At 35, John Disselkamp quit a Louisville, Kentucky bank to mop floors for $600 a month; his First Class Commercial Cleaning now earns about $10 million a year, with 300 staff
In an era when bank jobs are synonymous with financial stability and career success, John Disselkamp chose a unique career path. Instead of pursuing an office job, he abandoned his banking career in pursuit of understanding the commercial cleaning business. This included going back to zero financially and getting into an entirely new line of work.
According to a January 24, 2024, Entrepreneur report, Disselkamp gave up his banking job in Louisville at the age of 35. He started as a janitor, earning $600 per month. He later founded First Class Commercial Cleaning in January 2016. The company grew into a business generating about $10 million in annual revenue and employing 300 people. His business started with office cleaning but has expanded to commercial services involving large office buildings and other professional facilities.
Leaving a banking career
Disselkamp decided to move away from banking not because of a new business opportunity or an already secured financial background. After working for several years in the banking industry, he began to doubt whether he wanted to devote his life to sitting behind a desk. Gradually, his desire to build something of his own grew stronger, prompting him to become an entrepreneur. The business model that interested him in particular was the recurring revenue model through a commercial cleaning contract. The idea of starting a commercial cleaning business came to him from a former customer in the banking industry who had created his own profitable company in the field.
This phase was challenging: after quitting his job, Disselkamp moved in with his mother because he had $20,000 in credit card debt and no retirement savings. Later, he got employed in a janitor’s position, making about $600 monthly. This work enabled him to discover what it means to maintain commercial facilities, from choosing cleaning products to dealing with different types of floors and fulfilling the expectations of customers. At first, he lacked practical experience and often consulted people who had done the job before him.
A cold call helped to secure the first major contract
Disselkamp formally established First Class Commercial Cleaning in January 2016. The venture’s early growth depended on winning back the confidence of commercial clients, who can be cautious about working with a new company. One of the first big chances came as a result of constant attempts to contact local property management firms. He found a contact person on the company’s website and began calling. The calls weren't answered at first, but he kept trying, and the property manager eventually agreed to take his call. The conversation led to a contract to clean an eight-floor building of about 200,000 square feet.
Securing the contract was a major milestone for the company. This was an opportunity for the company to establish itself as a reliable cleaning association working with bigger firms. Then, the company started moving from individual cleaning jobs to recurrent contracts for office buildings and other professional places. Eventually, it expanded its services to include commercial floor cleaning, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, day porter services, and post-construction cleaning.
Building a business around employees and customer relationships
The expansion of the firm has been directly linked to Disselkamp’s focus on relationships and employee engagement within the workplace. Instead of viewing the cleaning process as just another service delivered by completing tasks, he has made efforts towards creating an environment where employees are treated well. He has often reiterated that the success of the company will depend upon the people doing the task, ranging from cleaners to supervisors and management. As stated in the interview with Entrepreneur in January 2024, he stressed the need to know about employees' personal lives to foster an atmosphere of trust in the workforce. This is because a good relationship between employees and management will help provide more consistency in service delivery.
The company's financial growth has earned it recognition in the Louisville business community. According to Louisville Business First, First Class Commercial Cleaning generated revenue of $4.89 million in 2022, $9.14 million in 2023, and $10.84 million in 2024. This growth of 121.96% between 2022 and 2024 placed the company seventh on the publication's 2025 Fast 50 list. The business has also expanded beyond its original Louisville market and now provides services in Lexington, Indianapolis, Nashville, and St. Louis. Its expansion reflects the progress made since founder John Disselkamp established the company in January 2016, building it from a small commercial cleaning operation into a business with more than 300 employees nationwide.
According to a January 24, 2024, Entrepreneur report, Disselkamp gave up his banking job in Louisville at the age of 35. He started as a janitor, earning $600 per month. He later founded First Class Commercial Cleaning in January 2016. The company grew into a business generating about $10 million in annual revenue and employing 300 people. His business started with office cleaning but has expanded to commercial services involving large office buildings and other professional facilities.
Leaving a banking career
Disselkamp decided to move away from banking not because of a new business opportunity or an already secured financial background. After working for several years in the banking industry, he began to doubt whether he wanted to devote his life to sitting behind a desk. Gradually, his desire to build something of his own grew stronger, prompting him to become an entrepreneur. The business model that interested him in particular was the recurring revenue model through a commercial cleaning contract. The idea of starting a commercial cleaning business came to him from a former customer in the banking industry who had created his own profitable company in the field.
This phase was challenging: after quitting his job, Disselkamp moved in with his mother because he had $20,000 in credit card debt and no retirement savings. Later, he got employed in a janitor’s position, making about $600 monthly. This work enabled him to discover what it means to maintain commercial facilities, from choosing cleaning products to dealing with different types of floors and fulfilling the expectations of customers. At first, he lacked practical experience and often consulted people who had done the job before him.
A cold call helped to secure the first major contract
Disselkamp formally established First Class Commercial Cleaning in January 2016. The venture’s early growth depended on winning back the confidence of commercial clients, who can be cautious about working with a new company. One of the first big chances came as a result of constant attempts to contact local property management firms. He found a contact person on the company’s website and began calling. The calls weren't answered at first, but he kept trying, and the property manager eventually agreed to take his call. The conversation led to a contract to clean an eight-floor building of about 200,000 square feet.
Securing the contract was a major milestone for the company. This was an opportunity for the company to establish itself as a reliable cleaning association working with bigger firms. Then, the company started moving from individual cleaning jobs to recurrent contracts for office buildings and other professional places. Eventually, it expanded its services to include commercial floor cleaning, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, day porter services, and post-construction cleaning.
The expansion of the firm has been directly linked to Disselkamp’s focus on relationships and employee engagement within the workplace. Instead of viewing the cleaning process as just another service delivered by completing tasks, he has made efforts towards creating an environment where employees are treated well. He has often reiterated that the success of the company will depend upon the people doing the task, ranging from cleaners to supervisors and management. As stated in the interview with Entrepreneur in January 2024, he stressed the need to know about employees' personal lives to foster an atmosphere of trust in the workforce. This is because a good relationship between employees and management will help provide more consistency in service delivery.
The company's financial growth has earned it recognition in the Louisville business community. According to Louisville Business First, First Class Commercial Cleaning generated revenue of $4.89 million in 2022, $9.14 million in 2023, and $10.84 million in 2024. This growth of 121.96% between 2022 and 2024 placed the company seventh on the publication's 2025 Fast 50 list. The business has also expanded beyond its original Louisville market and now provides services in Lexington, Indianapolis, Nashville, and St. Louis. Its expansion reflects the progress made since founder John Disselkamp established the company in January 2016, building it from a small commercial cleaning operation into a business with more than 300 employees nationwide.
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