As the company grew, Steve's wife Jean joined the team. Jean had always been there behind the scenes taking care of the bookkeeping, but at a time when she was looking for a change in her own career, she and Steve decided to concentrate on building the business together.
Before they knew it, they moved the business out of their home and into a commercial space, where they not only ran the cleaning company, but added ultrasonic cleaning services for both residential and commercial clients. Their staff had also grown to over 30 employees.

Jean Hanson, Co-Founder of The Janitorial Store
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In 2001 Steve and Jean decided to move back to the Midwest where both had family, which meant selling the business. A year later, the business was sold and they headed back to the Midwest where a new business was about to begin.
In 2002 Steve started Brainerd Lakes Cleaning and Supply, a commercial cleaning business, and janitorial supply house. The company is located in Brainerd, Minnesota, which is a beautiful resort area in Central Minnesota surrounded by over 400 lakes. In 2006, the Hanson's built their own commercial building to house the business.
In 2008 they expanded their commercial cleaning and supply business to other cities in Central Minnesota. The expansion is running under the name MinnClean.
Steve and Jean had always wanted to give back to the industry that had served them so well. So in 2005 they launched The Janitorial Store, which is an online community for building service contractors. So much of what is available on the Internet today is for much larger cleaning companies...there aren't many places for people who are just getting started, or people who already have a small, successful cleaning business, but would like to take their business to the next level. This is what lead them to create this community.
The Janitorial Store is a community for owners of small commercial cleaning companies that is designed to allow you to share your knowledge, ask questions, participate in tele-seminars, find training programs designed for the smaller company, and so much more!
Memberships
We feel it's important to stay involved in the growth of the cleaning industry. Our memberships in ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association), BSCAI (Building Service Contractors Association International), and IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration) demonstrates our professional commitment to quality.
We are a professional firm in the business of contract cleaning and selling janitorial supplies, and our membership helps us stay on top of the industry. We are kept up to date on cleaning techniques, personnel issues, ways to cut customer's expense, and much more.
Our memberships give us a competitive edge, so that we can bring you the quality and service that you deserve and expect.