A Family Tradition of Success: The Jani-King Arizona Story

Jani-King AZ is family-owned and operated with a single mission, to help people start and run their own franchise – which, not surprisingly, attracts the type of entrepreneurs that make it a family-run endeavor. One family helping other families.

And that’s precisely how it was explained to the young grandkids of the founding owners, Gene and Jo Ellen Nunn, 30 years ago. Those very grandkids are now part of the day-to-day of the company, ushering in a new era while preserving the history and tradition of the legacy that was created.

The Family-Like Atmosphere of Jani-King AZ

Since opening its doors in 1987, Jani-King Arizona has helped thousands start and build their own commercial cleaning business. But there’s more to it than that.

A Culture of Care

Ed Antos, current President and one of the few employees not related by blood (but family in every other sense of the word) has been there since the beginning and recalls the early days in a small office at 16th Street in Phoenix. 

As Ed describes, the original patriarch and matriarch of the family Gene and Jo Ellen Nunn, treated their employees with the warmth and hospitality usually reserved for close family members. Despite the demanding nature of Gene’s high standards and expectations, Jo Ellen would often follow up tough conversations with words of encouragement and support, ensuring that employees felt valued and appreciated. And this marked the beginning of the Jani-King culture that continues today. 

This familial approach extends to the franchisees, who are treated as family. A memorable story that captures this dynamic involves Tao and Thanh Nguyen, franchise owners who, frustrated by client complaints about the state of old restroom sinks that still “looked” dirty, took matters into their own hands and spray-painted the sinks white. The client, instead of being upset, called the Jani-King franchise office in fits of laughter and appreciation. And later replaced the sinks entirely.

A New Era of Marketing: Julie Robinson’s Leadership

With consistent involvement in the business over the years, Gene and Jo Ellen’s daughter, Julie Robinson, took the reins fully after her mother passed away in 2012. With a background in retail, Julie brought a new marketing savviness to the company. She helped attract a wider base of franchisees, those that were looking for a business that provided flexibility and earning potential “off hours,” across every demographic and ethnicity. It’s the reason that for a good portion of franchise owners, Jani-King is their second business.

Bridging Generations: Mackenzie Robinson’s New Chapter at Jani-King

Mackenzie Robinson, a member of the younger generation (and Julie Robinson’s daughter) is one of the newest additions to the team, as of 2023. Continuing her mom’s work, she’s finding new ways to connect franchisees to one another and raise the visibility of the Jani-King name among facility managers and CEO’s responsible for hiring cleaning crews. Her earliest memories of the family business are of the annual company picnics. Growing up, she saw it as a day spent with staff and their families, coming together over BBQ and dunk tanks. It wasn’t until later that Mackenzie realized what those gatherings symbolized. So one of her first professional tasks? To bring back the picnics. And that she did.The dunk tanks are next.

Growing the Legacy: Riley Robinson’s Franchise Leadership

As Jani-King looks to the future, growth is top of mind. And that’s especially true for Riley Robinson, Mackenzie’s brother and Julie’s son. After college, Riley joined Jani-King as a summer intern, understanding the ins and outs of franchise operations and customer service. As he learned the business and took on more responsibility, he was charged with helping a slower market get more traction.

Now six years in, he helps franchisees navigate the process of joining Jani-King and coach them through building their client base. Nurturing those relationships and seeing the franchisees succeed is what drives him. It’s what drives everyone in the family.

Stories of Success

For Riley, it’s Yolanda, a single mother with a newborn that came to Jani-King looking for stability, and is thriving 3 years later. For Mackenzie, it’s the story of Jose. A now franchise owner that carried the business card of now President, Ed Antos, in his wallet for 10 years, motivating him to earn his citizenship and save enough to open a franchise. 

And for Julie, there are so many franchise stories of success. The purchase of a new home. The ability to send children to college. Taking the trip of a lifetime. The hiring of staff. And recently, the requests from franchisees to renew their 20 year agreements. Evidence that the Jani-King name has served their franchisees well – and there’s no slowing down.

Looking to the Future: Reflections on Family and Legacy

When Julie thinks about the future, she smiles about the prospect of her children staying involved. She’s clear it’s been their decision to get involved and it will be their decision to stay involved. Either way, she’s a proud mom and enjoying the time she has with them now. Living in the here and now must be a family trait.

The Wisdom of Now

As her father Gene wisely advised, “There is nothing more important in the world than what you are doing right now.” The family's philosophy of prioritizing the here and now helped the company navigate the ups and downs of the economy over the years. 

Growth Through Unity

As Ed highlights, “Our success is determined by our franchisees’ success, and vice-versa.” This mutual support has helped Jani-King become one of the most sought-after service businesses in the commercial cleaning industry. 

They say you can’t choose your family, but at Jani-King I imagine they would beg to differ.