Biz Of The Month: Got Grease? For Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, The Hood Guys Industrial Maintenance Can Help

OF THE MONTH

The Hood Guys Industrial Maintenance . . . A Power (Wash) House For Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Sotory And Photo By Dave Hall

Two short years after launching The Hood Guys Industrial Maintenance business, on a shoestring budget in 2018, Dustin Brunelle has built the company into a county-wide operation with more than 150 clients.

“It’s a remarkable story and I am very proud of where we have come from in such a short period of time,” states Brunelle, 36. “With the help of family, we have done this with no other outside help or partners.”

Brunelle had worked in the hospitality industry for more than a dozen years as a Chef or Operations Manager before starting work seven years ago for a company that cleaned restaurant exhaust systems.

“I saw the company I was working for had little or no competition so I decided to start my own business,” he points out. “I’ve always been a go-getter and I like to think I’m personable and outgoing.”

He began by buying a $7,000 power washer and went knocking on doors. It wasn’t until after he had built a solid customer base that clients of his previous employer started to come on board.

“I pounded the pavement and handed out hundreds of business cards,” he explains. “We’re also on Facebook and that’s where a lot of our clients came from.”

He settled on the business name because many of his previous customers would say when he arrived for a job, “the hood guys are here.”

“It was catchy, it stuck and it describes exactly what we do,” he adds.

Brunelle also believes his experience working in restaurants, in particular in kitchens, gives him an insight into what restaurant owners want and need when it comes to cleaning and maintenance.

And while today he’s the owner of a successful small business, it hasn’t always been easy for Brunelle and his extended family, which now includes five children.

Dustin Brunelle uses a power washer to clean a kitchen exhaust system at Just Jeff’s, a catering and meal replacement business on Seminole Street in Windsor. A cleaning generally takes from three to four hours.

He grew up in a single-parent home and while his mom was working to support her family, he largely raised his brother who is seven years younger. His son Brandon now works in the business along with a couple of other employees including wife Stephanie, who handles the office work, including scheduling and the compliance paperwork required by restaurants who must undergo periodic inspections by area fire departments.

Brunelle also employs a bookkeeper to take care of accounts.

“It’s not an easy job because we’re generally working nights when restaurants are closed, or on Mondays when many are also closed,” Brunelle indicates.

He’s currently running one truck and handling two or three jobs a day, but is

planning to add a second truck so he can take on more customers.

Among his Windsor clients are restaurants at Devonshire Mall, Kelsey’s, Tim Hortons, Applebee’s, Just Jeff’s Gourmet Express, Swiss Chalet, Armando’s and Naples Pizza, as well as a number of area nursing homes. He also travels to restaurants in Sarnia’s Lambton Mall. Jeff White, Owner of Just Jeff’s, contacted Brunelle in January after the service he had been using closed.

“I called around to some friends and he came highly recommended, so I went with it,” comments White. “I need a cleaning twice a year to meet fire code inspection regulations.”

In just two years in business, Brunelle reports he’s on track to clear six figures this year and believes his client base will continue to grow.

“I would like to think my story could be an inspiration to anyone like me who had a difficult background growing up and later found themselves working away at minimum wage jobs,” says Brunelle. “There is a way to better yourself if you’re willing to work hard and able to surround yourself with a supportive and hard working family.” He continues by stating: “I won’t say it’s been easy, in fact, it’s been very hard, but it’s incredibly rewarding to make something like this work.”

One of his secrets to success is going the extra mile with customers and power washing deep-fry baskets at many of his clients’ restaurants.

He knows customer service is paramount because word-of-mouth is extremely important in any business situation.

“If you throw in a few extras now and then, your clients will truly appreciate what you do,” he expresses.

For more info, refer on social media to: Facebook.com/TheHoodGuys.Windsor.