Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt
ALTRACARE:
Eddie (supervisor), Tara (human resources), Wally (operations manager), Mark (general manager & CEO), SK (controller) and David (supervisor).
A SPOTLESS REPUTATION
The commercial cleaning and maintenance company celebrates 20 years By Nerissa McNaughton
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or the past two decades, countless commercial businesses in Edmonton and area have benefited from AltraCare’s over 150 employees that clean more than two million square feet of retail, professional, industrial and office space daily. It’s an impressive feat, but for founder, president and CEO Mark Ferrara, it’s all about ensuring better health through spotless, detailed cleaning while empowering people. “I founded the company for a couples of reasons,” says Ferrara. “One was to create a company focused on cleaning for health, and that principle guides us through everything from the type of cleaning agents to the vacuums we use. The second factor was to support, employ and empower people. AltraCare is a company dedicated to our employees. We work hard to train and motivate our people. We form strong, lasting relationships with our customers by giving them value. Also, our proactiveness to our customers is very important. If there are any issues, we fix them right away.” One of AltraCare’s solutions is the development and deployment of its protection program, EnviroCare. “When you work in an office you are usually in a closed environment,” explains Ferrara. “You cannot open the windows. Harsh chemicals can build up, irritate the lungs, and spike allergies. Most of the products we were already using were low-scent and certified green.”
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AltraCare decided to take things a step further with EnviroCare, bringing together the cleanliness expected by clients with eco-friendly cleaners and high filtration equipment, all certified by third parties such as Green Seal and The Carpet and Rug Institute. All products and procedures also meet or exceed ISO 9001 quality standards – in fact, AltraCare was the first janitorial company of its kind in Alberta to achieve ISO 9001 certification. Ferrara says, “I wanted to become registered because I wanted consistency in our cleaning operations. We document the deficiencies and correct them right away before the customer does. A lot of companies have a quality program but with ISO, there’s a third party that comes to our office and audits us to make sure we do what we say. It’s a very expensive process, but worth it.” Part of AltraCare’s commitment to quality is a focus on the technology that keeps spaces cleaner, especially during the pandemic. “We use fogging to clean commercial areas that have experienced outbreaks,” says Ferrara. “We bring in our atomizer machine that distributes the sanitizing chemicals in nanoparticles. The fog goes into every crevice including