The Service Companies Accelerates Growth in Advance of 25th Anniversary

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. (June 27, 2011) – Leveraging new capital resources and new executive leadership, hospitality service provider The Service Companies is accelerating growth in anticipation of the group’s 25th anniversary in 2012. In March of this year, private equity firm Vision Capital joined DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (a Credit Suisse affiliate) as an equity investor in The Service Companies. Vision Capital’s investment provides The Service Companies with further resources to invest in best practices, equipment and acquisitions to fuel continued growth. “We are so grateful to have Vision Capital join DLJ as investors in The Service Companies,” commented newly appointed CEO Steve Wilson. “Our two equity partners are best-in-class and serve to ensure that we can adapt quickly and invest in people, processes and technology to accelerate the growth trajectory that we have worked so hard to establish.”

The Service Companies is the premier one-stop-shop for heart of the house hospitality management in the hotel, casino and vacation ownership industries, leveraging its expertise in back-of-the-house operations and its track record of reducing costs while improving quality. The Service Companies today serves nearly 375 properties in 38 states and the Caribbean with 4,000 employees who provide turnkey housekeeping, night cleaning, stewarding, window and chandelier cleaning, floor care, kitchen cleaning, security, landscaping, laundry management and parking services.

“The Service Companies is an ideal addition to our US portfolio,” said Matt Shafer of Vision Capital. “We made the investment because we believe in the The Service Companies leadership team and in the company’s position as the premier service provider for the luxury hospitality industry. The Service Companies’ potential for growth in its space is unrivaled, and we look forward to supporting this superb team of seasoned industry professionals as they continue to expand the business.” Added Neal Pomroy, Chairman of The Service Companies Board and a partner at DLJ, “We welcome Vision’s involvement with The Service Companies. They are wonderful partners and we are confident that the combination of Vision and DLJ will allow The Service Companies to accelerate its already impressive growth.”

Since its acquisition by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners in 2008, The Service Companies has fortified its management team to include experienced hospitality industry executives; expanded its service portfolio organically and via key acquisitions; developed a proactive sales and marketing effort to fast-track growth; and added Vision Capital to its roster of equity investors.

In the past two years, The Service Companies has added the following hospitality veterans to its executive staff:

• Steve Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, previously spent 20 years with Hyatt Hotels including general manager positions at several high-profile domestic properties
• Victor Lopez, Senior Vice President of Business Development, whose career includes 35 years in hotel development and operations including three decades with Hyatt 
• John Thiesfeld, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, whose 25-year career includes 17 years with Hyatt
• Bruce Ballard, Chief Financial Officer, whose 25-year career includes 20 years with Aramark
• Kurt Wong, Vice President of Operations and Continuous Improvement, whose 23-year career includes positions with Hilton Worldwide and Harrah’s (now Caesars Entertainment)
• Mike Rosenow, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Compliance Officer, who joined the company after 10 years with Harrah’s (now Caesars Entertainment)

With the addition of these leaders, The Service Companies added turnkey housekeeping to its service portfolio and closed out 2010 having cleaned over 2 million hotel rooms. The team followed the expansion into housekeeping with the acquisition of JRS International Inc. last fall. JRS provides window and chandelier cleaning services to upscale hotels and resorts throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Joel Shumaker, who founded JRS International in 1989, joined The Service Companies as General Manager of its new JRS International subsidiary following the acquisition.

Wilson calls the hospitality service provider’s business outlook “extremely positive,” for both the near and long-term. “Our approach to heart of the house hospitality management is more relevant than ever in the wake of the recession, which caused operators to cut overhead costs sharply. Even though general managers may have cut back as far as they could, The Service Companies offers them a way to improve profit margins while enhancing cleanliness.”

While reducing costs may provide the impetus for heart of the house hospitality management, The Service Companies equally values performance. The company guarantees to maintain or improve its clients’ quality assurance scores, as measured either by franchise brand inspectors or independent rating agencies. The Service Companies has successfully fulfilled that pledge throughout its 24 years in business.

The Service Companies’ ability to deliver consistent quality is due, in part, to extensive training, according to Rosenow, who has introduced world-class web-based educational modules to support The Service Companies orientation and on-the-job training programs. Last year The Service Companies hosted its second annual two-day management summit, where managers were encouraged to “think big, act small, nail the basics, and deliver personalized service,” he said.

Wilson credits his executive team’s 200 combined years of hospitality management experience as the key to understanding and supporting individual properties. “We all have walked the walk, and we speak the GM’s language,” he said. “We understand the challenges that face the front-line property staff. Our clients know we’re available whenever they need us.”