Our Story
Burke and Staci moved from Naples, FL to attend Columbia Bible College, now known as Columbia International University. They both worked part time jobs while enrolled as full time college students. Burke learned the art of window cleaning while working for a friend who graduated and left the country with his family as long term missionaries overseas. Together, Burke and Staci officially began Squeegee Clean Inc. as a way to fund their college expenses and living expenses. In the process, they discovered many like minded students who needed to pay off debts in order to go overseas.
The business grew and Burke and Staci soon realized they needed help to meet their ever-growing client base so they hired their first employee, another student. God kept growing their client base and they kept needing to hire more employees. They worked together as a team, Burke did the physical labor and Staci did the administrative work. Many of their clients made known their desires for other services including pressure washing and soft washing. After due diligence of research and more education, they expanded their services, causing their customer base to double in size. God was at work in a different way than they had ever anticipated. The business soon took on a life of its own and Burke and Staci had to decide what to do about this baby that had grown into a child with so many overwhelming needs.
At a chapel service, God spoke to their hearts and opened their eyes to the ministry he had been calling them to, one they never even considered until that day. Dr. George Murray preached a sermon entitled “Be Ready to Go But Willing to Stay”. The sermon highlighted the fact that many Christians are “ready to stay” but willing to go on the mission field. Dr. Murray encouraged the audience to change their mindset and do the opposite. We often throw our roots downs and when God calls, it is too difficult to sell everything and go wherever God is calling. As Christians, we ought to always be ready to go because that is what Christ commissioned us as believers to do, to share the light of God always, ready to sell everything and go whenever and wherever he calls. Sometimes God calls people to go but sometimes he calls people to stay and help others go. And sometimes God calls you to be light right where you are planted. Burke and Staci attended Columbia Bible College to go overseas but on that day they realized God was already using them right where they were, helping others to go and growing them to build a Christ centered business, honoring God in all that they say and do while serving their customers and employees. Several past employees have gone on to become pastors, missionaries, counselors, teachers, authors and business owners to name a few. Many of our customers don’t know the love of Christ and have never experienced hiring honest people who actually care about doing a job well and who keep their word. Many of our team members have never had the opportunity to work for an employer who actually cares about their well being and the well being of their families.
Burke graduated with a Bachelors in Bible and Masters in Counseling and Staci graduated with a Bachelors in Bible and Masters in Teaching. Even though they aren’t currently employed in those career fields, the education and training they received equipped them well to develop and run a successful business, centered on Christian values and principles. Running a growing business is not easy. God has grown their faith as they have had to cling to him for guidance and direction at so many junctures. Twenty years into Squeegee Clean, they are still learning and growing so much in so many ways every single day. They went from pen and paper invoices into the technology rabbit hole of software galore and social media overload, from only phone calls to emails and texting, from hiring front line employees to hiring department managers, from running a home office to running a permanent commercial business location. So much throughout the years has changed but their standards, their values and their principals have never waivered. What a blessing it has been to obey God’s leading and be in the center of his will, trusting him with each step. Squeegee Clean was birthed through faith and continues to run on prayer power each and every day. When you choose Squeegee Clean, you are not only fulfilling a need of your own, but you are also contributing to enriching the lives of their team members and their families, our community and even to the outer most parts of the world.