ESS Clean, Inc. is proud to serve Central Illinois and Indiana. We are committed to our Team, our Customers and our Community.

Our Mission

At ESS Clean, Inc. Our Mission is to:

“Create clean, safe and healthy workplaces for our clients and growth opportunities for our team”

Core Values

Core Values are the Principles that drive a company’s actions and relations with employees, customers, vendors, and the outside world. At ESS, we have decided to hold fast to our Core Values no matter what. Whether we are in Illinois or California, if we are cleaning toilets or constructing buildings, we will adhere to our values. ESS Clean, Inc. Core Values:

Honesty!
Improve the Lives of our Team
Provide the Best Value

Always Get the Job Done
Operate Debt Free
Have fun

History

Environmental Solutions & Services, Inc. was founded in 1995 by Paul Taylor and Ron Goerne in Savoy, IL. Paul and Ron believed there was a niche for a company to provide solutions for Indoor Air Quality Monitoring, Duct Cleaning and Environmentally Sensitive Janitorial Service in Central Illinois.

After a couple of very difficult years and financial struggles, Ron left the company in 1997 and Paul took over. The Duct Cleaning and the Indoor Air Quality Monitoring was a tough sell, but the janitorial services really began to take hold. There was a need in Central Illinois for a professional, consistent, high-quality janitorial service. Many customers saw the benefits of using environmentally favored cleaning products and methods to clean their facilities. With a focus on workforce productivity, building owners and managers recognized the workplace health and productivity benefits of a sound cleaning service.

In 1999, ESS surpassed $1,000,000 in revenues and moved to a larger facility in Urbana, IL. The operations portion of the business became more than Paul could handle on his own, so Terry Patton was hired as Operations Manager. Jacob Shaw took over as Operations Manager in 2015.

The first few years in business were difficult in many ways. Staying above water financially was always a concern as the company had accumulated a significant amount of debt. After many years of financial struggles, ESS became 100% debt free in 2002. “Operate Debt Free” is one of ESS’s Core Values, and ESS remains debt free today.

Geographic growth throughout Central Illinois has been a part of the company vision since day one. In 2004, ESS opened a branch office in Effingham to better serve the South Central Illinois Region. The Effingham Branch provides services in Effingham, Mattoon, Charleston, Paris, Newton, Arcola and other local towns. Sarah Dhom is Branch Manager.

ESS grew to over 140 employees in 2005 and it became apparent that Paul could no longer handle all of the hiring and Human Resources duties. Tammy Eckart was hired as Director of Human Resources to fill the gap. Today, the Human Resources Team is lead by HR Director Julie Huck. The HR Team does a great job of hiring for the business needs and supporting a positive culture throughout the organization.

While ESS had no customers in Bloomington in 2007 it was apparent that Bloomington, IL was a vibrant, growing business community that could benefit from a high quality, professional Contract Cleaning Company. ESS opened a Branch Office in Bloomington during the fall of 2007. Kevin Copass was hired as Branch Manager. Today, Kevin has over 100 people on his Team serving the Bloomington-Normal area.

In 2011, ESS opened a Branch Office in Decatur, IL, who is managed by Bob Monteith. In 2018, ESS Clean expanded into Indianapolis with the acquisition of Crystal Clear Commercial Cleaning. ESS Clean is excited to expand in the Indianapolis area. ESS Clean currently has over 30 people on the Indianapolis Team and is continuing to grow.

The ESS Team has continued to provide the highest quality, most consistent contract cleaning service in Central Illinois. As a result, revenues have increased every year since 1995, averaging 9% annual growth for the past 10 years, with a better than 95% customer retention rate.

In 2009, Environmental Solutions & Services, Inc. changed its name to ESS Clean, Inc., to reflect the primary purpose of the company.

