achieve sustainability goals,” says Schmidt. “We at Nassco try to align them with quality manufacturers that share similar initiatives. Whether it’s a form of recycled paper goods or downgauging of can liners to produce less plastic waste, Fiserv Forum continues to excel in every aspect of waste management.”

Nassco’s ability to position its entire company with a customer-service lens and create an all-inclusive relationship with Fiserv Forum starts with culture. By investing in people, Nassco’s staff consists of team players who deliver promises at multiple levels of a client’s organization. By openly and honestly communicating throughout processes, customers feel confident in the company’s reliability.

“The investment comes from them and a shared responsibility for success, because if I don’t have the tools and equipment that I need when I need them, or at least in a reasonable time, I’m going to go find somebody else that can,” Henderson shares.

Henderson’s relationship with Nassco has developed to the point where he can pick up the phone and know he’ll receive an answer or a call back that same day. And if there is a communication breakdown, Henderson recommends addressing it right away. If it's the right relationship, those partners will address those concerns comprehensively and immediately.

“At the end of the day, the distributors who win are the ones who make themselves hard to replace. That doesn’t come from what you sell—it comes from how deeply you integrate into your customer’s success,” says Melzer.

Taylor Vraney is the Assistant Editor working on Facility Cleaning Decisions, Sanitary Maintenance, and Contracting Profits magazines. She's also very active in contributing to CleanLink.com. Prior to her time in media, Taylor served as a Special Education teacher, which gives her a strong perspective on custodial operations and its role in creating healthy environments for building occupants.
Taylor handles the collection of content for the Cleaning Insider newsletter and facilitates CleanLink's monthly polling questions.
Follow Taylor on LinkedIn here.

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posted on 5/28/2026