BSCAI President Shares Goals for 2023

It was 1995 when Paul Taylor, CBSE, president and CEO of ESS Clean in Urbana, Illinois, set foot into his first Contracting Success Conference. Put on by Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI), Taylor decided right then and there that he'd never miss an event moving forward — and he hasn't.  

In fact, Taylor's involvement in the association has consistently grown since that first experience. He became involved in the Certification Committee in 2010 and later joined BSCAI's Board of Directors in 2014. Today, Taylor can add association president to his list of achievements.  

To learn about Taylor's plans for the association, Contracting Profits reached out to discuss what members can expect during his 2023 term. 

What are some of the biggest benefits of joining BSCAI?  

I believe the greatest benefit comes from being around like-minded business owners who are struggling with the same issues, experiencing some of the same joys, and are open and willing to help others succeed. BSCAI offers many educational and growth opportunities, fun events and certifications that help facilitate leadership growth, but the greatest benefit comes from getting involved in the organization, working alongside and getting to know other members, and solving the problems of our industry and association together. 

How has BSCAI helped your business?  

I joined BSCAI the same year I started in the business. I knew very little about the industry and had no idea what to strive for and how to get there. Early on, the educational sessions had the greatest benefit for me. I needed a framework for building and growing a company from the ground up.  

After having some success in the industry and gaining some personal and business stability, the educational opportunities were still important, but the network of peers to learn from and grow with was the piece I needed to get to the next level. I’m sure there are other ways to learn how to grow and thrive in business, but BSCAI consolidates the knowledge, the peers, and the suppliers in one place, making it very efficient to gain the knowledge and wisdom needed to thrive in the building service contracting business. 

What goals does BSCAI have for the future – and how as president do you plan to reach them?  

BSCAI’s mission is to facilitate success in contracting for our members. We want to see them thrive. While we are prepared for growth in our membership base, we do not see that as a primary objective. We want to provide great educational resources, impactful events and enhanced BSC relationships. 

In 2023, our focus will be on improving our services for international members and reviewing our activities and decisions to make sure we are inclusive of all contractors of all sizes from all areas and backgrounds. Additionally in 2023, we will offer plenty of opportunities for members to be more engaged in the association from attending events to earning certifications to volunteering. Over the next two to three years, we will reconstruct our certification programs to make them more relevant and inclusive of leadership training. 

What trends do you see coming in the contract cleaning industry?  

After surviving and thriving through COVID-19, I believe our members can adapt to just about anything. We have survived and adapted to a worldwide pandemic and the most challenging labor shortage in decades. I think our biggest challenge in the next couple of years will be adapting to price pressures and the reduction in building space due to work-from-home trends. 

We will continue to find more efficient ways to prevent viral transmission in our workplaces and to keep building occupants happy and safe. Be it robotics or re-inventing specifications and procedures, we must continue to be better than we were the year before. 

What is BSCAI doing to help members navigate ongoing supply chain challenges?  

I feel like our industry is past this challenge for the most part. Many of our members experienced a tremendous benefit as a member of the National Service Alliance (NSA). NSA worked hard for us during the worst of the pandemic to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants.  

BSCs continue to navigate a challenging labor market. What programs does BSCAI offer to help recruit and retain janitors?  

Probably the most important key to hiring and retention is creating a great culture where people want to work and where employees advocate for the company with their friends and relatives. In my opinion, there is no program or benefit that will match a great culture for recruiting and retention. We are all coming to realize that the larger portion of the available workforce is those under thirty years old. We must figure out a way to maintain our values while adapting our culture to include the younger workforce.  

BSCAI continues to hold town hall meetings to discuss these issues. We are working with passionate leaders outside of our industry, including Jason Dorsey and Kristen Hadeed, who study the trends of our workforce and provide us with the research and information we need to adapt. We are working toward adding leadership and emotional intelligence training to our educational and certification programs to help our members build a great culture in their businesses.

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2023 BSCAI President Discusses Certification Value, Government Issues