In 1998, Dan Vander Ploeg started Rodan Cleaning with a pickup truck, some basic equipment, and a simple philosophy: Do good work, treat people right, and the rest will take care of itself.

Twenty-seven years later, that philosophy hasn't changed. But the business certainly has.

Today, Rodan Cleaning serves dozens of commercial clients across the Des Moines metro area. They've cleaned everything from small offices to data centers, from warehouses to medical facilities. They've weathered economic downturns, industry changes, and a global pandemic.

But they're still family-owned. They're still built on those same values. And they're still treating every client's building like it's their own.

Here's why that matters more than you might think.

The Story Nobody Tells You About Commercial Cleaning

Before diving into the Rodan story, here's something about the commercial cleaning industry that nobody wants to admit:

Most cleaning companies don't plan to be around in five years.

They don't necessarily plan to fail. But they're not building businesses designed for longevity. They're built for quick scale, maximum extraction, and minimal investment. Get in, get some accounts, work on thin margins, hope it works out.

When that's the model, decisions get made differently:

• Why invest in training when cleaners will leave in three months anyway?
• Why build relationships when you might sell the company next year?
• Why maintain high standards when you're barely profitable?

The result is an industry filled with companies that come and go, leaving frustrated clients in their wake.

How Rodan Cleaning Started: The 1998 Origin Story

Dan didn't get into commercial cleaning because he loved cleaning. He got into it because he saw an opportunity to build something real.

He'd worked in the industry long enough to see how it operated—and more importantly, how it failed clients. He saw companies overpromising and underdelivering. He saw employees treated as disposable. He saw clients bouncing from provider to provider, never quite finding what they needed.

And he thought: What if we just... did it right?

So in 1998, with more determination than capital, Dan founded Rodan Cleaning on a radically simple premise:

Treat employees well, deliver consistent quality, and build relationships that last.

That first year was lean. Dan cleaned buildings himself. He worked nights and weekends. He answered every call personally. When clients had concerns, he showed up—immediately.

The business grew slowly but steadily. Not through aggressive sales tactics or rock-bottom pricing, but through word-of-mouth from satisfied clients who finally found a cleaning company they could trust.

What "Family-Owned" Actually Means (Beyond the Marketing)

Lots of companies slap "family-owned" on their website like it's some magical credibility boost. And sure, it sounds nice. Warm. Trustworthy. All that good stuff.

But what does it actually mean?

For Rodan Cleaning, being family-owned shapes everything about how they operate:

1. Their Name Is on the Line (Literally)

When you hire some massive regional cleaning corporation, you're working with a brand. When you hire Rodan Cleaning, you're working with the Vander Ploeg family.

If they mess up, it's not some distant corporate office that takes the hit—it's them. Their reputation. Their relationships in this community. The legacy Dan built.

That personal accountability changes how you run a business. They can't hide behind corporate policies or blame regional managers or point fingers at franchisees. The buck stops with the family, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

2. They Play the Long Game

Corporate-owned cleaning companies have quarterly earnings to hit. Private equity-backed firms have exit timelines to meet. They're optimizing for short-term metrics and fast returns.

Rodan is optimizing for being here in another 25 years.

That changes everything:

• They invest in training even though the ROI takes time
• They pay employees well even though it cuts into margins
• They turn down contracts that don't fit even when growth looks good on paper
• They maintain standards even when cutting corners would be easier

They're not trying to maximize profit this quarter. They're trying to build something sustainable.

3. Decisions Are Made by People Who Actually Do the Work

Zach isn't sitting in some corporate office looking at spreadsheets. He's involved in the business every single day. He knows the clients. He knows the employees. He knows what's working and what isn't.

When you call with a concern, you're not navigating some corporate bureaucracy. You're talking to Zach—the owner—who can make decisions and fix problems immediately.

There's no "let me check with my regional manager" or "that's against corporate policy." There's just: "Here's how we'll make this right."

4. Their Employees Become Part of the Family

This isn't just marketing speak. When you work somewhere for 2+ years (which all of Rodan's cleaners have), you become more than an employee. You're part of the team. Part of the family.

They celebrate birthdays. They support each other through tough times. They invest in people's growth—both professionally and personally. When someone on the team succeeds, they all succeed.

Try getting that from a company that views employees as line items on a P&L statement.

The Difference Between "Chuck in a Truck" and a Real Business

Now, being family-owned doesn't mean Rodan is some rinky-dink operation run out of someone's garage.

There's a big difference between "Chuck in a Truck" operations (one person with a van and a dream) and an established family business with decades of experience.

They Have the Systems of a Large Company

Rodan has been doing this long enough to know that consistency requires systems:

• Formal training programs (their "Cleaning University")
• Quality assurance processes (regular audits)
• Clear communication protocols (clients know exactly who to contact)
• Professional equipment and supplies (not whatever was on sale)
• Backup plans (for when regular cleaners are sick or on vacation)

They Have the Flexibility of a Small Company

But unlike massive regional corporations, Rodan can also:

• Customize their approach to specific client needs
• Make decisions quickly without bureaucratic approval chains
• Adapt to changes without navigating corporate policies
• Build real relationships (you're not account #47382)

They're big enough to handle major commercial accounts but small enough to treat each client like they matter. Because they do.

