American Facility Services Blog

Why Should You Keep Your Parking Area Clean?

AFS Florida — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:46:09 +0000

Contracting a professional, Florida parking lot sweeping service may at first blush be regarded as an unneeded, additional overhead expense. But, any seasoned business owner will tell you that it is an essential and viable part of protecting your brand and corporate image.

Paying attention to the last detail – including the upkeep of your parking lot is crucial to the success of your establishment. The outside parking areas are where business owners hope their potential customers will derive a great ‘first impression.’ Having a clean parking lot projects an image of success, and people prefer to patronize the successful. A parking lot cluttered with debris can take away from even the most beautiful landscaping. People may even hesitate to venture in, if they see the potential for a flat tire in your parking area.

It is virtually impossible to develop or retain the desired competitive edge if a business ‘ exterior, including the parking area, is unkempt. Plus, when your parking area is clean to begin with, shoppers are less likely to throw trash out of their cars when they come to shop. The professionalism of the local business community at large is projected by each of the businesses within it.

Sand, dirt, and other trash are abrasive. They will shorten the life of pavement, as well as the service time of any seal coating, striping, etc. When dirt is allowed to stay on pavement, it quickly starts deteriorating the paving material. Replacement costs for pavement far exceed the routine expense of sweeping.

Another excellent reason to hire a Florida parking lot sweeping service is to be more eco-friendly. Storm water runoff is fast becoming a factor in our environment. Sweeping your parking area on a regular basis can help to minimize pollutants in your storm water stream.

The key to any successfully parking lot sweeping division is the ability to effectively pay attention to the details. The details are what separate sweeping companies apart from one another. At American Facility Services (AFS), our employees are the face of our business. We make sure they are trained to safely and effectively perform their daily tasks. Our Facility Cleaning Techs (FCT) are trained by others with years of experience. AFS has created a 40 minute training video that explores the different environments that a FCT is responsible to clean. This video outlines AFS & customer expectations. Training manuals are also handed out to our FCT to reinforce the knowledge they have gained from the class room and on the job training. An FCT in training must score a 90% or better on the written exam. If they score below the bench mark, training is repeated again.

About American Facility Services

Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS offers a wide range of services that can be customized to meet the needs of each client. AFS provides a complete range of services, so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property maintenance needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

The Best Parking Lot Sweeping Service in Florida

AFS Florida — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:41:33 +0000

The key to any successfully parking lot sweeping division is the ability to effectively pay attention to the details. The details are what separate sweeping companies apart from one another.

As Florida’s leading commercial sweeping service, American Facility Services (AFS) employees are proud to set themselves apart from the crowd. In fact, we’d like to detail what makes our company so special. Here are the top five reasons AFS is the best parking lot sweeping contractor in Florida.

First, AFS spends close to 60% of the time out of the sweeping unit. Our philosophy is simple, the more time out of the vehicle the better parking areas look.

Second, organized sweeping patterns are established to ensure cleanliness and consistency. Establishing a plan on each property reduces buildup in corners, sand build up or accumulated trash along landscaped islands and the outer lying areas.

Third, most areas are detailed with a high-velocity leaf blower moving debris away from the following areas so the parking lot sweeping equipment can collect the debris into its hopper. These areas consist of but not limited to corners, cart corrals, parking areas, curbs and wheel blocks, building edges, under canopy sidewalks, egress drives, rear service areas and dumpster areas.

Fourth, trash receptacle liners are typically replaced when 50% of the bag is full of debris.

Fifth, our staff is trained to report any issues that may be observed during the service visit such as lighting issues, pot holes, tenant abuse, overflowing dumpsters, oversized debris and even windy conditions. Crews are equipped with digital cameras so that pictures can be taken of issues observed. These pictures are sent to your assigned AFS Property Advisor who will then address the issues with you via e-mail.

Additionally, AFS routinely inspects and maintains its sweeping equipment daily, minimizing equipment failures. AFS has a stellar reputation, full insurance coverage and enough back up equipment to keep the operations going even in the event of equipment breakdown.

The company utilizes two types of sweeping applications:

Mechanical Sweeping
The mechanical sweeper works by picking up the debris from the roadway and moving it into the sweeping path, where the rear broom sweeps the debris onto a conveyor system, which in turn carries the debris to a hopper.

Regenerative Air
The system is split into two major components. One of these is the forced air or pressure side. The other is called the vacuum or suction side. Although exact inner workings vary from unit to unit, the following is a general description of how the sweepers operate.

About American Facility Services

What to Expect From Your Sweeping Service Provider

AFS Florida — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:36:38 +0000

Florida parking lot sweeping contractors differ in price, quality of work, and other factors. Therefore, hiring a sweeping service for your facility can be difficult task.

Hiring a parking lot sweeping contractor in Florida is an essential part of maintaining the exterior of your building. Selecting the best sweeping service can be a daunting assignment.
Here are some guidelines to help you decide which service provider will offer the best price and perform the highest quality service for you.

