Of course, the name is intentional:
GUARDSMAN GROUP now has a specialist cleaning arm branded as MOPS, or Masters of Property Sanitation.
The company will offer both contract-based and one-off services for hospitals, hotel rooms, schools and office spaces. The company told the Financial Gleaner that the mode of operation will be based on a site inspection, where recommendations of frequency will be made.
Guardsman told the Financial Gleaner, ahead of MOPS official launch on Thursday, that the company is in the incorporation stage, with an estimated budget of $20 million.
MOPS said prelaunch that it offers a proprietary pressurised steam cleaning, which “cuts the grease from kitchens, drains and equipment, restoring it to an original-like state”. The new service will compete with the likes of Manpower & Maintenance Services, founded by Audrey Hinchcliffe.
The use of pressurised steam in cleaning is not new. There are several small-scale units commercially available for use in homes and small institutions. But the use of such kit on an industrial scale that can tackle cleaning in large hotels and industrial settings is what MOPS says it is bringing to the market. It’s also targeting tourism businesses with the service.
“This will be one of our primary targeted clientele, along with hospitals, restaurants, schools and wellness centres, to name a few,” the company told the Financial Gleaner.
In addition to pressurised steam cleaning, the company will offer a whole-room disinfection service that claims to kill 99.99 per cent of germs.
MOPS says it will start with four to six technicians per account, based on size, and will expand according to growth. It will operate out of Guardsman’s offices at 5 Haughton Avenue in New Kingston, as well as Ironshore, Montego Bay.
Guardsman Group, founded and chaired by Kenny Benjamin, is mainly a private security operation offering guards and armoured services, but over time, it has diversified into other business lines, such as landscaping and pest control. It also operates the Hope Botanic Gardens & Zoo and the Puerto Seco Beach complex under licence.