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Bay Country Cleaners opened in July 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many others, owner Nick Lepore saw the pause created by lockdown as the time to launch his own business. Five years later, Bay Country Cleaners has grown into a regional operation serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Southern Delaware, and now employs approximately 12 full-time workers, five part-time workers, and a fleet of 10 vehicles.
During the quarantine period, Lepore said his job required him to stay home, but, “being someone who likes to stay busy, I saw that downtime as the perfect opportunity to finally start the business I’d always dreamed of.”
Lepore did not come from a cleaning background, so he spent months learning the industry – reading, making calls across the country, and asking established business owners what they had done right and wrong when starting out. His previous work in sales and customer service helped him build the business early. “Selling our services and communicating confidently with customers felt natural,” he said.
In those early days, Bay Country Cleaners was more of a side operation. Lepore worked alongside his nephew, Sebastian, and Sebastian’s friend, Cole Ramsey, handling jobs during evenings and weekends after their full-time workdays. “It wasn’t always pretty, the hours were long, but we had a ‘can’t quit’ attitude and made it happen,” Lepore said. They started out with a used Ford Transit Connect van, a portable steam cleaner, and an initial investment of about $10,000.
While steam cleaning remains part of the company’s foundation, Bay Country Cleaners has expanded its service offerings to include janitorial services, soft and power washing, carpet and upholstery cleaning, deep cleaning, window cleaning, fleet washing, and junk removal for both residential and commercial clients.
Reaching the five-year mark has been significant for Lepore. “It seems like just yesterday I bought our first van and carpet machine,” he said, “If someone had told me on day one that we’d grow to this size, I would’ve laughed.” He credits both customers and employees for the company’s growth. “No one works for me, we work together…We’re partners in this,” Lepore said.
Employee retention is a key focus at Bay Country Cleaners. The company employs workers of varying ages and backgrounds and emphasizes a stable, respectful work environment. Lepore said he wants employees to view Bay Country Cleaners as a place to build long-term careers.
For customers, Lepore said accessibility and accountability set the business apart. Calls are answered by real people, not call centers, and customer service remains local. “We take pride in our work and our community,” he added. Bay Country Cleaners also prioritizes supporting local youth programs, because as Lepore puts it, “They are the future.”
Looking ahead, Lepore said the goal is continued, sustainable growth while maintaining quality work at fair prices. “I look forward to seeing where we are in another five years, ” he said.
