{"id":1741,"date":"2025-08-05T12:07:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/?p=1741"},"modified":"2025-09-08T14:28:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T14:28:35","slug":"standard-sweeping-inc-setting-the-industry-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/?p=1741","title":{"rendered":"Standard Sweeping Inc. \u2013 Setting the Industry Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scott and Julienne Audette started Valley View Sanitation Services, Inc. in upstate New York nearly 30 years ago. They grew the business for 23 years and then sold it. Next, Scott and the couple’s son, Alec, launched a new company, a commercial power sweeping service in Ballston Spa, New York, about 30 miles north of Albany. The new business, Standard Sweeping LLC, is thriving, and the owners’ growth plans are well on track. The family’s entrepreneurial life has been quite an adventure. We are fortunate to have the younger Audette share with NAS readers some of that remarkable experience and insight he has gained from it all:  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Audettes Launch Their Startup<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1996, my parents started Valley View, the refuse hauling company. I’m 27 now. I was born two years after they started it. I grew up in the business. I started from scraping stickers, washing carts, etc. I learned the ins and outs of the office, helping with accounting, etc. I picked up the front-load cans and a few roll-offs. I spent most of my free time as a child riding with my dad in the cab of a garbage truck. (When I was a baby, my mother used to say that was the only way they used to be able to get me to sleep.)  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My parents were often approached to sell the company. Around 2019, I was only 21, not ready to take over the business. They decided it was the appropriate time to sell it. My father had been eyeing the sweeping industry while he owned Valley View. But once we transitioned over to working for the larger company, it seemed like the appropriate time had come to chase new opportunities.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

During that period, one day I walked into my father’s office, and he said, "There are only a few sweeping companies in our area." He said, "This is an open opportunity for us." I was driving front-load for County Waste (a Waste Connections Company) at that time. He said, “If you want to start a company, we’ll see how well we can do to grow it.” Two years after we started it, my father came over to the new sweeping business. Within a year of that, my brother joined us, and he is now proud to be an owner as well.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Audette Family Generations of NY Service Success<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was going to go to St Rose to play soccer, but they kept increasing the tuition. So, my parents suggested that I consider going to a 2-year community college, and I was fortunate enough for them to offer to pay for it. I earned an Associate’s Degree, holding a 4.0 GPA. [Alec credits “a couple of really good professors” for contributing to his academic success.] I was coming home on weekends to learn the business and see my girlfriend at the time.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My parents wanted me to get a four-year degree ultimately. That was one of their requirements for me to take over management of the business. [Yet, he worked his way up through the company based on his performance on the job instead. Alec credits his parents for his preparedness.] A lot of it is the environment around you. I’ve <\/span><\/span><\/span>just <\/s><\/span><\/span><\/span>had a lot of good people around who helped shape me.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I definitely learned from the best — my mother and father. As far as my parents go, they built the business from the ground up, raised three children at the same time, and drove a truck. My parents were tough in a <\/span><\/span><\/span>good<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> way.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When I was growing up, they had the garbage trucks, and I would go out and help my dad. My grandparents had farm equipment. In summer, I grew up in the hayfields. My grandfather was a turbine engineer at GE, very mechanically talented. I took some engineering courses in school. Once I got into the power sweeping business, I found that I like to read manuals. I enjoy reading the schematics and service manuals of truck brands we don’t even use. I learned to work on trucks at an early age. My parents had to keep the equipment running, and I was mechanically inclined, so it was a good fit.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alec Audette Assumes Company Leadership<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My father is the CEO and majority stakeholder. But, because of my knowledge, he gives me mostly free rein. If he needs to step in with guidance, he does, but otherwise, I’m typically running it day to day, and we all are sharing management to some extent.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I do all the work on our equipment, plus run the office, including bookkeeping, routing, service schedules for customers, office work regarding maintenance record keeping, etc. I do those and other tasks, of course, with the assistance of my other family members. At the end of the year, we send everything over to a certified accountant for the annual tax work. I give credit to my mother. She was fantastic at organization at Valley View and is always here, willing to help whenever needed. I answer the phone, and we give all the customers my father’s cell phone number as well as mine so they can reach us personally at any time.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My brother Roman is 21 years old. He has come on board too, and he is doing a great job. And, my sister, Isabella, is amazing. She’s in chiropractic school, but when I need help, she is more than willing to lend a hand with any work of any kind that needs to be done.    <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Company Culture Based on Strong Business Principles<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Our motto is, “Setting Industry Standards.” We try to beat our competition in all aspects of the business. We’re not always the cheapest on price. But customers know they can maximize their investments by looking their best for their customers and employees. People care about their locations, so they choose us for superior quality and reliability. We will essentially do anything to help our customers succeed in their businesses. We’ve carried those leadership principles over to Standard Sweeping as the core of our business philosophy.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We need to build a culture of employees who care about the customers’ needs as the Number 1 priority. The culture we end up establishing here is to hold ourselves and our employees to the highest standard of quality. We will always be closely checking quality. In the future, we will have a QA person to check work quality every day. Sometimes, a driver may not be feeling well or may feel stressed. We will need someone to relay information back to us on performance. We never want to get that call from a customer saying that they’re changing service providers because of a quality issue.