The first impression you project to your tenants and their customers is an important factor in the success of your operation. For 32 years, CAM Property Services has provided clients with high-quality workmanship and specialized offerings to improve the value and attractiveness of commercial, retail, and government buildings.

Here are the Top 5 ways property managers can benefit when they contract building services from CAM Property Services:

Make Your Property Shine

From Class A offices and retail centers to universities and government facilities, CAM Property Services keeps buildings and businesses sparkling. Hiring a professional cleaning service to assist with your cleaning needs can improve your professional image. There is nothing more embarrassing than having customers or tenants view a business as unprofessional and messy. CAM uses the latest techniques, tools, materials, and green-certified cleaning solutions to ensure your business delivers a great first impression. Additional cleaning services include full-service janitorial programs, window cleaning, day porter, post-construction cleanup, and expert floor care. Big or small, we can do it all.

Expertise and Quality of Service

Every business operates differently, in fact, some facilities take it upon themselves to sweep and scrub. While this is certainly viable for smaller locations, medium and large-sized enterprises require more attention, care, and expertise. Not all commercial cleaning companies are equal in the level of service they perform. The range of services offered by CAM covers every need, from regular cleaning to restoration and remediation.

Hygienic Work Environment

Because of the high-volume of traffic that an office sees on any given day, it’s no surprise that they’re also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria to grow and spread among employees. Aside from the health concerns a dirty workspace creates, it can also pose potential dangers for accidents and personal injury to employees. Commercial workspaces benefit from industrial level cleaning, specialty services such as high/low dusting, heavy vacuuming, and industrial strength cleaning solutions. Additionally, professional industrial cleaning staff are trained in the most effective ways to clean an office, removing any potential health and safety concerns.

Higher Productivity and Employee Retention

A messy, unsanitary office stifles productivity. Employees become distracted, more irritable, and less motivated to get things done. Even worse, an unclean workplace tends to cause added sick days as germs are more easily spread. Conversely, hiring competent office cleaning services can result in fewer sick days and higher productivity. If a company fails to keep its workplace clean, employees may leave and find another job with a better sanitation regimen. Hiring cleaning services for your occupants is just as important as hiring them for your visitors.

Prevent Larger Problems

One of the most important jobs of a facility manager is to address small issues before they become big problems. Timely cleanups can prevent rodent infestations, accidents, or other hazards. Regular professional maintenance generally prevents these calamities from occurring. Cleaning services will maintain important aspects of your business so you can avoid problems that may become unmanageable.

Is it time for your business to hire a professional building cleaning service? Call the property professionals at CAM Property Services to discuss your specific cleaning needs.

The Keys to Inspiring a Successful Company Culture of Innovation at CAM Property Services

Proactive organizations recognize the importance of consciously innovating and permeating that philosophy throughout all levels of the company. Superior results emerge when strategies, business models, structure, processes, technologies, tools, and reward systems fire on all cylinders in symphonic unison. As the Director of Operations for CAM Property Services, Matthew Budnick thrives on creating a vibrant company culture driving growth and innovation.

Here’s a little insight into Matt’s leadership behind the scenes:

Q. According to CAM President David A. Herrera, the core values of CAM Property Services are fundamental to the company culture. As a leader, how do you encourage your employees to exemplify those core values?

A. The key to culture is making sure the values are clear and put into action. We’ve created a friendly competition in which every employee strives to mirror our brand and embody our three core values – Friendly, Responsive, Partnership – and voted on by their peers and management to be recognized as a CAM Brand Ambassador.

By reinforcing our core values every step of the way, from an inspection report to a conversation with a client to the nomination process, employees at CAM Property Services are incentivized to do the right thing. In turn, it’s created a collaborative work atmosphere where employees are happy and encouraged to give 100% every day.

Q. How would you describe your corporate culture at CAM Property Services?

A. We work hard and we’re not afraid of getting our hands dirty. Our open-door policy is such that if anyone has a good idea, we encourage them to put it out there and, if it has merit, we’re going to implement it. For an employee who isn’t an executive or manager, that’s a fantastic opportunity to make a difference at CAM.

