Mar 3, 2023 |
Paula Kirk named Executive Vice President, In Powerhouse’s Facilities Maintenance Department.
Industry Executive to Lead Facilities Maintenance Division at Powerhouse
Crowley, TX March 3, 2023 -Powerhouse has announced the hiring of Paula Kirk as its new Executive Vice President of Facilities Maintenance.
With over 20 years of direct real estate and facilities management experience and having held several positions within CBRE, Paula brings tremendous knowledge and expertise to the role. In her most recent role, Paula served as the account lead to one of the world’s largest logistics companies, responsible for a team of more than 200 professionals providing facilities maintenance and repair services in addition to back-office support.
Her prior experience includes solution development and transition support, as well as serving as the operations and account lead for several large retail clients.
Paula has had significant experience managing dispersed portfolios across all regions, large teams, and an extensive supplier network. Paula’s client-centric approach and process-driven management style mean she will continue to deliver and exceed the expectations of our customers here at Powerhouse.
In her new role as EVP of Facilities Maintenance, Kirk will focus on profit and loss management, operational excellence, and growth for facilities maintenance across the facilities maintenance department.
“We are excited to have Paula joining the ranks here at Powerhouse, and with the vast industry knowledge and experience she has, we look forward to seeing her elevate our Facilities Maintenance division to new heights both for our team internally as well as for our customers.” -Robert Blake Ward, CEO Powerhouse.
Feb 17, 2023 |
Amber Alvarez Promoted to Chief Revenue Officer by Powerhouse
Industry Executive to Lead Revenue Generation, Integration, and Alignment Functions for the Powerhouse Organization.
Crowley, TX January 23, 2023 -Powerhouse has announced the promotion of Amber Alvarez to the position of Chief Revenue Officer. In this new capacity, Alvarez will drive better integration and alignment between all revenue-related functions, including marketing, sales, customer support, pricing, and revenue management.
Alvarez has served on Powerhouse’s executive team for nearly a decade, joining the company in 2013 as Vice President of National Accounts. Her contributions have helped Powerhouse achieve record year-over-year growth and introduced new service platform offerings. Alvarez served in this role until 2016 when she was promoted to Vice President of Business Development and began to lead the business development team
In 2017 Alvarez advanced to Senior Vice President of Business Development, where she was responsible for the company’s customer acquisition and marketing strategy creation and implementation. She led cross-discipline program development opportunities, pricing strategy alignment, and all-around problem solving—drawing on 20 years of sales and leadership experience. A significant contributor to her success to date is an unwavering commitment to supporting customers with an open mind and an extensive network of cross-functional knowledge and service experts; Alvarez maintains a continued aim to operate as a trusted advisor regardless of the scope of a customer’s concern. This unwavering commitment to furthering customer support alongside organizational growth for Powerhouse makes Alvarez an exceptional selection for the role of Chief Revenue Officer.
“Amber has been a key member of the powerhouse leadership team over the last ten years, starting with us in a direct sales role and quickly moving into managing sales teams and our overall marketing strategy. She has been instrumental in leading our business development efforts, extending our service offerings, and providing market-level leadership,” said Robert Blaek-Ward, CEO of Powerhouse. “During her tenure, she has steadily taken on increasingly complex assignments and proved herself a pivotal member of the team integrating our acquisition activities since 2019. As she steps into this new role, we as an organization stand behind her and look forward to her continued efforts in providing best-in-class solutions to our client roster.”
Before joining Powerhouse, Alvarez worked for Aramark as Director of Sales and Marketing and GE as a National Accounts Manager. Both of these opportunities played heavily into her upward trajectory at Powerhouse. In these roles, she was first exposed to and then honed her broad skill set to include organizational and team development and customer acquisition of the nation’s largest retailers.
Alvarez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Advertising from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has been an active member in various industry associations such as RFMA and Connex (formerly PRSM)—serving on the latter’s Sustainability Committee. Her work has earned her several industry and company accolades. Lastly, her passion for service extends well beyond her professional life. Alvarez is actively involved in community programs that support at-risk youth.
