Celebrating 20 years of Strike Force Services
In 2003, John Howard was the Australian Prime Minister, baggy jeans, denim and graphic tees were the epitome of style, ‘Finding Nemo’ was released in cinemas, and Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ was topping the music charts with everyone listening in on their MP3 players.
This was also the year that Strike Force Services was established!
Now in 2023, we are celebrating two decades of work in the facilities management industry. Since our humble beginnings, we have grown in size and reputation to be known as a reliable, safe, and quality assured professional cleaning and facilities management business.
Our focus is on supporting the communities of the Hunter and beyond across a vast range of industries, both in employment opportunities and services
Having started in an office at the back of a Dance Shop in East Maitland, we gradually began to take on more clients, while maintaining a focus on keeping our family business’ strengths and values.
We are proud to be able to look back on 20 years of operation, reminiscing on our history, challenges and triumphs so far, and what’s now in store for the future.
The history of Strike Force Services
We started out as a small family business, established in the back of a dancing studio in East Maitland in 2003, with just three employees.
At the start, we were mainly focused on cleaning-based services, considering the skillset of our small team at the time. Since then, we have expanded into a variety of new industries and provide a much wider range of services to the regions we work in.
There was a clear gap in the market for facilities management services in the industrial sector, so we jumped at the opportunity to fulfil that role.
Business Development Manager and daughter of Strike Force Services Founders, Jenny Gitzel, said their geographical footprint was an important building block for the business and helped to ensure success.
The Hunter region has always had a very strong industrial trade background, so it only felt natural to see what we could be doing to work alongside local businesses.
The challenges and triumphs
We have had some massive achievements. Some of the most significant moments for us has been gaining major contracts in the mining industry across the Hunter Valley and Queensland. This revolutionised the way we tackled business and made us think about the bigger picture.
More recently we started work with a reputable energy company who have a long history in the Hunter region, which is a significant marker of success and our 20th anniversary.
The opportunity to expand into new regions and provide services and support within new communities has been something we are proud of.
With these growing number of contracts, it has been exciting to grow the team also. After starting out with three employees, we now have more than 500 team members across the business providing all kinds of facilities management services.
We aim to build excitement within our team and boosting team morale is important to ensuring a day’s work with us is never a chore.
Establishing strong safety and integrated management systems were significantly important to achieving the growth we did. As the industry is ever-changing, we recognise the need to build a proactive response system to keep on top of potential issues.
These systems are proving to be successful thanks to our team’s consistent efforts. This is what makes Strike Force Services different.
Community Involvement
We employ over 500 people across the many communities we work within. It is a priority for us to employ local talent and give back to these communities where we can.
We are proud to support our team and their families, which makes a real impact in the regional communities we serve.
We further support them by directly sponsoring local businesses, sporting clubs and hosting events and lunches.
The goals for the future
With the ever-growing demands of local industries, we currently specialise in delivering a variety of facilities management services.
Commercial Cleaning Services
Industrial Cleaning Services
Pest Control
Grounds & Maintenance
Security & Traffic
Hygiene Supply & Servicing
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Building services
Our goal has and will always be towards providing clients with the peace of mind knowing that their facilities will be maintained to the highest possible standard.
Managing Director of Strike Force Services, Jason Schutz said that their goal is to never lose sight of the foundational family values behind the business.
“As a business, we want to maintain that small family business mentality,” he said.
“Sourcing employees locally, sponsoring local businesses and clubs, and always remaining approachable to our clients and employees are all things we aim to do to achieve this.”
No matter how big the business grows, we are committed to fostering the relationships built in the communities they operate in, continuing to provide support for the teams and their families.
“Providing a place of employment that our team can be proud of means a lot to us,” Jason said.
We are committed to continuous safety, training and extra-curricular activities that benefits both clients and employees.
