Dallas County and APEX Keep Taxpayers—and Their Money—Safe
The Situation
With more than 55 buildings spread out over 880 square miles, Dallas County Facilities Management oversees a lot of space—6.7 million square feet of space, in fact. That’s a lot of space to clean, maintain and keep healthy for employees and visitors.
And there are a lot of visitors, too. The ninth-most populous county in the country—and one of the most diverse—Dallas County has more than 2 million residents who rely on the county government to provide critical services. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the United States, Carol Johnson, operations manager for Dallas County Facilities Management, knew she needed to put a plan in place quickly to keep the county’s buildings safe.
“Our facilities are extremely busy. People come in and out all day long,” Johnson said. “Our courts alone are nonstop.”
As a member of the professional organization Women in Facility Management, Johnson had often reached out to her colleagues across the country when addressing new challenges. She once again sought assistance from this trusted group and sent out a plea: “How can we get ahead of this?”
She quickly received her answer from a fellow member who was also her contact at APEX Surface Care: “It’s already in your contract!”
The Solution
APEX had been providing carpet and textile care to Dallas County for years. After reviewing the contract, Johnson discovered that it did indeed include disinfection services, but for a much smaller square footage. She reached out to her contact at APEX and asked for an updated quote that would cover all the necessary areas that needed to be disinfected regularly.
“In government, everything has to be approved, and that can be a long process,” Johnson said. “But because this was already in our contract, it was much easier to get approval from our finance team.
Once all the necessary approvals were in place, APEX quickly created a customized schedule for each facility. In total, APEX regularly and proactively disinfects 27 buildings each week. Johnson also calls APEX for emergency disinfection services whenever a confirmed case of COVID-19 is reported at one of the county’s buildings.
“APEX gets out there immediately. We have a great working relationship,” Johnson said. “I’m the biggest emailer, and I love being able to shoot them an email and know the situation will be handled.”
The Result
As the pandemic continues, Johnson has developed a strong relationship with the APEX team. She has gotten to know her client service manager particularly well.
“We talk on average five times a day,” Johnson said. “That one-on-one is so critical. I never feel like I’m getting on her nerves, even at the ninth hour.”
In addition to outstanding customer service, APEX provides unparalleled pricing, said Johnson, who received multiple bids as part of her due diligence.
“Hands down, there’s no comparison. I always look out for the taxpayer, not only because it’s the fiscally responsible thing to do, but also because it’s the right thing to do,” she said with a laugh. “After all, I’m also a taxpayer.”
To learn more about how APEX can help your employees breathe easy or to schedule your free infection control consultation, call 844-462-7391.