Rick Leese, CEOThis is where Location Finders International (LFI), a family-owned and -operated real estate development company, comes into play. Partnering with MMC360, which provides dependable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective cleaning services with professional management, it bridges a prevalent gap in healthcare real estate.
“What we essentially offer is a high-level expert review and attentive response to a real estate management issue that is often not seen as being particularly significant,” says Dan Rose, principal and director of Retail Development at LFI.
LFI is a vertically integrated real estate company that focuses on acquiring, developing, and creating creative commercial real estate solutions for more than 100 properties throughout the United States. These properties range from small to large size retail centers, medical office buildings, prime commercial buildings, single-tenant retail with significant national or regional tenants, and to-be-developed properties, among others, currently valued at over half a billion dollars.
LFI does HVAC maintenance which helps its tenants avoid high costs. This enables clients to become more proactive instead of reactive and gives them the peace of mind of confidently knowing that their HVAC systems won’t fail during extreme weather, which can prove to be a massive value if the alternative is to temporarily close operations. With its HVAC maintenance programs, LFI significantly increases the lifespan of units and supports budget replacement strategies to prepare tenants for any emerging problems. Concurrently, it aids with roof maintenance, traditionally performed semi-annually, assisting roofers in inspecting roofs before and after the strenuous winter months. This maintenance offering extends to other trades like windows and masonry and establishes an end-to-end workflow where LFI gives tenants feedback on different parts of their building while its roofing specialists inspect the roof. In essence, LFI’s roof maintenance services boost roofing life and avert significant problems.
A relationship-driven business that serves clients on a boutique basis, LFI adjusts its strategy as per unique client requirements. Its cleaning prowess is unmatched in the market and a key reason behind its partnership with MMC360.
Leveraging his 30-plus years of experience in small business management, CEO Rick Leese oversees the entirety of MMC360’s operations and focuses on consistently delivering high-quality services to its customers.
An AB in Economics degree holder from the University of Chicago, Leese has worked in various industries, including market research, healthcare, marketing, and transportation. According to Leese, customers value clear communication, responsiveness, and corrective action. He instills these tenets into MMC360 by promptly replacing the subpar performers and offering a single point of contact for many locations, alleviating customers’ stress of contacting different property managers for information on real estate assets spread across different geographies.
He further elaborates on MMC360’s value, “We are business people who understand cleaning and not cleaners that try to provide management, which brings a huge difference in the customer experience.”
We are business people who understand cleaning and not cleaners that try to provide management, which brings a huge difference in the customer experience
LFI also streamlines cleaning contracts, which often have complex cancellation terms and administrative red tape. For instance, individuals providing cleaning services in a building may have a contract for a specific number of hours, say four, and only receive payment for the stipulated time, even in cases where they had to work six hours. This puts them in a dilemma of whether to work longer hours for free to please the customer or to complete the agreed-upon amount of work and risk their displeasure.
LFI acts like a facilitator, offering the necessary solutions rather than acting as a barrier between the unit and corporate levels. It assists the customer in managing their cleaning systems at the site level so that the complaints stop before reaching the corporate office.
In some situations, the administrative management at a property may not be pleased with the procured service because the corporate office weighs the cost and selects the specified number of hours based on expenses. During such circumstances, LFI enables them to request additional cleaning hours or provides a pallet of tailor-made cleaning solutions. This results in fewer complaints and quicker remedies for genuine issues.
Determining the true nature of the issue is a significant challenge. For this, LFI professionally examines a site and gains a deep understanding of what teams are working on before offering client-specific solutions. Simultaneously, MMC360 visits client facilities and meets the staff to establish the required protocols and expectations to ensure that the building is maintained in the desired condition at all times. Before beginning work on a contract, MMC360 clearly and precisely explains the requirements to all parties.
Recently, LFI and MMC360 helped a client with a multi-unit business struggling with inconsistent cleaning results throughout their network. In this instance, the various contracts with multiple vendors, subpar cleaning standards, and overall uncoordinated services hindered the client from maintaining desired hygiene levels. LFI simplified the agreements and coordinated all expiration dates while giving them a single point of contact for servicing needs. Over time, it developed customer-specific best practices, including solutions for cross-contamination and the replenishment of disinfection products and equipment. Later, it could gather this information from multiple sites and deliver actionable insights, allowing them to access a catalog of best practices established across their footprint.
Today, LFI is a leading player in the healthcare property management space. Moving forward, it aims to continue sourcing profitable real estate investment and development opportunities through its extensive partnerships and become a pioneer in specialized solutions for healthcare property management.