Our Team

Brittany BabbsChief Operations Officer

Brittany is the Chief Operations Officer for ESS Clean. She has been with ESS Clean since February 2009. She started as a part-time cleaner and then moved to an Area Manager position in February 2010. In August of 2018, she was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager. In 2019 Brittany took over the role of Branch Manager for the Effigham and Mattoon area. Once again Brittany was promoted and is now the Chief Operations Officer for ESS Clean. Brittany is from Oblong, IL and loves spending time with her husband, Jeremy, two sons, Tucker and Bryar, and their dogs. Her other hobbies include fishing and playing/watching a variety of sports. Brittany has an Associate’s Degree from Lincoln Trail College in Science and Arts.

Email: Brittany Babbs

Rich BarnesBloomington Area Manager

Rich joined ESS Clean in Bloomington in 2016. He started as a Floater and Floor Tech.
He quickly earned the reputation of being a hard worker and someone we could always count on. In April of 2022, Rich was promoted to Area Manager at our Bloomington Branch. He is a Bloomington native and enjoys playing disc golf, hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Maurice ClarkUrbana Area Manager

Maurice has been in the cleaning business for over 20 years. In 2022, he brought his skills and expertise to the ESS Clean team. Maurice started with the company as a part time evening cleaner. A little over a year later, he was promoted to an Area Manager in the Urbana branch. Maurice is a graduate of Danville High School. He is the Father of three children: Mariah, Amaya, and Aiden. When he’s not working, he enjoys working out and playing golf.

Kevin CopassBloomington Branch Manager

Kevin Copass joined the ESS Team in September, 2007, as Bloomington Branch Manager. He currently resides in Normal, IL with his wife of 30 years. Kevin has 25 years management experience ranging from food processing to distribution of children’s books and now as a BSC. Kevin and his wife Jodi were foster parents for 11 years. When he’s not working, Kevin enjoys biking and vegetable gardening. Kevin is certified as a Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician thru the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC).

Email: Kevin Copass

Kim De JesusHiring and Benefits Manager

Kim De Jesus joined the ESS team originally in September of 2013. Kim began as the Office Manager at the URB branch and then was promoted to Employment Manager. Kim is the first remote worker for ESS and started her remote working experience in 2018. Her current position is Hiring and Benefits Manager. She was born and raised in central Illinois and she now calls Homosassa, FL, home. Kim received her Bachelors of Art Degree in Christian Education and she has a passion to teach anyone she comes into contact with to rise above their current circumstances and become the best version of themselves. Kim is a grandmother to two beautiful granddaughters Olivia and Ella and one grandson Meyer. Kim loves chocolate, coffee, books, long walks and sincere conversations. Kim always finds efficient ways to always get the job done.

Email: Kim DeJesus

Kaylee DhomEffingham Area Manager

Kaylee joined ESS Clean in 2020 and is now an Area Manager in our Effingham Branch. She is very detail oriented and is expanding her skills by obtaining a Microsoft 360 certificate and taking business management courses. Kaylee’s also very creative and won the ESS Clean T shirt design contest in 2021! She loves being a wife, and also a mother to daughter Thea. When it’s time to relax, Kaylee enjoys her many pets, reading, working on her digital art, and crafting.

Sarah DhomEffingham Branch Manager

Sarah has been with ESS since November of 2014 and became an Area Manager for the Effingham Branch in July, 2015. Since then Sarah was promoted to Area Operations Manager for the Effingham -Mattoon area. She is currently the Branch Manager for the Effingham-Mattoon area. She came to ESS with previous management experience from the food and service industries. She lives in rural Jasper County with her husband Marc. She has 2 sons, Maeson and Maddox (Max), along with 2 stepchildren, Elianna and Fletcher. Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, taking care of her animals, and gardening.

Sue DoddDecatur Area Manager

Sue joined the ESS Clean Decatur team in November 2022 after spending 20 plus years in property management. She was born and raised in decatur where she met and married her husband Steven 52 years ago. They raised 4 daughters and have since been blessed with 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. When Sue is not working or spending time with family, she likes to spend her time sewing. In her short time with ESS Clean, she is most proud of her creativity in crafting microfiber rags into dusting mittens for more efficient dusting for our customers. After taking vacations to Hawaii, Alaska, and Italy, she hopes to return to Hawaii at least one more time.