Feb 13, 2023 |
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency. One way to do this is to consider using an Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) solution. IFM is the comprehensive management of facility operations and maintenance activities in order to reduce operational costs, improve operational efficiency and performance, and ensure compliance with industry standards. In short, an IFM program like the one we provide at Powerhouse increases organizational agility while moving your business toward a more strategic foundation.
What Are the Benefits of Using IFM?
When you use an IFM solution, you reap a number of benefits. Including:
- Cost savings – By utilizing an integrated approach to managing your facility operations and maintenance activities, you can save money on labor costs by consolidating tasks into one service provider. This also allows you to take advantage of economies of scale when it comes to purchasing materials and supplies.
- Increased Productivity – An IFM solution can help you streamline operational processes by consolidating all your facility operations under one roof. This can free up employees’ time to focus more on their core responsibilities instead of managing multiple vendors or overseeing multiple tasks at once.
- Improved Overall Communication and Collaboration- When you choose an IFM model, you can direct more of your company resources to what matters. Removing the burden of facility management efforts on company leaders allows them to focus on your business’s core purpose, enhancing collaboration and communication and ultimately delivering a better employee experience in the workplace.
- Improved Compliance – With an IFM solution, you can make sure that your facility meets all applicable local regulations for safety, health, and environmental compliance. This helps protect your business from costly fines or other penalties due to non-compliance issues.
- Enhanced Quality Control – An IFM solution provides a unified approach to quality control throughout your organization because all activities are managed through one vendor. This ensures that all aspects of the process are monitored closely for accuracy and consistency in order to meet the highest standards of quality possible.
- Enhanced Use of Technology to Leverage Actionable Insights- “Utilizing a Computerized Maintenance Management System, CMMS, allows for maintenance costs to be tracked by trade at the site level across the entire portfolio and provides full transparency to the client. Using the data can allow for better business decisions around annual budgeting and capital spend,” explains Paula Kirk, Executive Vice President of Facilities Maintenance-Powerhouse.
- Reduced Risk – By managing all aspects of facilities management under one roof, you can significantly reduce the risk associated with running a business by minimizing potential liabilities related to contract disputes or regulatory violations that could arise from working with multiple vendors or suppliers simultaneously.
How does IFM differ from Traditional FM programs?
FM is the foundation of any organization operating out of a physical space. The people and processes keep your commercial building running smoothly, from the infrastructure to the assets and equipment in and outside of it. Its mandates typically include; electrical, plumbing, handyman, carpentry, HVAC, painting, emergency services, parking lot services, ADA remediation, general maintenance, and any combination of building and grounds maintenance, both scheduled and unscheduled responses to an unexpected event.
In a traditional FM program, organizations typically take one of two approaches. Hire a facility maintenance manager, boots on the ground at each location, overseeing facility needs themself for a specific location or two-create a facilities maintenance program with various vendors across each trade with a manager to oversee and coordinate for each of the organization’s locations. On the ground, this system can quickly spiral into a logistical nightmare, with managers over their heads, multiple service providers performing different tasks at different sites to different standards, skyrocketing costs, and a regional or executive director buried in paperwork and coordination efforts to keep multi-site organizations up to spec on their many facilities.
With both FM and IFM services, the goal remains the same – to maintain and enhance built environments. A true IFM approach shifts management from focusing on just hours and resources to focusing on performance or outcome-based management. This strategic approach allows facility owners to understand better the total cost of ownership, risk management, and process improvement – which translates to improved performance and effective management. The IFM approach is proven to be more effective and more strategic than traditional FM programs.
Powerhouse’s IFM approach consolidates all the FM efforts for a national, multi-site organization under one united team – a team that is integrated and performs the work collaboratively – as opposed to managing multiple vendors and contractors; you have one dedicated facility partner, one contract, one clear point of contact for all locations nationwide, one standard scope of service and a cost-saving, efficient organizational collaboration.
“Transforming to an IFM model allows clients to focus on their strategic goals by allowing Powerhouse to provide the tactical oversight and streamline their facilities management using our people, processes, and technology,” -Paula Kirk, Executive Vice President, Facilities Maintenance-Powerhouse.
Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) is an effective way for businesses to reduce costs while improving efficiency and performance in their facility’s operations and maintenance activities. It combats the old-school counterproductive approach of a traditional FM program by enhancing program transparency and efficiencies with streamlined structure and processes, comprehensive KPIs, and improved organizational decision-making for your organization across all your locations nationwide.
Should your Business Switch to IFM?
Is an IFM approach right for your business? The answer is yes if your business is in need of one or more of the following:
- Has multiple locations
- Prefers a centralized purchasing approach
- Desires a holistic approach to FM services
- Is looking to reduce costs of ownership over the lifecycle of your assets
- Prefers a simplified agreement with one supplier
- Has resources stretched thin at the regional or local level
- Is looking to reduce the cost of ad-hoc FM services
- Has multiple locations with a need for emergency services for natural disaster preparation, clean up, or restorative services
- Has a need for more streamlined compliance
- Desires more consistent and quality scope of service across all locations
If any of these needs align with what you want for your facility – the right choice for your business is clear – it’s IFM.
More and more Industries are transforming from a predominantly single FM outsourcing model to an integrated services model like the Powerhouse IFM model that meets all their facility needs. With one integrated approach, you improve overall customer experience, optimize how your space is used, and ultimately lower the total cost of ownership.
The real benefits of an integrated facility management approach do not take long to see. They repeatedly make themselves apparent. Whether it’s cost savings through economies of scale or increased productivity due to streamlined processes, there are numerous benefits associated with implementing an IFM solution in your organization.
Want to learn more about Powerhouse’s IFM Model? Click below:
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Jan 27, 2023 |
A consolidated landscape management program is a great way to streamline and simplify the process of managing your company’s exterior space. It provides a comprehensive approach that saves time and money while also improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your landscape maintenance. Whether your business is in need of snow and ice management, parking lot services, pressure washing, striping, sweeping, or landscape maintenance and preventative services, or all of the above a consolidated landscape management program can set your business up on the right foot to maintain your commercial exterior spaces. In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of having a consolidated landscape management program in place and why it’s important for your business.
A consolidated landscape management program can help you save time by providing an all-in-one solution. 
Picture it as an easy button for exterior services management. Instead of managing multiple vendors or contractors for various services, such as lawn mowing, fertilization, weed control, irrigation, landscape enhancement projects, etc., across all your locations, you will be able to rely on one vendor to provide all of these services in one complete and customized package for your business. This helps reduce the amount of time spent managing each task individually and each vendor individually. Think accounts payable, invoices, work orders, customer service, contracts, and scopes of work. All of it for every service, vendor, and location are managed under one umbrella of a proactive exterior management program. Additionally, a consolidated landscape management program allows for better cost savings since all services are provided under one contract rather than multiple contracts with individual providers.
Another benefit of a consolidated management program-improved quality control.
When all tasks, scopes of work, and areas of service are managed through one provider and handled by the same team, week after week, year after year, there is significantly less room for mistakes or miscommunication between different providers who may not be familiar with each other’s work practices and methods. Having one point of contact also makes it easier to address any problems that may arise during the course of the project.
A good consolidated landscape management program helps ensure consistency and proactive customer care across all areas of your exterior space.
By using a single provider for all tasks related to landscaping, you can rest assured that everything from mowing patterns to fertilizer applications will be done according to standard procedures and guidelines established by your provider—and monitored for consistent results and proactive solutions every time. Imagine having an army of landscape service providers across all your locations trained to solve problems before you’re even notified there is a problem. That’s good, consolidated, consistent, and proactive service.
For any business, risk can be a scary word…but it doesn’t have to be.
Utilizing a consolidated landscape management program can be your risk mitigation strategy for your organization’s exterior spaces. Through proper, regularly scheduled services, you can check the boxes of risk mitigation knowing that you are assuming and accepting the reality of exterior space risk, avoiding risk by enacting a mitigation plan (your consolidated management program), controlling potential risk with your proactive services, and transferring risk by assuming insurance and liability coverage of your management provider.
