The Josephs family at a golf outing


 Growth in jan/san requires not only a strong foundation, but also a willingness to adapt to a changing world and industry—especially as it relates to learning new technologies and a business strategies set up for modern times. 

One such example of Spruce Industries staying with the times is its presence on social media. LinkedIn has been the intersection of the professional and social world for years, but like many things, the jan/san industry has been reticent to embrace it as a tool. 

A few years ago, around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel determined it was time for Spruce Industries to use LinkedIn to build a more visible identity for the company. This led to discussions—should the focus be on building a profile for the company, or for Daniel, as a young leader, to make both he and the company's presence felt?  

Ultimately, it was decided that Daniel would build up his profile to demonstrate that Spruce Industries isn’t just a thriving company, but one operated by friendly and familiar faces. Since then, he has shared his wisdom, engaged with industry colleagues, and simply been a welcoming face for those wanting to talk jan/san. 

“I think it goes back to showing a difference to everybody in our industry—whether it's an end user, another distributor, or a manufacturer—that it's still a family business,” says Daniel. “We are the people running this business. It's not some faceless corporation.” 

To other businesses hoping to strike a similar vibe on social media , Daniel recommends showing one’s personal side, even in a vulnerable manner, and being consistent with the tone and use. Specifically, he recommends being “consistently authentic.” 

One of the things that excites Hank most today is that the company he built is in the hands of his intelligent and caring sons, two leaders who earned the opportunity to navigate Sprue Industries into the next generation of jan/san distribution. 

Daniel thinks this new generation will encounter a few exciting trends. For one, he predicts there will be a rise of  strong, independent groups of family-owned jan/san distributors. He reasons that all the mergers, sales, and bad breaks that led to less family-owned operations within the industry will create more opportunities for the ones  that held on. 

“The ones that survived are battle tested,” says Daniel. “They know what they’re doing, and you’re going to see them rise. That excites me.” 

The other trend that excites the Josephs family is the adoption of technology within jan/san. The addition of advanced technology within the industry has been painfully slow for decades—and Daniel should know; he’s a computer engineer by trade, after all.  

“I think technology is evolving quickly,” he says. “It might be faster than our industry wants to push it, but people that take this path forward are going to be successful.” 

For example, the labor shortage has been, and will continue to be, a challenge to the end user. This will open the door for the implementation of autonomous equipment. For the distributor, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be essential. If these technologies are quickly integrated, they should help. “Robotics are a solution that enable the customer to be more effective and to clean with less,” Daniel says. “Meanwhile, I think AI is going to change how distributors do business. I don’t know how yet, but I do feel that is a watershed moment.” 

When those moments come, Daniel and Michael will be ready to take them on. A third generation of Josephs might too. Michael’s daughter, a student at the University of Michigan like her dad and uncle before her, interned for the company over the summer.  Michael also has another daughter, while Daniel has younger children. If they choose to take the path into the family business, it will be their decision, after working on their own for a bit, of course. Should that day come, nobody would be prouder than Hank. 

“It's a gratifying family culture that we have, and for me, it's very emotional and very warm,” says Hank. “It’s very personal. At the end of the day, our industry is a people business and it’s always going to be a people business.” 

Jake Meister is the Managing Editor for Trade Press Media Group's Cleaning Group of brands. He works on three magazines: Sanitary Maintenance, Contracting Profits, and Facility Cleaning Decisions, as well as on Cleanlink.com, the home of all three publications. Jake has over five years of experience covering the commercial cleaning industry as an employee of Trade Press Media Group, but also spent time as a freelance journalist for the company.
Jake has attended many commercial cleaning events where he enjoys connecting and networking with representatives from all corners of the industry. This often lays the groundwork for profile articles featured across the group. He excels at identifying outstanding individuals and/or programs that showcase the great things the commercial cleaning industry represents.
In addition to writing, Jake moderates many of CleanLink's educational webcasts, and he is the voice behind much of the social posts.
Follow Jake on LinkedIn here. 

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The Josephs Lead Spruce Industries into an Exciting Future



POSTED ON: 3/30/2026