1961 was a big year – and not just because Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space. It was the year Frank Oddo founded City Wide Maintenance Company.
60 years ago, City Wide Maintenance began in Kansas City, Missouri as a traditional janitorial service before it evolved into what it is now, the newly rebranded City Wide Facility Solutions. The business has evolved significantly over the years, and we’ve adapted to stay relevant and successful. In 1998, Jeff Oddo, current CEO and owner, made a decision that pushed City Wide’s growth to heights never imagined – we became a company focused on managing 20+ interior and exterior facility solutions for clients through the use of independent contractors.
Since then, City Wide has expanded to nearly 70 offices across the United States and Canada, where we employee more than 900 people throughout our Home Office and franchise locations, as well as manage services for more than 400 million square feet each night.
The Kansas City area has remained home for us since 1961, and City Wide has continued to be a family affair. Jeff Oddo stepped in as president and CEO for his father, Frank Oddo, in 1996. He has approached everything with the mentality of ensuring City Wide remains the “The First Choice” for its clients, employees, franchise owners, independent contractors, and vendors. This outlook is what led to the launch of City Wide Franchise, the franchisor counterpart of City Wide Facility Solutions, which is also celebrating a significant milestone – its 20th anniversary.
Here is a quick snapshot of a few other notable achievements from the past 60 years:
- Frank Oddo named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
- Recognized on lists compiled by Entrepreneur, 5000 and Franchise Times reserved for noteworthy national brands
- Opened first location in Canada in Southwestern Ontario
- Moved into a new 28,000 square foot Home Office in Lenexa, Kansas
- Renamed City Wide Maintenance to City Wide Facility Solutions with an updated logo and branding
Jeff has also led with the philosophy of how City Wide can positively impact the communities we are in so our “Ripple Effect” is felt far and wide. Each year, we set a volunteer goal for all our employees which increases year over year. This remains important to us especially as City Wide continues to grow across the country.
As we look towards what the next 60 years hold for City Wide, we want to thank all our clients, employees, franchise owners, independent contractors, and vendors who have been pivotal to our growth. We can’t wait until we can commemorate this special year in person once it is safe to do so again. Until then, please watch this special message from our CEO and owner, Jeff Oddo, as he reflects on the past 60 years.
