When siblings Ranjit and Navjot Takhar took over the family business, they did not forget about the commitment to community that has always been a critical part of its mission.
Evergreen Building Maintenance was started by their father 32 years ago in Calgary as a carpet cleaning business, and now the family venture is a full-blown corporation thanks to locations throughout B.C. and parts of Alberta.
Its home base, however, is still in the Okanagan, where it is fully ingrained in the community. Whether it’s donating time or money to organizations and initiatives throughout the Okanagan through its Evergreen Foundation, the company is always giving back to the people who have given them so much. It’s a lesson Ranjit learned as a young boy from his father.
Photo: Contributed
“Focusing on just the business aspect isn’t enough,” says Ranjit, who is Evergreen’s president. “We really respect the local community, and we want to give back to our roots.”
Ranjit and Navjot, who serves as the company’s account manager, both attended UBC Okanagan before jumping into the family business. Education has always been encouraged by their parents, and that is why the company gives back to the school system through financial awards.
“After Ranjit and I went to UBCO, we really valued being able to help other students with scholarships and bursaries,” Navjot says. “Especially at institutions that we go and clean, you see the merits of giving back to students.”
The company looks out for more than 250 employees as well, giving each of them their full December wages on Dec. 15 to make the holiday season a little brighter. This has been a company tradition for more than 10 years.
The family atmosphere that has been curated is why when you hire Evergreen Building Maintenance, you’re getting not just a company that will clean your office, school or store. You’re entering into a relationship that, based on history, will likely last for quite a while.
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“There are a number of accounts here that Evergreen has had for over 20 years,” business development manager Louis Stephen says.“So we’re not trying to build clientele for just business purposes. We’re trying to build relationships, and some of these relationships have really given back to us ten times over.”
The company is responsible for cleaning more than eight million square feet of commercial building space, the technology it uses is cutting edge, and its employees are trained for four weeks before going out into the field.
Evergreen cares as deeply about the environment as it does its clients and employees, as it implements the the most earth-friendly cleaning products to leave office spaces sparkling. It uses a government-grade disinfectant called EP50, which is EcoLogo and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified. Employees also use multi-coloured microfibre cloths so they do not cross contaminate when they are cleaning.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Evergreen to step up its game, and it delivered in a big way through its day porter service that cleans all the high-touch areas.
“People see that, and they tend to be a little bit more comfortable,” Stephen says.
Evergreen cleans for a wide range of clients throughout the Kelowna area, including the RCMP detachment, all city park washrooms and tenants in the Landmark district. Wineries, golf courses, universities, stratas and government buildings are also part of the company’s vast portfolio.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
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