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Right now, during these startup years, all the drivers are company owners. Still, we check up on each other. We check each other’s properties. We hold each other accountable. I always say to my brother and my dad, we need to discuss everything. Everyone needs to speak their mind. If nobody can do that, we can become stagnant. We’re just human, not perfect 100% of the time. So, we need feedback from drivers, whether they’re owners or employees.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was so fortunate to grow up in the business and learn from my parents. I’m always learning. I don’t want to ever stop learning. Sometimes, criticism can be a hard pill to swallow. You’ve got to set your ego aside and be willing to accept negative feedback. You’ve got to think of it from the perspective of the other person, including your employees. You need to try to understand what they’re going through daily, customers too. Keeping an open mind is important.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Standard Sweeping Fleet<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the trash hauling industry, the front-load trucks cost almost half a million dollars. My parents would buy former municipal trucks because they normally had very low miles on them, and the cost savings were so well worth it. We had very little knowledge of the sweeping trucks back then. They are a lot harder to work on, with a lot more things you must get right to keep them operable and the sweeping equipment functioning ideally to do quality work.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We started out with a rebuilt 2008 Tymco 600. That sweeper truck worked very well for us at the time. We bought a second truck within a year, a Tymco 435, and we took on shopping plazas. We then got a Nitehawk Raptor. We now have a Schwarze A4 Storm and 2 Nitehawk Raptors. We either buy rental units or new equipment. Our newest truck is an ODRA MT4H. We sold off the couple of our original Tymcos. Having used trucks taught us all the ins and outs of working on the equipment. We spent a lot of time up underneath the trucks.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We plan on adding more units from ODRA to the fleet. We absolutely love them. Their attention to detail is outstanding. The electrical, hydraulic, and other components are easy to work on, and that reduces our time under the equipment. We also like how rugged the ODRAs are. They’re built exceptionally well.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We want what is most cost-effective. This way, we can keep our customers’ rates consistent for as long as possible. All the brands have their pluses and minuses. We had originally rented an Elgin Broom Badger. So, we got that experience with ODRA. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their price point for what they offer is just phenomenal, a great value. It’s a small unit, non-CDL, and it’s extremely versatile. It can do what the larger trucks can do. So, it’s the most bang for your buck, and it’s very easy to operate. Their team over there is fantastic too. They’re very intuitive and responsive, and helpful in answering any questions we have. They go above and beyond for their clients.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Technology at Standard Sweeping, LLC <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We had GPS tracking systems in all the trucks, but it didn’t work very well for us, so we’re not using it anymore. We will be adding Samsara cameras when we get employees. You can hook into all the cameras, including the broom camera and backup cameras. With the Samsara, when you make passes sweeping, it will also highlight areas you’ve made a pass through. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We currently have routing and billing software offered through Nektyd to help us stay organized, track jobs, manage billing, etc. That software is very responsive. It helps keep track of job times, and it sets up invoices based on that time, and on the pricing, square footage, etc. (We also use QuickBooks in the office, the older version, to ensure privacy, not the online version.)  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Marketing & Branding for Standard Sweeping<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I used Wix to do the website myself. My father handles the Facebook page. I handle our LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. He kept suggesting LinkedIn, and it has been bringing in work for us. We have had just one or two leads from the website. I will probably hire a professional to upgrade the site, do SEO, etc. I really like to manage the social pages ourselves.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We don’t really spend any money on traditional advertising. We do cold calls in person and by phone, send out emails, etc., to get our name out there, say hello, and see if there’s a need. The vast majority, about 75% of our business, has always been and still is from word of mouth, and the rest from cold calling. Those calls are mostly to property management companies and industrial facilities. And we’re growing in the commercial accounts.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The largest sweeping company in the area has been around for 20 years. We’ve only been here about four years. But we believe word of mouth is the best way to get new business. It’s a great metric to measure to indicate that you’re doing things right. It’s been working very well for us. So, our <\/span><\/span><\/span>marketing<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> focus is on enhancing our <\/span><\/span><\/span>service<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All of our new pickup trucks for field services and our sweeper trucks have our brand logos on them. One truck from ODRA is pink and has the slogan, “We’ll sweep you off your feet.” Another is wrapped as Megamaid, with the slogan, “Your gigantic maid is here.” One of the Raptors has the insidious Star Wars theme. The other sweeper truck has Gremlins-themed wrap. People pull up, taking photos of the trucks all the time. It brings joy to them, and whether they are a customer or not, that’s a win in our book. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We wear uniforms from Under Armour. It’s extremely high quality. The shirts have our company name. They’re red Polo shirts with black and chrome, and they each have our individualized patch, along with one of the American flag, the Standard Sweeping logo on the left chest, and a pattern on the back. They look great, very professional, and very attention-getting.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Standard Sweeping LLC Business Model and Plans<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As I said, we currently generally provide power sweeping service primarily to industrial and commercial customers. Overnight management would be nice, and we really want to get bigger in construction and milling cleanup. We’re also looking into catch basin cleaning. A lot of people strive to be that one-stop shop. We don’t want to be that.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Diversifying can be a big revenue builder, but a lot of times, you end up sacrificing quality because you’re not really 100% knowledgeable in those areas of extra services you take on. Whereas others <\/span><\/span><\/span>are<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and they can provide better service for those types of needs.