What 25 Years in Des Moines Has Taught Them

You don't survive 27 years in business—especially in a challenging industry like commercial cleaning—without learning some things along the way.

Lesson #1: Relationships Trump Transactions

The clients Rodan has kept the longest aren't the ones who chose them because they were cheapest. They're the ones who chose them because they trusted them.

And that trust was earned over months and years of consistently showing up, delivering quality, and solving problems quickly when they arose.

Rodan has cleaned buildings for clients who started with a single small office and grew into multi-location operations. They've been there through expansions, relocations, and challenges. They're not just a cleaning company—they're a partner.

Lesson #2: Your Employees ARE Your Business

In the cleaning business, your employees aren't just part of your business—they ARE your business.

The quality of Rodan's cleaners determines the quality of their service. Period. That's why they:

• Only hire through referrals from the existing team
• Pay competitively to attract and retain the best
• Invest heavily in training and development
• Create an environment where people want to stay

Every single cleaner Rodan has today has been with them for 2+ years. That's not an accident—it's intentional.

Lesson #3: Standards Don't Maintain Themselves

Here's what happens to most cleaning companies: They start strong, but over time, standards slowly drift downward. Little things get missed. Attention to detail fades. Nobody's really watching, so why work as hard?

Rodan learned early that maintaining high standards requires active effort:

• Regular quality audits to verify the work is being done right
• Clear expectations communicated to every team member
• Accountability systems so issues get caught and corrected quickly
• Continuous training to reinforce standards and teach new techniques

Excellence isn't a destination—it's a practice you commit to every single day.

Lesson #4: Communication Solves Most Problems

Want to know the biggest predictor of client satisfaction in the cleaning industry? It's not even cleaning quality.

It's communication.

When problems arise (and they will—everyone's human), the difference between a frustrated client and a loyal one often comes down to a single factor: Can they actually reach someone who can fix it?

That's why every Rodan client has direct access to Zach. His cell phone. His email. His office number. Not a customer service line—Zach himself.

Because they understand how frustrating it is to have an issue and feel like you're screaming into the void. Rodan clients never feel that way.

From One Generation to the Next: Carrying the Torch

When Zach Vander Ploeg took over Rodan Cleaning from his father, the weight of that responsibility hit him hard.

This wasn't just a business he was inheriting—it was a legacy. Twenty-plus years of relationships. A reputation built on trust. Employees who depended on them. Clients who believed in them.

Zach could have changed things. Modernized the approach. Scaled aggressively. Brought in outside capital.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized: The things that made Rodan successful weren't outdated—they were timeless.

• Treating people with respect doesn't go out of style
• Delivering consistent quality never becomes irrelevant
• Building relationships always matters
• Taking personal responsibility is always the right answer

So they kept the core philosophy and enhanced everything around it:

• Formalized their training programs
• Improved their quality assurance systems
• Expanded into specialized services (data centers, construction cleaning, industrial facilities)
• Invested in better equipment and technology
• Maintained the family culture that made them special

The goal wasn't to change who Rodan is. It was to become a better version of themselves.

Why "Local" Actually Matters in Commercial Cleaning

There's something important about working with a company that's actually from Des Moines, not just serving Des Moines.

The Vander Ploeg family lives here. They raise their families here. They shop at the same stores, eat at the same restaurants, and run into clients at the grocery store.

When you're truly local, you can't hide from your reputation. Everyone knows everyone. If you do poor work, word gets around. If you treat people badly, the community finds out.

But the flip side is also true: When you consistently deliver quality and treat people right, that reputation spreads too.

Rodan has built their business one relationship at a time, one satisfied client at a time, over 27 years in this community. That's not something you can fake or fast-track.

What the Next 25 Years Looks Like

Looking ahead, Zach's vision for Rodan Cleaning is pretty simple:

Keep doing what works. Keep improving everything else.

They'll continue investing in their people, maintaining their standards, and treating every client like they're the only client. They'll expand into new service areas and tackle bigger challenges. They'll embrace new technologies and methods that make them better.

But they'll never lose sight of what makes them special: They're a family business that treats employees like family and clients like partners.

In an industry that too often operates on thin margins and thinner relationships, that philosophy will never go out of style.

The Questions You Should Ask Any "Family-Owned" Cleaning Company

Lots of companies claim to be family-owned. Here's how to tell if it actually means something:

How long has your family owned this business? (Are they established or just starting out?)

Is the owner actively involved in daily operations? (Or is "family-owned" just on the website?)

Can I contact the owner directly if needed? (Real family businesses offer real access)

How long have your employees been with you? (Family culture retains people)

What's your plan for the next generation? (Are they building for longevity or looking to sell?)

If they can't answer these questions convincingly, "family-owned" is probably just marketing.

Ready to Experience the Rodan Difference?

For over 25 years, Des Moines businesses have trusted Rodan Cleaning to maintain their facilities with the same care and attention the Vander Ploeg family would give their own.

They're not the biggest cleaning company in town. They're not the cheapest. But they might be the last one you ever need to hire.

Because when you work with a true family-owned business that's been serving this community since 1998, you're not just hiring a vendor—you're partnering with people who have real skin in the game.

Experience the difference that 27 years of family ownership makes:

• Call or text Zach directly: (515) 276-1618
• Email: info@rodancleaning.com
• Visit: rodancleaning.com

Proudly serving Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, and the entire metro area since 1998.