- Story by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

Michael SikorskiB次元官网网址檚 introduction into the commercial cleaning industry came at a very early age.

B次元官网网址淪ome of my parentsB次元官网网址� Polish friends picked up a cleaning contract for some extra money and my parents decided to do the same thing,B次元官网网址� says Michael, the vice-president of Fantastic Cleaning. B次元官网网址淭hey used to bring me alongB次元官网网址� I had this little pedal car and I would ride it around whatever location they were cleaning.B次元官网网址�

After seeing how successful they could be, MichaelB次元官网网址檚 parents, Waldek and Elizabeth Sikorski, decided to start their own cleaning company in 1989. Polish immigrants, they were living in Regina at the time, after leaving their homeland for a better life.

B次元官网网址淢y father was a photojournalist, a photographer for a newspaper, and was doing quite well in Poland in those times,B次元官网网址� Michael explains. B次元官网网址淟istening to Radio Free Europe, he became quite obsessed with Western values. He was fired from the newspaper during martial law in Poland after refusing to affirm commitment to the Communist party. It was quite a big deal given how well they were doing at the time.B次元官网网址�

When Waldek told his in-laws he wanted to move to America or Canada, Michael says, they were shocked and said, B次元官网网址淲hy would you want to do that?B次元官网网址� But the young couple wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to be deterred.

B次元官网网址淢om and Dad packed their tiny carB次元官网网址攁 Polski FiatB次元官网网址攚ith everything they could and said they were going to visit his dad in Germany. And they didnB次元官网网址檛 go back,B次元官网网址� Michael says. B次元官网网址淭hey were given refugee status and I was born there.B次元官网网址�

But WaldekB次元官网网址檚 dream of going to the United States would soon be dashed.

B次元官网网址淢y dad went to the U.S. Embassy and the guy had his feet up on his desk and wasnB次元官网网址檛 very kind. He got denied to go to the States, and that was heartbreaking for him because that had been his lifeB次元官网网址檚 dream,B次元官网网址� Michael says. B次元官网网址淗is next choice was to come to Canada.B次元官网网址�

With a reputation for a professional European approach to cleanliness, quality service and treating people well, the hard-working Sikorskis quickly grew Fantastic Cleaning in Regina to 35 employees. But then a trip to Victoria would once again change the trajectory of their lives. They fell in love with the city and decided to move here.

B次元官网网址淭hey sold the business and they looked to see if there was another business they could purchase here, but Dad decided to stick with what he knows,B次元官网网址� Michael says.

They launched Fantastic Cleaning in Victoria in 1996 and the business is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. They now have loyal commercial customers all the way to Qualicum, but those early years werenB次元官网网址檛 easy.

B次元官网网址淭he biggest challenge in Victoria early on was this insider mentality,B次元官网网址� says Michael. B次元官网网址淭hey werenB次元官网网址檛 open to new people being here thenB次元官网网址攖hat was the big difference from Regina, which was so welcomingB次元官网网址攁nd my dad was told, B次元官网网址榃e have enough cleaning companies here; you should go back to Regina.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

But Waldek wouldnB次元官网网址檛 give up. He went door-to-door, dropping off pamphlets that a 10-year-old Michael helped him to write, to 15 to 20 businesses a day.

B次元官网网址淗e wouldnB次元官网网址檛 let himself come home unless he had dropped off 15 introduction packages,B次元官网网址� Michael says. B次元官网网址淭he biggest thing my dad taught me was to never give up and to embrace that immigrant mindset to build our enterprise.B次元官网网址�

From those humble beginnings, Fantastic Cleaning has grown to around 100 employees and now services more than 100 buildings on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. This includes numerous long-term customers and some that have been with them for more than two decades. MichaelB次元官网网址檚 younger brother, Philip, is the companyB次元官网网址檚 operations manager and they became equal partners with their parents a couple years ago. Both have worked in the company since they were kids, but they werenB次元官网网址檛 sure theyB次元官网网址檇 go into the family business.

B次元官网网址淒ad told us he wanted us to do something else because it is a difficult business,B次元官网网址� says Michael, who went to business school at Camosun College and then did an entrepreneurship program at Royal Roads before coming to work for the company full-time.

B次元官网网址淚t was still being run as a mom-and-pop shop out of our garage then, and I came up with a restructuring plan that had a central office location and a warehouse, so we could become a more professional and efficient company with streamlined operations.B次元官网网址�

After making those changes, Michael says, the business started growing at a much more rapid rateB次元官网网址攁bout 20 per cent a year. But convincing his parents to do things differently wasnB次元官网网址檛 easy.

B次元官网网址淲e had some crazy fights,B次元官网网址� Michael laughs. B次元官网网址淲e call them B次元官网网址楶olish fightsB次元官网网址� because theyB次元官网网址檙e crazy loud! People often think weB次元官网网址檙e yelling when weB次元官网网址檙e talking because of our language. There was a lot of pushback because itB次元官网网址檚 hard for someone to let go of micromanaging when itB次元官网网址檚 their baby.B次元官网网址�

Michael also implemented quality control and employee-tracking systems. He admits, however, that his biggest mistake was trying to change things too quickly. Looking back, he thinks that if heB次元官网网址檇 introduced things more slowly and proved they work, it would have produced faster results in the end.

The COVID pandemic has been another hurdle to overcome, with decreased hours and some businesses temporarily shutting down.

B次元官网网址淚 learned that no matter how good things are going and it seems like it will be forever, everything isB次元官网网址攁t the end of the dayB次元官网网址攙ery fragile and we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 take it for granted,B次元官网网址� Michael says.

The pandemic has also highlighted the critical importance of proper cleaning and sanitizing, and Michael and Philip have helped clients implement new cleaning protocols. Like their parents before them, theyB次元官网网址檝e also invested in staffB次元官网网址攐ffering benefits and paying above minimum wage.

B次元官网网址淏uilding relationships with our staff has always been a staple for us,B次元官网网址� Michael explains. B次元官网网址淭he cleaning industry is notorious for high turnover rates among employees because of lack of job satisfaction. Nobody likes to feel replaceable or that their work is undervalued. We made it a priority to approach this differently and thatB次元官网网址檚 resulted in many long-term employees.B次元官网网址�

The brothers are now looking to grow the company, both internally and through acquisitions, and have started to expand to the Lower Mainland.

B次元官网网址淭he sky is the limit on what we can achieve,B次元官网网址� Michael says. B次元官网网址淎nd I believe staying true to our values and harnessing that resilient immigrant mindset we learned from our parents, weB次元官网网址檒l be successful.B次元官网网址�

Fanstastic Cleaning can be found .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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