Q. How do you inspire innovative thinking to meet your clients’ needs?

A. When I first came on board, we didn’t offer many of the innovative services we have today. Now it’s part of our everyday culture to think of ways to meet our clients’ future needs. David is all about efficiency and getting people the latest tools to be successful. For example, I believe we were one of the first property maintenance companies to have an in-house app to produce reports and have the capability to communicate with our clients using the latest technology. What’s most essential for us is saving clients time and money, which all goes back to innovation.

Q. Would you consider the multifamily sector to be one of your areas for innovation?

A. We rely on facts, not feelings. Through our research, we saw an opportunity in the multifamily segment which was not being met by any other company.

We won significant contracts in this arena, mainly because of our trash chute cleaning service. It was this offering that propelled us into multifamily seven – eight years ago, and it has continued to be a large portion of our growing business.

Ultimately, the willingness to take risks has allowed us to try new services such as drone inspections. We want to be more than a maintenance and cleaning company; we want to continue to be the best partner and consistently add value to our clients.

Q. What is your proudest accomplishment at CAM Property Services thus far?

A. When I started here six years ago, we had no set way of aggregating business intelligence. Seizing the opportunity, we analyzed three – five years of data and began predicting trends through analysis of key performance indicators. We continue to expand on that data and are now integrating Microsoft Power BI and business intelligence so that it’s available on all our employees’ phones and tablets in real-time. This proprietary app will allow our team to increase efficiency, which ultimately improves our customer service and bottom line. It’s the way of the future, making decisions based on accurate information and facts. I’m driven by improving our efficiency, increasing our service quality, and maximizing our impact in the marketplace.

Have you considered the steps involved in switching landscape vendors? Oftentimes, a switch is made to achieve budget savings or service quality. Whatever your goal is for making a switch, keep these best practices in mind to ensure a seamless transition that meets both parties’ expectations.

• One-time cleanup to ensure a fast transition
• Weeding
  • Control overgrown plants and create favorable growing conditions
  • Remove dead brush and plant material
• Mulch installation
  • Improve appearance instantly and inhibit weed growth
• Trimming
  • Cut back shrubs, trees, and hedges
• Irrigation audit
  • Optimize water schedule
  • Ensure all valves, lines and timers function properly
  • Repair broken sprinklers

As concerns about the environment continue to rise, California has increased their efforts to hold businesses accountable for violations. To reduce pollutants entering natural waterways and public water systems, the state has expanded the role of the California Water Boards regarding industrial stormwater runoff.

Pursuant to Senate Bill 205, the state Water Code now requires all eligible businesses renewing or applying for a business license to prove enrollment in a stormwater management program. It essentially makes it easier to catch violators by reviewing stormwater practices for all relevant businesses rather than performing random checks. The list of affected businesses is extensive.

Stormwater management is a consideration for businesses and public facilities alike, commonly implemented for shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily residential properties, municipalities, recreational parks, and industrial facilities. Here is a list of Standard Industrial Classification codes (SIC) for the businesses to which the stormwater program is automatically considered.

Stormwater runoff occurs when rain or snowmelt flows over land without soaking through the surface. This water can accumulate and transport pollutants such as oil, industrial castoff, or trash into the common waterways or ground sources. In fact, unmanaged stormwater is a major source of pollution for lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, and the ocean. Dry weather runoff is similarly a problem.

Fortunately, stormwater management practices have improved dramatically in recent years. Equipment, planning, and design have evolved to where they can manage the flow and filter water before sending it into municipal sewers. Sometimes this water is even reclaimed and used onsite for landscaping and other purposes.

Even before the state mandate, property and facility managers became increasingly involved in actively addressing public concerns for green initiatives. In fact, many forward-thinking companies already benefit from integrated plans for their properties. This includes sustainability planning, which incorporates public health and safety, environmentally green solutions, hi-tech efficiencies, and partner vendor relationships.

Stormwater management is another area where a strong property partner can use their inside knowledge to help with viable and affordable solutions. A facility company that provides landscaping, hardscaping, janitorial, handyman, and construction services can be well-suited to providing effective solutions for stormwater management plans and construction.

Major engineering firms and national construction companies might not be the right fit when it comes to state mandated stormwater management plans. Working with a company that does daily business within your industry, understands the nature of your specific property, and brings more relevant experience to the table can provide real benefits and save money. After all, you really do not need a company that manages large scale municipal water projects to implement your simple stormwater runoff plan.

