Meet an AUWC Member - December 2007  

An interview with AUWC Member Chris Lambrinides

Company Name and location?

• My company name is All County Window Cleaning. We are located in Vernon New Jersey. My brother and I just recently started a new company called Window Cleaning Resource.com

How did you get started in window cleaning?

• I had taken a part time job as a Window Cleaner about 7 or 8 years ago. After a full month of service there I had been fired for “not working fast enough”. I had really enjoyed the work so about a month later I decided I should start my own operation. I had only intended to stick with it part time while I finished up school. When I finished school a year later I didn’t feel like getting “a real job,” so I figured I would make a full time effort with the Window Cleaning and see where it would take me.

What types of services does your company offer?

• All County Window Cleaning:
  Residential Window Cleaning, Store Front Window Cleaning, Commercial Low rise, Residential Power Washing, Gutter Cleaning, Scratch Glass Removal, Screen Repair, Gutter Protection and Installation

• Window Cleaning Resource.com:
  Internet gathering place for Window Cleaners, Distributorship of various Window Cleaning Related specialty items and Business Consultation Services

What are your current functions and responsibilities?

• All County Window Cleaning: CEO-I am in charge of the overall direction of the company. I am in charge of maintaining and overseeing the company vision. I have taken my self out of the day to day operations of the business, if I leave for a week or two everything still functions as normal.

• Window Cleaning Resource.com:
  My Partner and I wear all hats here. Internet / Computer work / Sales / Marketing…all the way down to shipping and receiving.

Do you have any employees?

• All County Window Cleaning: 25-40 employees depending on the season. Right now we are maxed out at 40 as its one of the busiest times of year.

• Window Cleaning Resource.com:
  No employees, just my brother and I-- equal partners.

What tools do you find valuable, and why?

• All County Window Cleaning: When I was cleaning windows my favorite tool was probably my Ettore back flip, and bucket on wheels.

• Window Cleaning Resource.com:
  My Apple Mac book.

Are there any non-window cleaning tools you use regularly?

• Leatherman, and my computer. I would be lost with out my Black Berry.

What are your goals for your business in the next 2-5 years?

• All County Window Cleaning: Expand profit margins

• Window Cleaning Resource.com:
  Build a big warehouse, and become one of the dominant Window Cleaning supply house in the country.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of window cleaning?

• Family time, Computers, Snowboarding

Can you tell us about a difficult or challenging job or an interesting story while working?

• About 5 years ago I discovered fabricating debris for the first time at a professional athlete’s home. It was the first time I had ever encountered it, I almost cried. I was so scared I had just scratched about 60 cutups before I realized what I had done. I immediately stopped what I was doing. I ran home did some research and came back with some information. I was very nervous to brace the very large homeowner to what I done. His exact words were “I don’t care I’m moving next month.” Coincidently the check he paid me with bounced and eventually cleared about 2 weeks later. That situation was enough to scare me straight on fabricating debris. We now use a waiver on every single job we do. Even regular residential cleans.

In the future what kind of changes do you expect to see in the profession as a whole.

• I would expect and like to see more professionalism across the industry. It would do every cleaner across the country a great service if they were a member of some sort of professional organization. There is a lot to be learned from networking with other window cleaners. I attribute much of the success I have experienced to Gary Mauer, World Window Cleaning Network.
  Other than that I think we will see a larger scale acceptance of Water fed Pole Cleaning.

Why did you join the AUWC?

• I was taking a look at the website one day and I noticed the mission statement. The mission of the Association of United Window Cleaners is to support the professional route, residential and low rise window cleaner, and to promote the general welfare of the industry.” I really liked that, I think it says a lot and it serves a segment of our industry that isn’t given as much attention by the IWCA. After all there are certainly more residential / route companies than there are high rise companies. Shouldn’t we have some attention too?

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