Michael’s Message: Coming Together in 2025, And a Look At What’s Next
As I look back on 2025, I am proud of how our team, partners, and clients have come together as true collaborators in the Canadian business landscape.
Despite economic uncertainty, United has continued to move forward in our evolution, creating new opportunities for our team members and partners, developing unique solutions for our clients, utilizing technology to add value, and embracing leadership opportunities in our industry.
Here’s a look at our notable accomplishments over the past year, and a preview of what’s to come from United in 2026.
CIMS-GB Certified & Bringing United’s Expertise to the ISSA
This year, United confirmed our commitment to excellence by earning the ISSA’s Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) GB with Honors certification.
CIMS certification involves a comprehensive assessment by a third-party ISSA-accredited assessor, and the additional CIMS-GB (Green Building) certification highlights our commitment to sustainable, high-performance cleaning operations. Notably, the CIMS-GB standard aligns with LEED EB: O&M ratings, which means our clients may be able to earn valuable LEED points.
Certification builds on our growing relationship with the ISSA, a global industry association for cleaning and facility solutions. As a member of ISSA’s Canada Council since 2023, I’ve provided input and consultation to support our industry here in Canada. More recently, I was elected to the ISSA Board of Directors and am truly honoured to have this opportunity to bring United’s 48 years of expertise and leadership to the table as we shape the future of our industry.
United Has Continued to Elevate Our People
Over the past few years, United has embraced bold organizational change, transforming the way we work to embrace innovation while enhancing services for our clients. This nimble approach means we’ve been able to continue creating positions that empower and elevate people.
This year, our senior leaders have been challenged to mentor staff to take the lead in daily operations. This not only allows our staff members to level up earlier in their career, it frees up time for our talented leaders to focus on strategic planning and designing the future of United. In 2025, we elevated 12% of our team to future leader status, highlighting our commitment to fostering a passionate, driven team.
The shift from top-down leadership to company-wide empowerment is an adjustment, and I want to thank our senior leaders for embracing this new approach.
Supporting Partners with the Leap Program
As part of our national expansion strategy, we are continuing to evolve our partners programs. This year, we launched the Leap Program, which provides incredible support for both new and existing partners.
Our goal is to provide the tools our partners need for success, so Leap includes a vast array of support opportunities, including: financial planning and business startup support through our partnership with RBC, access to our United Campus training programs, enrolment in our equipment incentive program, franchising opportunities, and more.
Coupling our industry leadership and expertise with financial services from RBC, we’re helping our partners accelerate the growth of their business while developing a passion for the work we do.
New Functionality in the Unity App
United’s custom-developed Unity app has been a game-changer for our clients and partners, and we’ve continued improving functionality with new features this year.
App to Case is a newly launched feature that provides a more streamlined approach for our partners to submit equipment repair requests. By making this process simple and efficient, our partners can get equipment repairs completed faster, with less downtime, while supporting their workflow and our clients.
We’ve also added exterior services to the Unity app, improving and streamlining management for this important part of our business. Staff and partners can easily manage workflows and operations, while our clients have visibility to schedules, updates, and data at their fingertips, 24/7.
A Move for the Future
As our business evolved in recent years, our headquarters were no longer serving our business needs. Moving to a new facility that will meet our current and future needs and goals was the prudent decision.
Our new headquarters reduces our office space to better align with our streamlined organizational structure and the hybrid work model we’ve embraced. It also expands our warehouse to provide ample space for equipment and product as we continue our national expansion.
Additionally, the unit structure of our new space is futureproof. Should we outgrow the space, we have the flexibility to rent or sell the units to one or more companies, as opposed to securing a lessee or buyer for the space as a whole.
Over the past year, Canadian companies have been impacted by tariffs, either directly or indirectly. Many companies have been stretched and challenged by increasing costs or the need to build new vendor relationships, and this comes at a cost to business.
As I reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2026, I am grateful for the strong relationships United and our partners have with our clients. We will continue to work with our clients to understand their challenges and provide unique solutions — like our proprietary Clean & Protect, which extends the stripping cycle and cuts burnishing in stores by half.
The transformation that we’ve embraced as an organization over the past few years means United is nimble and ready to respond strategically to global economic challenges. As we continue to build relationships nationally and move forward with our digital transformation, we will add value and help manage costs for both our clients and our partners.
As we close the chapter on 2025, I want to personally thank all of you in the United family for coming together to work as true partners in uncertain times. Thank you to our cleaning staff (employees), subcontractors, and partners for delivering exceptional service every day. Thank you to our committed team members for supporting our customers and partners while embracing new ways of working. A special thank you to our customers for your loyalty and trust in United.
Together, we will grow and support each other for continued success.
Warmest wishes,
Michael Kroupa
CEO and Owner of United Services Group