Five years as an employee-owned business is a milestone worth marking, but for me, it’s not just about looking back. It’s about the journey that got us here, the decisions we made along the way, and the people who’ve made it all happen.
As Co-Founder, alongside Chris Rogers, I’ve had the privilege of seeing that journey up close.
Why did you choose employee ownership?
People give you a lot of advice about how to start a business, but nobody tells you how to finish one. Like everything in life, a business has a beginning and an end, but you can choose what that end looks like. Chris and I both knew we couldn’t just walk away from CleanTEC and leave it to a trade sale. We didn’t believe in that.
Employee ownership gave us another option. It’s a model where the business is owned, wholly or in part, by its employees, giving them a real stake and voice in its future. It allowed us to approach succession planning in a way that protected the culture we’d built, while still staying involved and continuing to add value.
More than anything, it recognised what we’ve always believed: that the people in the business are the business.
What has changed over the last five years?
" You still need new ideas, perspectives and people who can add value "
Over the past five years, that belief has become even more real. We’ve seen individuals take on a lot more responsibility, and to me, that’s the biggest sign that choosing employee ownership was the right decision. When people start to take ownership, it shows the model is working.
We’ve also retained a lot of our people, which is important, and at the same time we’ve brought in some great new talent. Being employee owned doesn’t mean standing still, you still need new ideas, perspectives, and people from different organisations who can add value. What’s been really positive is seeing those new ideas mix with our core values. When that happens, it makes a real difference.
How have our values and culture evolved?
Our purpose and values haven’t changed since becoming employee owned, but people can recognise them more now. New people coming into the business often say they can see the difference straight away. It’s not just staff either; clients notice it too. There’s something tangible about it now that maybe wasn’t as visible before.
We’ve also had other companies come to us for advice, which is great to see. It shows that not only are we benefiting from employee ownership, but we’re also able to add value more widely, both within our industry and within the employee ownership community.
Overall, in the last five years, we’ve moved forward in leaps and bounds. We’re more productive, and our financial stability is much stronger. Employee ownership really has made a difference.
What was the biggest challenge?
One of the biggest challenges at the start was communication. Employee ownership was the unknown, especially in our sector, and we were effectively plotting a course that hadn’t really been sailed before. Trying to clearly explain what it meant, particularly to our on-the-ground teams, wasn’t easy.
We had some good advice early on: keep the message simple and don’t overcomplicate it. But even then, it took time. We had to educate ourselves first before we could educate others. Putting together The CleanTEC Way, which was practical and easy to understand helped, and once people started to get it, things became much easier. Looking back, that was probably the main challenge.
Has your leadership style changed since EO?
" In an employee-owned business, people aren't just working for themselves, they're working for each other "
I don’t think my leadership style has fundamentally changed, but I have adapted. I’ve always believed in keeping things simple and lean. There’s no point adding layers that don’t bring value, as it just slows things down. A business needs to stay agile to be effective.
If anything, my expectations have increased. In an employee-owned business, people aren’t just working for themselves, they’re working for each other. Everyone has a part to play. If you come to work, you should be adding value, not just to yourself, but to your colleagues as well.
What does this journey mean to you personally?
For me, this has always been about more than just business. A business has to make money, of course, but it also has to have a heart. Both things can be true at the same time. That’s something I’ve always believed. I didn’t want to build something over 25 years and then just walk away from it. It’s not a throwaway item. It means something to me and Chris, and to a lot of other people as well.
Work gives people self-respect. It gives them a sense of belonging and purpose. Too many people go to work and feel underappreciated, that’s not what we should be aiming for and why things like mentoring, training, and apprenticeships are so important. Bringing younger people through, giving them the fundamentals, helping them develop, is a big part of what we should be doing as a business.
What excites you about the next five years?
Looking ahead, what excites me most is the future and making sure we’re set up properly for it. Becoming employee owned doesn’t automatically future-proof the business. You still have to look at everything, including your structure, your people, your products, your branding, and make sure you’re doing things the right way.
We’re continuing to build our strategy for the years ahead, and people across the business must buy into that. It can’t just be one or two people driving it, everyone needs to be part of it. What I really like is bringing people along on that journey, knowing that they will be financially rewarded for it. That’s something that genuinely makes a difference.
Where are we five years from now?
Five years into employee ownership, we’re in a much stronger position. We’ve got a more resilient business, better financial stability, and a team that is more engaged and more accountable. But more importantly, we’ve stayed true to what we believe in.
Looking ahead, I want to see the business continue to make a difference for the people in it now and for those who come in the future.
CleanTEC has made a huge difference to me and my family over the years, and I’ve seen it make a difference to a lot of other people as well. That’s what I want to carry on doing. And for me, that’s what employee ownership is really all about.
Read more about Employee Ownership at CleanTEC here.
Peter Rochford
Peter is Managing Director & Co-Owner at CleanTEC Services. Peter co-founded CleanTEC with Chris Rogers in 2000, and played a key role in the company becoming one of the UK’s first employee-owned commercial cleaning businesses in 2021.
Peter Rochford
Peter is Managing Director & Co-Owner at CleanTEC Services. Peter co-founded CleanTEC with Chris Rogers in 2000, and played a key role in the company becoming one of the UK’s first employee-owned commercial cleaning businesses in 2021.