Robert Blake-Ward, CEO of Powerhouse, describes the Powerhouse difference,
“We have a unique approach; we seek to elevate our customer’s exterior services programs. How do we accomplish this? It’s a combination of more than 500+ years of industry experience with our management team combined with long-term contracted partners in the field to ensure the mission is met. To ensure the service performance meets the standard – we utilize a strong combination of site verification and interface with our providers utilizing a proprietary portal so you can be assured your program is in the hands of experts. With a national footprint of more than 12,000 locations across all 50 states, our customers can benefit from our scale in markets across the US. I often ask customers what business they are in and tell them simply, “Let Powerhouse be the expert in delivering great exterior services while you focus on providing your end users a great experience.”
Here at Powerhouse, we realize the need for commercial businesses to protect their organization’s nationwide footprint. 
To maintain a standard of beautiful, regularly service properties for curb appeal and a seamless first impression at every one of their locations. That’s why our team at Powerhouse takes consolidated exterior management and kicks it up a notch by providing our customers additional value with access to our individualized, proprietary customer portal, a nationwide network of landscape contractors, and a team of highly-skilled exterior service subject matter experts from irrigation specialists to arborists, designers and lawn care experts rest assured that your organization in the best hands with Powerhouse.
Overall, consolidating your landscape management program can provide many benefits for your business, including increased cost savings, improved quality control, proactive service, increased consistency, and risk mitigation, across all areas of your exterior space. If you’re looking for an easy way to streamline and simplify the process of managing your company’s exterior space while saving time and money in the process, then implementing a consolidated landscape management program with Powerhouse Exterior Services is definitely worth considering.
Click the button below to learn more about our Exterior Maintenance Management Progam.
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Dec 19, 2022 |
Powerhouse Promotes Sue McCarty to Executive Vice President Operations
CROWLEY, TX- (12/19/2022)- Powerhouse, a national commercial infrastructure management services provider, announced the advancement of Sue McCarty to Executive Vice President of Operations. This announcement comes following Sue’s extraordinary work and integral role in spearheading the growth of Powerhouse’s Multi-site Enhancement Services division.
“Sue McCarty has been an invaluable member of the Powerhouse family for more than 11 years, moving from support functions to project management and senior leadership positions inside all three operating divisions. As a past recipient of both our Vision and SOUL leadership awards, Sue knows what it takes to build outstanding teams, drive results and create future leaders. In this new role, I am confident Sue will continue to ensure that Powerhouse customers receive a raving fan experience and can continue to trust us with their most critical programs and projects,” said Robert Blake-Ward, CEO of Powerhouse.
As Executive Vice President of Operations, McCarty will focus on profit and loss management, operational excellence, and growth for operations across exterior services, facilities maintenance, and our multi-site enhancement services.
Prior to this role, McCarty served as the Vice President of Operations. She was responsible for ensuring the deployment of productive, cost-effective systems and processes supporting the organization’s goals and objectives and creating organization and customer synergy via inter-departmental alignment initiatives and customer engagement and support strategies.
“I am extremely excited for this opportunity,” said McCarty. “I am looking forward to continued work with our leadership team growing people, processes, and technologies to positively impact our customers, creating raving fans and lasting partnerships!”
In her time with the organization, McCarty has collaborated with numerous Powerhouse clients, overseen thousands of projects and rollouts, invested time in over 10,000 locations, and currently leads a team of more than two hundred, including four Vice Presidents.
Outside of the office, McCarty serves as a member of the Project Management Institute (Fort Worth Chapter) and is an avid supporter of and an active participant in youth programs driven by local schools.
About Powerhouse
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Crowley, TX, Powerhouse (www.powerhousenow.com) is one of the largest national providers of facility maintenance, exterior services management, and multi-site enhancement services. Executing services at more than 150,000 locations annually across all 50 states, the company supports top brands in Retail, Banking and Finance, Commercial Real Estate, Healthcare, Hospitality, Multifamily Dwellings, and Senior Living Facilities with an unwavering commitment to and investment in its people, process, and technology. Powerhouse implements today what will move people through the experiences of tomorrow.
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