The Pride of Ottawa | Martin Goertzen

Martin Goertzen

President

In the last two decades soft washing has revolutionize the roof and exterior cleaning industry because it allows more carefully metered chemical cleaning solutions to be applied to building surfaces without the use of pressure, making it the most important change in the mobile exterior cleaning industry. Owing to the confidence and proven evidence that there will be no damage to the materials while offering impeccable results, more people select soft washing their roof, siding, deck, fence, and driveways, to name a few. Thanks to social media, before and after images of soft washing and pressure washing have been attracting more and more homeowners to deep clean and witness significant changes to their homes!

Softwash Butler’s head office is in Ottawa, Ontario, and it has grown to become the largest soft washing company in Ontario! They were the first all-electric soft washing company in Canada, leading the way in the industry to make technological changes for an eco-friendlier cleaning service and provide complete exterior cleaning services for residential, commercial, and government clients.

The company’s full range of soft washing and pressure washing services includes:

Siding cleaning
Stucco cleaning
Roof washing
Fence cleaning
Interlock cleaning
Concrete cleaning
Parking lot sweeping
Garage power sweeping
Graffiti removal
Window cleaning
Gutter cleaning
Exterior restoration cleaning

Under the leadership of Martin Goertzen, Softwash Butler has culminated into the nation’s most extensive soft washing and window cleaning companies, holding some of the most significant corporate and Government long-term contracts for the above-mentioned services nationwide.

From starting his career with Window Butler/Softwash Butler as his first job in Ottawa, Ontario, in 2007 to becoming the sole owner of the company, Martin has made significant changes to the company, updating all systems from the ground up. In 2019, the company changed its name from Window Butler to Softwash Butler due to the high success the company had in the pressure washing and soft washing industry. “As leaders, we should never be afraid of innovation and technological advancements. All you need is hard work, adaptability, and 100% honesty with customers and employees in every aspect of the company,” says Martin.

A People Leader

Hailed as a people leader, Martin has achieved much more in the form of employee trust and loyalty. When the pandemic struck, Martin ensured all his employees got their paychecks despite lockdowns or layoffs. “I wanted to ensure that the employees knew there was job security with Softwash Butler and that they didn’t have to worry about whether they could afford to be on government subsidies during those times,” adds Martin.

To take care of the employees, Martin also started a safety training program that is one of the best in the industry. The company pays for all training, including working at heights, power elevated work platform, first aid/CPR, rope access training, swing stage, and bosun chair training, as well as internal health and safety policy and program training. It is undoubtedly a challenging process. Employees must complete assessments, onsite training, and hands-on technical knowledge valuations to provide better service, fruitful career growth, and a shining resume.

“The biggest leadership lesson I have learned is to let go and hire on management to help me grow the business. For a few years I believed I could be the only salesperson, office manager, sales manager, production manager, and general manager,” explains Martin. “I could only do that for a short time before burning out and spending all my waking hours 7 days a week only working. I got a business coach and quickly learned how important it was to let go and hire more management staff to help me grow and work on the business and not in the business.”

Towards the Future

The current goal for the company is to systemize every aspect of the business. They are also working on becoming certified with the Canadian Franchise Association to begin franchising and licensing their brand nationwide.

The roadmap for Softwash Butler is to transform into the largest exterior cleaning franchise in Canada within the next five years, beginning with one by the end of 2024, and tenby the end of 2025. During this growth stage for the company, Martin will continue to be the president of Softwash Butler, overseeing the rapid growth of the business, not only within Ontario but across the nation.

“We were the first company in Canada to become an all-electric soft washing business. Meaning, all our equipment that is dedicated for soft washing is run by rechargeable battery power.” elucidates Martin. “We are also one of the few in the industry with dedicated soft washing equipment. This means our equipment is designed only for soft washing, between 60-90psi (a little more than garden hose pressure). Whereas most other companies are using a gas-powered pressure washer; but using a different pressure washing tip to lower the pressure which runs it at the lowest psi around 1,100psi.”

Softwash Butler has won several awards, including Best Company Growth in 2020, Best Overall Softwash Sales 2022, and Top Choice Award for Best Commercial Window Cleaning Company in 2022. “The future is bright, and we see ourselves as one the changemakers in the industry,” concludes Martin.