Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com 16 Octubre 2022 By Annabel Rocha U nder the weight of dis- satisfactory corporate jobs, and the desire to dictate their own future, Ricar- do Regalado and his wife, then- girlfriend, Marley, took a leap of faith, left their careers and deci- ded to create their own busi- ness in the cleaning industry. Ten years later Rozalado Ser- vices employs over 500 emplo- yees in twenty-one states. "Our family-based and mino- rity culture is what has given us that necessary grit, passion and relentless work ethic to com- pete with larger industry con- tractors," said Regalado, whose business originated with only five employees, all relatives. "The impact of my family, cul- ture and exposure to hard work is what truly helped with our growth." As founder and CEO, Regala- do takes pride in his company being a jack-of-all-trades type of business. "We are a single source solu- tion for all of their facility main- tenance needs from cleaning to floor care to handyman to general maintenance and even supply ordering," he explained. The company is now a cer- tified Minority Business Enter- prise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) commercial cleaning contractor, although Regalado prefers that his company's work to speak for itself. "We do not like to lead with us being a minority contractor, I actually prefer to show clients that we are a better choice by how we operate, how we innova- te and how we truly differentiate how the future of facility servi- ces is going to be for commercial clients," he said. This businessman hasn't stopped with just running a suc- cessful company, he is hoping to shift the industry. He deve- loped Route, a digital operating system for cleaning businesses to network, manage and grow through one digital platform. "The cleaning industry is a very fragmented industry. Small business owners struggle to grow and compete with the larger con- tractors. My goal and vision is to give them an edge and move the needle on using technology and community and leverage both to win," said Regalado. As a Latino business owner, Regalado recognizes the barriers the community faces, and hopes to inspire others to pursue their goals. "[My dream is to] truly show our Hispanic culture, and the other cultures, that even though you don't come from a certain pedigree or background or expe- rience, that with relentless work ethic, passion, and a good-hear- ted attitude, that anything is pos- sible," he shared. Rozalado Services has trans- cended these barriers many minority-owned businesses face, being named in numerous "Best Cleaning Services" lists and ran- king in Inc. 5000's "America's Fastest Growing Private Compa- nies" list. He also was selected as a Latino 40 under 40 in Negocios Now and outstanding people under 40 in Crain's. Despite the recognition and accolades, Regalado's sense of success comes from the effect that his work and his company has had on the people around him. "My greatest satisfaction is that we are able to positively impact the lives of all of our Rozalado team members as well as our clients' team mem- bers. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity this industry has given my friends, family and team." How did Regalado grow so fast? IN ENGLISH, REGALADO MEANS FREE, TO BE GIVEN, BUT FOR RICARDO REGALADO, THE SUCCESS OF ROZALADO CLEANING SERVICES DID NOT COME FOR FREE. AS A VISIONARY AND DETERMINED ENTREPRENEUR, HE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO BUILD A CERTIFIED MINORITY COMPANY, ALONGSIDE HIS WIFE, MARLEY. THEY DID IT.

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