First, you’ll want to learn about your sweeping contractors reputation. Ask the contractor for a comparable reference list. Just because they do a great job at the local corner store does not mean they have the equipment or employees to handle a large shopping center.

Next, you’ll want to think about liability. Find out if your sweeping contractor carries adequate insurance. In today’s society, proper insurance coverage is critical. The sweeping company should present you with a copy of their insurance certificate so you can review it and be sure it meets your requirements. You could be held responsible for a company that is under-insured, so don’t take chances.

Check with your Florida sweeping contractor to see what is included in their price. If you have additional needs that are not included in the price, for example – emptying trash cans or blower work behind the building, just let them know so they can price accordingly. Make sure you understand what is and what isn’t included in your sweeping contract price. If in doubt, ask.

What happens if your parking lot sweeping service equipment breaks down. Waiting for equipment repairs can be frustrating for customers, yet equipment failures are part of the nature of a sweeping business. Ask your sweeping contractor how they handle equipment repairs and service calls. Ideally, you’d want to select a company that has enough back up equipment to keep their operations going.

Overall, there are a few general things you should know about sweeping services. Sweeping machines are designed to pick up trash, for example: cigarette butts, paper, and sand. They are not built to pick up large debris or liquids. The machines do not remove stains or oil spills from your pavement. Also, if you decide to have your lot swept once a month, you cannot expect it to look clean for the entire month. It will begin to accumulate trash and debris immediately after being swept. And finally, sweeping contractors cannot be held responsible for slip-and-fall accidents. These machines will keep your lot looking neat and tidy, but they will only be on-site for a limited time. Something can spill, leak or blow into the area after the contractor has swept the lot.

About American Facility Services

Maintaining the Image of Your Property

AFS Florida — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:31:48 +0000

Parking lot sweeping and the cleanliness of the outside of your building can affect your business. Here’s how:

Studies have shown that cleanliness ranks as a top factor in determining where people shop, and external cleanliness is seen by many as equally important as that of the interior of the building. Here are some of the major reasons for sweeping your property regularly:

• Outside parking areas are where business owners hope their potential customers will derive an initially good ‘first impression.’ The way the outside area looks also projects an image of how the rest of the concern will be operated. If exterior maintenance is slipshod, then potential customers might well expect the internal cleanliness and other affairs of the mall or business to also be poorly run.
• People like to patronize the successful. Clearly, all businesses would choose to have a clean parking area, all other considerations aside. The unwillingness or inability to keep a particular area cleaned projects an image of not being successful.
• Shopping centers are finding maintenance of market share to be an increasingly competitive proposition. It’s virtually impossible to develop or retain the desired competitive edge if the grounds on the exterior of the business are unkempt.
• Even the most beautiful landscaping project is negated by a parking area which is cluttered with debris. If it has objects which might flatten a tire, people hesitate to drive in due to the potential for tire damage.
• Correct management of storm water runoff is a big factor for owners of parking areas today. Sweeping is a Best Management Practice (BMP) for storm water runoff, and a structured sweeping program can help to ensure the business is doing all it can to minimize pollutants in its storm water runoff stream.
• When a parking area is clean to begin with, shoppers are more careful throwing trash out of their cars when they come to shop.
• Sand, dirt and other trash are abrasive, and will shorten the useful life of pavement, as well as the length of service time of any sealcoating, striping, etc.
• The professionalism of the local business community at large is a composite of the individual images projected by each of the businesses within it. When people have several places where they feel comfortable shopping in a particular neighborhood or township, traffic is increased throughout the entire general area.
• When a parking area remains unswept for a long enough period, it will attract rodents and other potentially disease-carrying or dangerous animals.
• Keeping litter picked up reduces the chances of slip-and-fall injuries, as well as the business property’s potential liability in any resultant lawsuits.
• When dirt is allowed to stay on pavement, it quickly starts deteriorating the paving material. This is especially true when enough dirt collects to start plants growing, since their roots cause cracking in cement and asphalt. Replacement costs for pavement far exceed the routine expense of sweeping.

About American Facility Services

AFS Janitorial Cleans Up Around Florida

AFS Florida — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:56:06 +0000

Entrepreneur quickly turns job into dynamic company

Excerpts from the The Tampa Bay Business Journal, February 17, 2012

A willingness to tackle a variety of jobs has moved AFS Janitorial forward in a time when other companies pulled back. The facility services company has added clients and made strategic acquisitions to broaden its scope of services.

“Many times property managers are just juggling different vendors,” said Bryson Raver, managing partner and director of operations. “They can come to AFS and have one vendor handle services.”

AFS Janitorial also has the support of a family of companies around Florida under the AFS umbrella.

What’s a now a multi-city company with 130 full-time and part-time employees began as a one-man operation in the mid-2000s when Raver was a college student cleaning offices to make extra money. Doing business as Superior Cleaning Services, Raver’s handful of accounts provided a steady stream of income, and by 2007, in an effort to formalize the business he incorporated as 360 Facility Services Inc.

