Case Study: CleanTEC

In 2000, Peter Rochford and Chris Rogers made the radical move to build a cleaning company that valued people as much as profit. 

Both had spent their careers inside a large international firm until venture capital ownership transformed that business into something unrecognisable. In short, a race to deliver returns through cost-cutting and wage reductions.

Rather than follow that route, the pair chose to start again. They left behind the promise of fast growth for something slower, steadier, and far more sustainable. 

CleanTEC was born with the conviction that commercial success doesn’t have to come at the expense of integrity and that putting people first can coexist alongside profits.

Since then, CleanTEC has grown into one of the UK’s largest and most progressive contract cleaning providers. Serving educational, commercial, healthcare, and industrial settings across the UK, its name has become synonymous with high standards and an ethos that goes deeper than any contract specification. 

A Deliberate Alternative

From the very beginning, CleanTEC was built from the ground up as an alternative to the investment-led model that dominates so much of the facilities sector. Peter and Chris wanted to prove that a business built on clear values of fairness, responsibility, and respect could thrive in a market where margins are tight and people are too often overlooked.

That ethos guided the business through two decades of expansion. But by 2021, with the founders considering retirement and exit options, the question of succession became pressing. Rather than sell to a competitor or private investor, the leadership sought an approach that would preserve the business’ principles and protect its workforce. Employee ownership offered precisely that.

CleanTEC transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in 2021, with the founders selling 60% of their shares to the trust and 12% to an employee benefit trust (EBT), retaining the balance to ensure continuity. The move formalised the founding principles of operating a people-first business.

Growth Through Purpose

A period of accelerated growth followed the transition with the business expanding from 1,600 employees at the point of sale to more than 2,300 today operating across 300 sites. Of course, part of this success reflects broader market conditions, but much of it stems from the credibility, sustainability, and opportunities brought by employee ownership.

Public sector clients increasingly seek partners whose ethics align with their own. CleanTEC’s employee ownership provides reassurance that decisions are guided by shared responsibility rather than external profit pressures. Internally, it’s reinforced a culture of accountability. With every employee a stakeholder, commercial performance carries a renewed sense of collective ownership.

Governance has evolved in step with scale. The trading board now operates with greater transparency, and the EOT Board maintains clear oversight. This structure ensures that accountability flows in all directions: from management to colleagues and back again.

Codifying Culture: The CleanTEC Way

The decision to become employee owned prompted CleanTEC to define what, exactly, it wanted to protect. The result was ‘The CleanTEC Way’, a concise articulation of the business’ story, purpose (‘We care about cleaning and those who work with us’), and values.

Developed collaboratively across the business, the document captures the principles that underpin CleanTEC’s success: 

• Respect for each other
• Pride in service
• Teamwork in execution
• Enjoyment in work

It’s become an anchor for culture and identity, serving as both an induction guide for new starters and a constant reference point for existing staff.

CleanTEC’s visual identity and internal communications reflect those same values, reinforcing consistency across every touchpoint, from recruitment materials to client updates. This deliberate codification ensures that the business’ founding ethos remains visible and actionable, not simply implied.

The wider EO community also took notice. ‘The CleanTEC Way’ was the most downloaded resource on the eo Hub in 2024, recognised as a practical example of how to embed purpose within governance.

Structure, Voice & Accountability

CleanTEC’s ownership model is supported by a governance framework designed to amplify employee voice and ensure balanced decision-making. 

The Employee Council, established shortly after transition, has matured into a key channel for engagement. Its Chair now sits on the EOT Board, ensuring that operational insight informs strategic oversight.

Beyond formal structures, employee-led initiatives have flourished. The business’ partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust, for example, is managed by a sub-group of colleagues who coordinate fundraising and awareness activities. Similarly, the introduction of Employee Champion awards – celebrating individuals who embody company values – has become a valued form of internal recognition.

These initiatives reflect a culture where participation is encouraged and accountability shared. The result is a more cohesive, motivated workforce with a clear sense of ownership over both outcomes and reputation.

A Diverse & Evolving Workforce

CleanTEC’s strength lies in the diversity of its people. The company employs colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds, speaking more than sixteen languages and representing the communities it serves. This diversity brings perspective, adaptability, and resilience, qualities that have proved essential in a competitive and labour-intensive industry.

Progression within CleanTEC is tangible. Many senior team members began their careers on the front line and have risen through the ranks. It provides a blueprint of the pathways possible at the business, ones that are increasingly encouraged and championed.

Recruitment efforts are equally inclusive. By participating in school and community job fairs, CleanTEC highlights the breadth of career opportunities available beyond frontline cleaning roles, including HR, finance, communications, and beyond. This proactive outreach helps shift perceptions of what a cleaning business can offer and who it’s for.

Sustainability as Common Purpose

CleanTEC’s commitment to responsibility extends beyond people to the planet. Since becoming employee owned, the company has achieved B Corp certification, formalising its long-held focus on ethical and environmental performance.

A central initiative has been the move toward chemical-free cleaning that’s safer for staff, better for the environment, and more cost-effective over the life of a contract. Educating clients about these benefits is part of the business’ mission to reshape industry standards and expectations.

Environmental goals have become a shared passion across the business. Few topics unite colleagues as strongly as sustainability, and that enthusiasm has helped drive continuous improvement. Employee ownership provided the framework for this collective action, but becoming a B Corp provided the proof.

Continuity & Succession

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, CleanTEC is using the milestone as a moment of reflection and renewal. Succession planning is no longer confined to the founders but embedded throughout the business. Emerging leaders are supported through training and development, ensuring talent pipelines remain strong and aligned with business values.

This sense of continuity is matched by external recognition. CleanTEC has been repeatedly invited to share its experience at the eoa Annual Conference and within industry forums. Its track record of ethical growth and consistent delivery has made it a reference point for others considering employee ownership.

The business continues to balance commercial ambition with its social and environmental commitments, proving that competitiveness and conscience can coexist.

A Model for Modern Ownership

By rejecting the short-term mindset of venture capital and adopting employee ownership, CleanTEC has created a model that delivers stability, engagement, and sustained growth.

Rather than reinventing CleanTEC, it secured the business for the future. The model preserved the values on which the business was founded and gave them structure, voice, and permanence.

A quarter century after its creation, CleanTEC stands as proof that when values are clear and ownership shared, a business can grow stronger without losing its heart, soul, or profitability.