Sept. 13, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Novak Sanitary Service.

When Novak Sanitary Service first moved into its headquarters at 5000 W. Eighth St. in the fall of 1998, there were about 30 employees.

Now, it has grown to a team of 100, so the time definitely had come to expand and improve the space.

“This is a total revamp of the space,” district manager Pat Draisey said. “And it’s the first time we’ve done anything to the office other than slight changes.”

Novak added on to the north end of its building and kept its focus on supporting the team through improved work areas.

For instance, new locker rooms now provide a place for team members who work off-site to store personal items, get changed before their shift and shower before or after work.

“Just having a place to put your things is huge,” Draisey said. “Before, people might leave that in the car or change at home, which a lot of people still do, but this gives another option.”

Expanded office space allows leaders more room too.

“Before, they were crammed into one small space and couldn’t have coaching opportunities or a sit-down conversation,” Draisey said. “Plus, we expanded our conference room, so there’s a bigger space for larger meetings.”

A new training room is just debuting and will offer more space for coaching and reviews.

“We’re just finalizing the furniture, but it’s another place where we can have someone step aside and do training, or we have a lot of driver training modules where you might sit and watch a 10- or 15-minute module in a more secluded space,” Draisey said.

There’s also dedicated space for dispatch.

“Before, they were in a small room tucked away, and now they’re right by the entrance to the shop where all the drivers come through, and it has a good handoff point,” Draisey said.

The break room roughly has tripled in size, allowing room for company events and celebrations.

“Before, people would be standing trying to eat, and now they can all sit at a table and relax,” Draisey said.

“The goal behind all the improvements is to make sure everyone is comfortable and has a clean space to call their own, whether that’s a locker, a desk, a space to meet or relax. We want the office to be open and inviting and to show that this is a business that cares about the team.”

Novak always is open to adding to its team. To learn more about current opportunities, click here.