In late 2008 Raver formed a partnership with Mike Diglio, owner of American Facility Services Inc., an Orlando company providing exterior maintenance for shipping centers, parking garages and other structures. Raver and Diglio became 50-50 owners of AFS Janitorial.

“We felt these would be complimentary business,’ Raver said. “We took a lot of my principals and paired them with his contacts and ideas to create AFS Janitorial.”

AFS Janitorial is now one of four companies under the AFS umbrella, along with AFS Florida, Provident and ABC Paving & Sealcoating, acquired by Diglio in 2008. the family of companies has a presence in Tampa, Brooksville, Orlando and Jacksonville.

About American Facility Services
Providing both interior and exterior commercial building services throughout the state of Florida since 1993, American Facility Services (AFS) has built a solid reputation based on safety, quality and customer service. With offices in Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, AFS offers a wide range of services that can be customized to meet the needs of each client. AFS provides a complete range of services, so our clients have the convenience of working with a single provider for all their commercial property maintenance needs. Contact AFS today at 866-793-3735 or visit our website at http://afsflorida.com for an online proposal.

Hiring a Florida Parking Lot Sweeping Contractor

AFS Florida — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:39:20 +0000

People shop at establishments that are clean and where they feel comfortable. It’s true. In fact, studies have shown that cleanliness ranks as a top factor in determining where people shop. The exterior of your needs to be clean and inviting – after all it is the first impression your customers will be getting.

Many customers consider the way the outside of your office building or shopping center looks as an indication of how the rest of your business will be operated. If exterior maintenance is lackadaisical, then potential customers might well expect the internal cleanliness and other affairs of the mall or business to also be poorly run.

A Florida sweeping contractor can greatly assist you in keeping the exterior parking area clean and tidy.

Questions to Ask Your Florida Sweeping Contractor:

Do you have any references? Remember, just because a sweeping contractor does a good job at the local corner store does not mean they have the equipment or employees to handle a large shopping center. So, be sure to find out if your Florida sweeping contractor can manage a job of your size.

Do you have insurance? In today’s society, proper insurance coverage is critical. The sweeping company should present you with a copy of their insurance certificate so you can review it and be sure it meets your requirements. You could be held responsible for a company that is under-insured, so don’t take chances.

What to Expect From Your Sweeping Service Provider

Check with your sweeping contractor to see what is included in their price. If you have additional needs that are not included in the price, for example: emptying trash cans, blower work behind the building, etc., be sure to let them know so they can price your job accordingly.

There are also a few things you should know about sweeping services:

Sweeping machines are designed to pick up trash, for example: cigarette butts, paper, and sand. They are not built to pick up large debris or liquids.

They do not remove stains, oil spills for example, from pavement.

If you decide to have your lot swept once a month, you cannot expect it to look clean for the entire month. It will begin to accumulate trash and debris immediately after being swept.

Sweeping contractors cannot be held responsible for slip-and-fall accidents. These machines will keep your lot looking neat and tidy, but they will only be on-site for a limited time. Something can spill, leak or blow into the area after the contractor has swept the lot.

About American Facility Services

Florida Commercial Building Maintenance

AFS Florida — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:38:50 +0000

Florida commercial building maintenance services can range from simple to complex jobs and everything in between. More than just handymen, building maintenance professionals offer a high range of building engineering services.

Commercial building maintenance services are utilized by such institutions as shopping centers, luxury hotels, office properties, colleges and universities, schools, theme parks, corporate facilities and others.

In recent years cleaning and maintenance budgets of commercial companies have been tightening while the demand for these type of services continues to grow. Many businesses are faced with the decision of outsourcing with a building maintenance contractor. The primary reasons for outsourcing include unavailable internal resources and reducing or controlling operating costs. Therefore, hiring the right Florida commercial building maintenance company can be a cost-efficient way of assembling and maintaining a crew of maintenance staff.

Whether you need a toilet unclogged, light fixtures changed, stucco repaired or graffiti removed – a reputable Florida commercial building maintenance company can offer highly trained staff to perform mechanical and electrical repairs and resolve overall maintenance issues.

While these jobs can be outsourced individually to independent contractors, it can become an overwhelming task to keep track of the many different tasks that need to be contracted to numerous different companies. A faster, more cost-effective option would be to trust in a Florida building maintenance provider that can tackle all these diverse components so you only consult with one particular company – saving you time and money.

Should your company decide to hire a Florida commercial building maintenance company, you can relax knowing that necessary repairs and regular maintenance such as painting, cleaning the windows and walls and general maintenance issues are being properly managed. You will see that by regular care to the doors, walls, and ceilings of your building, will keep your facility looking good as new for a long time.

About American Facility Services

Welcome to the American Facility Services Blog

AFS Florida — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:06:15 +0000

American Facility Services (AFS) provides custom designed facility maintenance services for commercial property managers and owners throughout Florida.

Offering a complete range of commercial building services, AFS formulates a maintenance solution based on your commercial property maintenance needs.

Request a proposal or call us today at 1-866-793-3735.