Starting NECS from home

When Gary and Leigh founded NECS in 2006, the business was initially known as North East Cleaning Services.

Gary already had five years of experience working for a large multinational cleaning company, while Leigh was working in the police force. They reached a point where they faced a decision: continue with their careers and potentially move to London, or take a completely different path and build something of their own.

They chose the latter. Using Gary’s experience in the cleaning industry and a shared ambition to create their own business, they took the leap and started NECS from their home in Cramlington.

The Early Days of NECS

Gary spent his time out on the streets, cold calling potential customers, winning contracts and recruiting staff. Once those contracts were secured, he would often roll up his sleeves and do the cleaning himself.

Leigh continued working for the police in London for the first six months, travelling home at weekends to help wherever she could.

At the time, the business was primarily focused on bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The hours could be long, and there was little separation between running the business and carrying out the work.

There were plenty of occasions when a job would finish in the early hours of the morning, only for the next one to start a few hours later. It was hard work, but it gave Gary and Leigh an understanding of every part of the business and established the foundations NECS would build on.

Learning as the business grew

While gaining customers was an important part of those early years, there were plenty of other things to learn along the way. Accounts, payroll, staff rotas, administration, registrations and compliance all became part of the day-to-day running of the business.

There was no manual to follow. Gary and Leigh had to learn as they went, developing the skills and processes needed to support a growing company while continuing to win new work and deliver a high standard of cleaning.

That hands-on experience has remained important to NECS. Understanding what is involved at every level of a cleaning operation has helped shape the way the business works today.

Reaching the next stage

For the first ten years, NECS was very much a hands-on business. Gary and Leigh had built the customer base themselves and remained involved in almost every aspect of the operation. Eventually, however, the business reached a point where it had outgrown the model it had started with.

Moving into the company’s first dedicated office in Cramlington was therefore a significant milestone.

It was a clear indication that NECS had grown beyond being a small business being run from home. There was now an organisation, a team and an infrastructure in place to support further growth.

Adapting to a Changing Industry

NECS had initially focused heavily on retail, leisure and hospitality, but changes in the market meant the business needed to adapt. The company began developing its presence in sectors including offices and industrial environments, eventually expanding into a much broader range of industries.

Over time, NECS also expanded beyond the North East.

How the Cleaning Industry Has Changed

A lot has changed across the cleaning industry over the past 20 years. When NECS started, cleaning was much more labour-intensive and there was far less technology involved in the day-to-day management of a cleaning business.

Today, technology plays a much bigger role. Payroll and accounts can be managed digitally, while staff management, communication, scheduling and monitoring standards have all become more streamlined.

Customer expectations have also changed. Businesses now expect more from their cleaning provider than simply having someone turn up and clean. Quality, compliance, health and safety, training, reporting and accountability are all important parts of delivering a professional cleaning service.

There has also been a greater focus on efficiency and sustainability, with developments in cleaning products and equipment helping businesses improve the way cleaning is delivered.

For NECS, one of the biggest changes has been the transition from a business where Gary and Leigh did almost everything themselves to an organisation supported by people, systems and technology.

Despite all those changes, some things remain the same, namely you still need good people, you still need to deliver a consistent standard and, most importantly, you need to do what you say you are going to do.

The People Behind 20 Years of NECS

Looking back over 20 years, there are plenty of milestones that stand out.

Winning bigger contracts. Employing more people. Opening new locations. Investing in systems and technology. Expanding into new sectors and adapting to changes in the market.

But for Gary, the biggest achievement isn’t one particular contract or milestone.

It’s what has been built from scratch.

When NECS was founded, it was just Gary and Leigh working from home and doing whatever was needed to get the business off the ground.

Twenty years later, the business has provided employment and career opportunities for many people, while building long-standing relationships with customers across a wide range of industries.

Those relationships are an important part of the story.

Some customers have been with NECS for many years, and the business has grown alongside them. The people involved may have changed and the scale of the contracts may be very different, but those long-standing relationships remain incredibly important.

Looking Ahead: The Future of NECS

Twenty years in business is a significant milestone, but it isn’t the end of the journey.

The cleaning industry will continue to change. Technology will continue to develop, customer expectations will evolve, and businesses will face new challenges.

NECS will need to continue adapting alongside them, but what won’t change is the importance of good people, reliable service and doing things properly.

From a business started by Gary and Leigh around the kitchen table in Cramlington to the organisation NECS is today, the past 20 years have been built on a lot of hard work, plenty of change and the support of the people who have been part of the journey.

We’re incredibly proud of how far NECS has come over the last 20 years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the next 20 bring.