Q & A with Gary Breach of NECS

Established in 2006 by Gary Breach, NECS is a nationwide provider of commercial cleaning, office cleaning, facilities management, and specialist cleaning services.

Gary Breach, Managing Director and Founder of NECS, talks to Horizon Works about the company’s growth journey and plans for the future.

What was your biggest highlight of 2021?

Our biggest highlight was our fifteenth anniversary. The milestone prompted us to reflect on our business journey and it’s great to see how far we have come since our inception.

We initially started trading as North East Cleaning Services, and our work focused on retail and leisure businesses in the North East of England. We have since grown to a nationwide provider of professional commercial cleaning services, specialist cleaning services, and facilities management services. We now have six branches throughout the UK, including our headquarters in Cramlington, Northumberland, and more than 250 employees. In addition, we have expanded our scope and we work across a breadth of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, construction, education, and retail.

To mark the momentous milestone, we created a new website and rejuvenated our brand to better reflect the company we are today.

You’ve grown the business and team significantly over the past 15 years – to what do you attribute your success? 

As a business, we have always been flexible in our approach and open to diversification, whether for growth or to meet changing industry demands. As an example, when I launched the business, we predominantly worked in the retail and leisure sectors however due to market changes there was a periodic decline in demand for cleaning services. It was then that we start to diversify into new sectors. Now, as we embark on the next phase of our growth journey we are looking to further expand into new industries.

Our success is also in part thanks to the hard work of our employees, from our management and office teams to our dedicated Area Supervisors and Cleaners. Internal communication is very important to us, and we embed our mission and values into our practices including recruitment and onboarding. This means we are all working towards one goal and with one philosophy in mind: ‘To provide high-quality cleaning services at competitive prices and in a prompt timeframe.

How do you keep up with industry changes and developments?

Delivering the best service to our customers is at the heart of everything we do. It is therefore critical that we stay well-informed of the latest trends, regulations, and requirements and one of the most important ways we do this is directly through our customers. We pride ourselves on our partnership approach to relationships, and on average once per month our Area Supervisors capture feedback directly from each customer.

Another way in which we do this is through industry bodies and networks. We are proud to be ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, BICSc certified, Constructionline Level 2 and Acclaim Accredited.  We are also members of networks such as the North East England Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

An example of the advancements we have made, in line with industry developments, is the launch of our app in 2019. Designed to improve the customer and employee experience, the app makes daily tasks and processes more automated and efficient.  The app enables cleaners to sign in when they arrive on site and sign out on departure so we can better monitor cleaner attendance and ensure lone worker safety. It also allows us to swiftly provide cover if required, helping avoid any disruption to our customer’s daily operations.

How will the rejuvenated brand, new website and marketing focus support your plans moving forward?

Our rejuvenated brand, website, and messaging reflect our position as a nationwide commercial cleaning specialist, and they capture our vast capabilities.

We have developed a marketing strategy in line with our objective of further raising our profile as a leading provider of high-quality professional commercial cleaning services across the UK. This strategy will drive all our marketing moving forward, and ensure it helps us meet our sales and business objectives.

One of our goals for 2022 is to increase our foothold in key sectors, as well as expand into new markets. In addition to our refreshed marketing tools, we will be utilising marketing tactics such as blogs, PR, and case studies to showcase our USPs, services and the benefits of our work. As an example, we have extensive experience delivering industrial cleaning services to manufacturing and engineering businesses across a range of settings from warehouses and factories to manufacturing sites. Through our marketing we are highlighting this experience, alongside our specialist cleaning services, all of which are transferrable and beneficial to a range of other industries, such as automotive – a key target sector for us.

What will 2022 bring for NECS?

Our focus is on investing in the business to drive further growth and 2022 has already had a strong start for us. We continue to see a surge in demand for professional cleaning services and plan on growing our turnover by 50% through our current customers as well as new contracts and our diversification into new industries.

In addition, we aim to increase our team by 100 people to ensure that with our growth, we continue to provide the highest quality cleaning solutions for our customers. Our recruitment will be across a range of roles and locations, as we recruit locally – providing employment opportunities in all the areas we operate.

To find out more about NECS visit their website here >