In California, CAM Property Services has provided facility services for properties just like yours since 1987. Their in-house team and sister company Omnia Pacific Construction can develop and execute a viable stormwater management plan for your company as they have for many of California’s top companies. To learn more today call 800-576-3050.

Day porters commonly work in areas of heavy traffic where debris, dirt, and trash build up. They keep these areas spotless and appealing for those passing through. A specialized service maintains the professional appearance of a commercial property. In addition to cutting costs and ensuring a positive experience for customers, a day porter greatly improves cleaning efficiency and keeps a property looking professional.

High concentrations of people allow bacteria to spread through dirty surfaces. Offices and shopping centers are a few of the main culprits, where multiple employees work and interact with customers. The more foot traffic an area has increases the amount of spills that occur and leads to the creation of more garbage. To make matters worse, wind or foot traffic can lift debris and pollutants up into the air we breathe. Airborne dust usually travels indoors, which may cause employees to fall ill and creates a negative customer experience. We can’t resolve the problem with just a broom and picking up the obvious trash. A day porter is able to clean and disinfect lavatories, windows, carpets, remove graffiti, and empty trash.  Sweeping and mopping is a start but a day porter can go a step further. Regular cleaning with professional equipment ensures that a building is as clean as it can be.

In addition, research shows that hiring a day porter on a regular basis can prolong the lifespan of a floor. A day porter has the skill set to fix and prevent areas from bubbling or cracking. Moreover, slip and fall lawsuits have increased over the years, mainly due to poor care of cleaning spills and safety hazards. It is an accidental injury that is common in the work area and a nightmare for property owners and managers to deal with.

At CAM Services, we can help prevent dirty surfaces related issues by our experienced and knowledgeable day porter staff. Our staff can handle litter clean-up, vacancy preparation, set up a program to prolong your floors, maintain the safety of employees and customers, and assure you that your property is being taken care of. Call us at 800-576-3050 for an inspection today!

Maintaining a luscious, green lawn cannot be accomplished with watering and mowing alone. Healthy turf depends on many factors including nutrients, which are essential elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) that are absorbed by the roots of the grass from the soil.  When the soil does not provide adequate nutrients for your lawn to be in healthy shape, fertilizer is necessary to fill the void and help maintain that potent green color of the grass.

When is a good time to fertilize your lawn? It usually depends on the color of your grass. A proper fertilized lawn will be a homogenous, dark green all over. When applying fertilizer on a lawn, it is always better to start with a dry lawn. Apply the fertilizer using either a drop spreader or a broadcast and use the recommended amount over the lawn. Following directions when fertilizing your lawn is extremely important because over-fertilizing can burn your grass. After completing the fertilizing process, it is necessary to water your lawn because material needs to wash off the grass and into the soil for the fertilizer to start working. Depending on the size of your lawn, fertilization should be used four times a year on average.

CAM Services has nearly 30 years of experience in landscape services on properties throughout Southern and Central California; contact CAM Services at 800-576-3050 for a landscape inspection by our proven staff.

A federal district court in Northern California has determined that landlords need to be more proactive when it comes to the accessibility of their tenant spaces. Historically, commercial landlords have not concerned themselves with areas outside of their own exterior common area because their leases state that the tenant is responsible for ADA compliance. In this case, the court agreed that although the ADA allows landlords and tenants to allocate the responsibility for compliance between themselves, both parties are liable for violations in leased spaces with respect to persons with disabilities who are denied access. Both the landlord and tenant were made to pay the entirety of the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees and costs awarded by the court.

Landlords should make themselves aware of whether or not their tenants are meeting the accessibility requirements, even if their leases put the burden of compliance on the tenant. Be proactive to avoid costly litigation and court fees. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your risk:

• – Ensure that lease agreements include a stipulation requiring all tenants to obtain a CASp inspection and that the results must be submitted to the landlord
• – Require all Tenant Improvements or exterior renovations to be reviewed by ADA consultants employed by the landlord
• – Have vacant spaces inspected prior to signing new tenants
• – Always be sure to have common areas inspected

Incorporating technology into property maintenance makes sense, especially when it saves time and money while improving results. Aerial drone inspections accomplish all of that for property managers, owners, and stakeholders.

