Investera Holdings is a Michigan family-operated company that buys and keeps running commercial cleaning and janitorial businesses in Gary, Indiana. We are not a broker and we are not a passive fund. We are operators who acquire one company at a time, then place a dedicated general manager and proven operating systems in charge so the business keeps serving Lake County accounts long after the founder steps back. Our own portfolio companies, CT Cleaners and Optimal Facility Services, are living proof that we run what we buy rather than flipping it. If you have spent years building recurring janitorial contracts across Gary and are starting to think about what comes next, we would like to have a quiet, no-pressure conversation about buying your business and protecting everything you built.
Why Gary owners are thinking about selling now
Gary runs on institutions that never stop needing clean, safe interiors, and that is exactly what makes a well-run janitorial company here so valuable. U.S. Steel Gary Works administrative buildings, Methodist Hospitals’ Northlake campus, Indiana University Northwest, the Genesis Convention Center, the Gary Metro Center transit hub, and the offices and banks lining the Broadway and Midtown corridors all depend on nightly and weekly cleaning crews who show up without being reminded. Recurring contracts like these are the backbone of a business that can run on systems instead of on the owner’s personal presence, and they are increasingly hard to replace once a founder decides to retire.
At the same time, many Gary cleaning company owners are feeling the squeeze. Lake-effect winters off Lake Michigan drag salt, slush, and snowmelt across lobbies and stairwells from November through March, so floor care, mats, and labor scheduling become a year-round grind. Finding and keeping reliable crews is harder than ever, and a lot of founders are simply tired of carrying every key account on their own shoulders. Selling now, while contracts are strong and the team is intact, protects both the value you have created and the customers who trust you.
Who we buy in the Gary area
We are deliberately selective. We are looking for one strong Gary-area cleaning or janitorial business that we can steward for the long term, not a portfolio of quick flips. A good fit usually looks like this:
- Recurring or contract revenue from repeat commercial accounts
- Roughly $500K or more in annual revenue or SDE (close is fine)
- A capable crew and supervisors who can keep serving accounts
- A solid local reputation across Gary and Lake County
- An owner open to a clean handoff or staying on briefly
If most of that describes your business, it is worth a conversation even if you are still a year or two away from deciding. Early, private discussions almost always lead to better outcomes than a rushed listing later.
What makes selling to Investera different
No broker fees. We buy directly, so you are not handing five or six percent of your life’s work to a middleman before a single dollar reaches you.
A genuinely confidential process. Your crews, your competitors, and your Gary accounts hear nothing unless and until you decide the time is right to tell them.
Creative deal structures. We can shape terms around cash at close, a clean earnout, or a phased transition, whatever fits your timeline and your family’s goals.
Operators, not a fund. We do not answer to outside investors demanding a quick exit. We install a general manager, keep the doors open, and run the company for the long haul.
How the process works
Our process is designed to respect your time and your privacy. It starts with a single confidential call to understand your accounts, your team, and what you want out of a sale. If there is mutual interest, we sign a mutual NDA and review a few basics: revenue, contract mix, and a simple picture of your profitability. From there we present a straightforward, honest offer with no gamesmanship, and we walk you through exactly how the handoff would work. Because we are operators who have integrated cleaning businesses before, we can move quickly and give you clear answers instead of stringing you along.
We will take care of what you built
When we buy a Gary cleaning company, our first job is to keep it steady. We put a dedicated general manager and a put-in-charge management layer over the day-to-day so the schedule, the supplies, the payroll, and the quality checks all keep humming without the founder in the middle of every decision. Your crews keep their jobs, your accounts keep their service, and your name keeps its good reputation across Lake County. We invest in better systems, training, and equipment so the business is stronger in five years than it is today, because we intend to still own it then.
Learn more about what we buy, see how we acquire commercial cleaning / janitorial businesses, or read about Investera Holdings.
Frequently asked questions
How much is my commercial cleaning business worth in Gary?
Most healthy, owner-operated janitorial businesses trade in a range of roughly 2.5 to 4 times seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE), with the multiple driven by how much of your revenue is recurring contract work, how stable your crews are, and how well the business runs without you. That is a typical range, not a guarantee. The only way to know your number is a confidential conversation where we look at your actual accounts and margins together.
Will this stay confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is the foundation of how we work. We sign a mutual NDA before reviewing anything sensitive, and your employees, your Gary customers, and your competitors learn nothing until you decide it is time. A quiet process protects your value and your peace of mind.
Do I have to pay any broker or commission fees?
No. We are the buyer, not a broker, so there is no listing commission and no success fee coming out of your proceeds. It is true and simple: what we agree on is what the deal is built around.
Can I stay involved after the sale?
You can, if you want to. Some owners want a clean break, and others prefer to stay on for a transition period to introduce accounts and coach the new general manager. We are flexible and will build the arrangement around what works for you.
How long does a sale usually take?
Once we both decide to move forward, a straightforward deal often comes together in a few weeks to a couple of months. Because we are operators and not waiting on an investment committee, we can move at your pace rather than forcing you to wait on ours.
What areas around Gary do you buy in?
We buy throughout Northwest Indiana and the greater Gary area, including Hammond, Merrillville, Crown Point, Schererville, and Portage. If your cleaning business serves Gary and the surrounding Lake County communities, we would like to talk.
Start a confidential conversation
If you own a commercial cleaning or janitorial business in Gary and even part of you is wondering what a good exit could look like, let’s have a quiet, confidential conversation. There is no obligation, no listing, and no fee to simply talk. Reach out to Investera Holdings and we will listen first, share honestly what we see, and help you understand your options for handing off the business you worked so hard to build.