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A very minimal percentage of our annual revenue right now is from portering. It comes from commercial locations. The portering can involve changing out trash liners, picking up litter from green spaces, and wherever the trucks cannot reach. Eventually, we’ll break that off to have a separate portering guy. Right now, the sweeper driver does both.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We’ll have a portering route, and all the portering will go to the daytime schedule. At night, the customers will get their sweeping, and the sweeper drivers and porters can team up to check on each other and help with feedback on the properties they service.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We currently complete about 6 regular stops per day, 7 days per week. We have a minimum of about 45 accounts. In total, we make close to 60 stops per week, including the one-time stuff, annual construction cleanup projects, etc.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the Extra Mile – High Value-Added Service<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We are the eyes and ears for the property managers we serve. They don’t have the time to go to every single property every day. When we see abandoned vehicles, trash service being missed, graffiti, tons of shopping carts, clothing donation boxes placed without permission, debris on landscaping, etc., we let them know.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For one customer, we do a little more. We adjust lights, assist with small construction projects, or even meet with a tenant if needed. They pay us for that by the hour. We love customer feedback. That’s a very good metric to show where you need improvement. Even if it’s just a bottle left on a parking lot, I need to know about that. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Extraordinary Growth of Standard Sweeping, NY<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This year has been our biggest growth year so far. We’ve nearly doubled in size this year. We’re hoping to start adding employees this or next year. Our service area is about an 80-mile radius. We would like to expand across New York state. It seems like there’s a huge need for reliable power sweeping services. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The power sweeping industry has been stagnant here in our area for so long. It’s just not meeting people’s needs in this part of the state. We’ve done so well because we keep working to improve service, and that gets attention and brings us positive word of mouth advertising.   <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Advice for Industry Newcomers from Alec Audette, Owner, Standard Sweeping, New York<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few things I would recommend: First, never stop educating yourself about all the equipment that is available to you. There are a lot of manufacturers out there. Know which applications they are best suited for. Try to understand the science and engineering behind them. Most importantly, learn how to work on your equipment and take good care of it. Especially in climates like the northeast. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I always like to give the analogy: If I offered you your dream car, think about the way you would take care of it. Of course, there’s a big difference between your dream car and a sweeper truck. They both cost you upfront, but one continues <\/span><\/span><\/span>costing<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> you money while the other <\/span><\/span><\/span>makes<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> you money to support yourself and your family. So, it’s just practical to take good care of the one that provides so much for you. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Also, learn about your customers’ operations and the daily problems they face. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Their<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> problems are <\/span><\/span><\/span>your<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> problems. And, finally, always set your requirements for your performance higher than your customers’ expectations of your service.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On Standard Sweeping LLC and Leadership<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We discovered that Alec Audette credits others a lot for his successes of every kind, in school, employment, organization, brand-building, and team leadership. That admirable gratitude is a characteristic we tend to find in the most successful business owners in the industry. Another impressive feature of the young leader’s mindset is his commitment to building on the stellar accomplishments of his parents in the northeastern New York region.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alec noted that he had been very wisely informed of the historical reality that often the second generation ruins businesses. Whatever their chosen industry, many intrepid Millennial and Gen Z entrepreneurs launching their own startups today will encounter this risk in time when they confront their succession planning needs some decades from now.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The current state of the security of Standard Sweeping LLC, as the family’s legacy, appears to be in exemplary health, protected in the capable hands of Alec Audette. Scott Audette and his son have developed a brilliant family business ownership strategy that appears especially durable. It combines a) an unstoppably high-performing family group (parents, brothers, and sister) <\/span><\/span><\/span>all<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> bringing excellent talents to bear on needs and goals, <\/span><\/span><\/span>and<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> b) a streamlined service model — power sweeping and portering. And, they’ve built in the flexibility to add value in other ways of helping their customers succeed.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The unique top-quality team, under the direction of Scott and Alec Audette, certainly makes Standard Sweeping LLC one to watch. We look forward very much to following the progress of this enterprise through the coming years.  <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For information about Standard Sweeping, LLC, Ballston Spa, NY, call (518) 365-6981, or visit<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>standardsweeping.com<\/u><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scott and Julienne Audette started Valley View Sanitation Services, Inc. in upstate New York nearly 30 years ago. They grew the business for 23 years and then sold it. Next, Scott and the couple’s son, Alec, launched a new company, a commercial power sweeping service in Ballston Spa, New York, about 30 miles north of …<\/p>\n

Standard Sweeping Inc. \u2013 Setting the Industry Standard<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1741"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1742,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1741\/revisions\/1742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nasweeper.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}