Now in their second decade of mainstream commercial use, drones have become more efficient and effective than ever. Commercial property managers have come to rely on recorded video surveillance of their assets from all angles for maintenance, asset protection, owner reports, and insurance.

Easier access to previously challenging viewpoints means that property managers can view and identify potential maintenance problems in the early stages. Managers can reduce operating costs through preventative maintenance that might otherwise go undetected. Facilities can be inspected from better vantage points or perspectives not previously available.

With cloud storage options, drone video footage can be viewable by any authorized user anywhere in the world, at any time. This enables raw footage to be viewed for a closer, focused viewing if desired. It can also be edited for presentation. Regularly scheduled drone inspections can provide a video log of the progression on a particular area of interest or trouble spot.

Rooftop drone inspections are an obvious favorite. Seeing HVAC, utilities, and rooftop equipment from an overhead angle or the entire topography of a roof can reveal previously unnoticed problems. Accessing hard to reach positions can reveal new hazards.

Upper levels are easier to inspect with a drone. Storefront facades and sign cans are other examples. Even further up, consider the benefits of inspecting the vertical face of a multifamily or office high-rise tower to review windowsill gaskets, paint, cracks, and other structural items. Problems not seen at the ground level or even from a ladder come into focus with a drone inspection.

Drone inspections are also great for covering wide areas, high and low. Property perimeters, parking lots, alleyways, common areas, and landscapes can all be inspected and recorded to address concerns about maintenance, repairs, safety, security, and liability.

Another common use of a drone inspection is for incident response. Damage from trespassers, vandalism, graffiti, theft, or natural disasters can all be addressed and documented accurately. Regularly recorded inspections can provide a critical before and after record.

Periodic inspections of unoccupied or low occupancy properties can provide an elevated level of security for out-of-town owners through high definition video of property conditions and 24/7 access to archived video recordings.

Commercial properties are valuable assets. It makes sense to maintain a comprehensive and accurate insight into the physical condition on a regular basis with aerial drone inspections. Owners can monitor their assets from afar, managers can gain new perspectives, problems can be prevented, and issues can be diagnosed.

Today drone inspections are performed on all property classes such as shopping centers, industrial, office, government, retail, and multifamily properties. They are used by facilities that require visual inspections as part of regular maintenance or digital recordings of assets.

The best option for ordering a drone inspection is with someone who already knows and understands your property. Your facility maintenance provider is a good place to start, but many do not offer such services.

If you are interested in aerial drone inspections for commercial properties in California, you should call upon CAM Property Services. They have been providing the best facility services in California since 1987. Their “one call does it all” approach makes it easy for property managers to get nearly everything they need from a single source. Their team of skilled professionals offer drone inspections tailored specifically for the needs of commercial facility managers.

To learn more today call 800-576-3050.

’Tis the season, and that not only means heavier traffic at your property but winter weather, as well. Although Southern California property owners are spared from the harsh winter conditions experienced in other regions, all it takes is one heavy rainstorm to put your building or parking lot out of commission.

So, is your property ready to weather the storm this winter?

It pays to be proactive, literally. By taking these necessary precautions before winter storms hit, property owners can save money by avoiding costly repairs after the fact. CAM Property Services is here to help you take action — before it’s too late.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Heavy rain causes strain on your stormwater management system. If not fully functional, the Clean Water Act can impose fines as high as $5,000 per day. California standards can be even stricter, including regulations tied to business license renewal.

SITE MANAGEMENT

Stormy weather can also cause wear and tear on your building, which can lead to costly repairs. Be one step ahead of potential damage by hiring an experienced Area Manager from CAM Property Services. Our Area Managers can identify problems before they become catastrophes and can establish a presence that puts customers and tenants at ease.

LANDSCAPING

Winter can wreak havoc on your landscaping. From fallen leaves to muddy puddles, the first impression of your property can be significantly diminished. Take back control with the help of our landscaping pros at CAM. Utilizing the best irrigation techniques and seasonal floral, your landscape will never be out of season with our help.

As you can see, there are plenty of things to look out for when preparing for winter weather. Fortunately, the solution is only a phone call away with CAM Property Services. Start the conversation today.