HAUS JANITORIAL SERVICES

By LISA LOEWEN

Randy Wheat, owner of Haus Janitorial Services, turned what started out as a side gig 30 years ago into a $1.9 million business through the combination of old-fashioned hustle and creative thinking.

Born and raised in Topeka and a multi-sport athlete at Highland Park High School, Randy understood the value of hard work even at a young age. His hustle earned him a reputation on the field, but it was his creative problem solving that set him apart from his peers and set him on the path to entrepreneurship.

His first job right out of school, which paid a whopping $5 per hour, involved working with traffic control devices such as barricades, lights, signs and street painting for a variety of public and private projects. His attention to detail propelled him into a supervisory position before he turned 20 and earned him a seat at the table for planning large projects for KDOT and other organizations.

“I remember the first meeting that I sat in on,” Randy said. “They looked at me and then did a double take. They didn’t take me seriously at first because I was too young. They liked my ideas though, and then my age didn’t matter.”

Hustle

When the company he worked for closed after a few years, he joined the grounds crew at Aldersgate Village. To help cover his bills he picked up a side hustle with Lutz Janitorial. It wasn’t long before Debbie Lutz began to notice that Randy was a little different than her other employees.