Jessi GagnonOffice Manager - Payroll Assistant

Jessi joined the ESS Clean team in July of 2022. She is originally from Danville, but has lived in the Champaign-Urbana area since 2015. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband Cody and their two dogs Minnow and Marshall. She loves to craft with her Cricut machine and has recently taken up crocheting. Jessi and her husband bought their first home in 2021, so you can usually find her at Home Depot on the weekends getting supplies for their latest home improvement project.

Email: Office Manager

Ophilia GibsonDanville Area Manager

After spending 12 years in the sanitary business, Ophilia joined ESS Clean in 2011. She was a Site Supervisor for us at our Quaker account for the first 11 years of her career with us. Recently Ophilia has been promoted to Area Manager and oversees our accounts in the Danville market. Ophilia has called Danville home for over 35 years. She has been married to her husband Jamie for 30 years and has a son named Jonathan. When she’s not working, she likes to travel and spend time with her family and friends.

Danielle HanksReceptionist

Danielle joined the ESS Clean team in the summer of 2023. She is our part time Receptionist at the Urbana office. She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned an associate degree in Business Administration. Danielle moved to the Urbana area because she recently got married. She and her husband have 2 dogs. She enjoys music, plays the piano and loves to bake.

Shelby HerbothEffingham Area Manager

Shelby joined ESS Clean in May of 2021 as a floater. In January of 2022 she was promoted to an Area Manager. She is working towards finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Art Education at Eastern Illinois University during the day and working with ESS Clean at night. Shelby then plans to work towards her Master’s degrees in Studio Art and Education. In her spare time she works in her studio on various paintings and enjoys traveling to new places.

Julie HuckHuman Resource Director

Julie joined the ESS Team in 2015 as Employment Manager. In 2019 she was promoted to the Employment Director for the company. She is currently the Human Resources Director. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University and was in store operations for over 20 years and has been in Human Resources for 15+ years. When Julie graduated from college she traveled all over and lived in Arizona, California, Tennessee, Indiana. Wanting to get back closer to her family, Julie moved back to Central Illinois in 1998 and now lives in Champaign. She loves all things creative. She enjoys traveling, flower gardening, crafts, decorating, reading and movies. When she is not working, Julie loves spending time with her close family.

Email: Julianna Huck

Jim KreieUrbana Branch Manager

Jim joined the ESS Clean team in 2023 as the Urbana Branch Manager. He has been in management for 30 years and was a Distribution Center Manager for the past 18 years. Jim grew up in Wisconsin where he developed a love for the Packers, Brewers and Bucks. In 1989, he moved to Central Illinois where he met Paula, his wife of 31 years. They have lived in Champaign since 1991 and are the parents of two children. Jim has an MBA from Eastern Illinois University. Jim loves all sports especially golf, and has become a true Illini fan. Much of Jim’s volunteer work consisted of coaching youth sports as well as being the Athletic Director of a local grade school. In their free time Jim and Paula like to travel all across the Midwest.

Email: Jim Kreie

Jaime LanconIndianapolis Branch Manager

Jaime is our Branch Manager in Indianapolis. He originally joined ESS Clean as a part time evening cleaner. His full time career at that time was managing the language services program at Carle Health. Jaime joined the ESS Clean management team in 2024. He is originally from Oaxaca Mexico but grew up in Danville, Illinois. Jaime is happily married to his wife Karina. They have 3 beautiful daughters: Katie, Camille and Sky. When Jaime is not working, he enjoys road biking. In 2019, he completed the Kickapoo de Paris Century Bike ride which was 100 miles! His greatest joy is spending quality time with his family.

Email: Jaime Lancon

Ron LaVallie, Jr.Effingham Special Services Manager

Everyone calls me Joe. I started with ESS in August 2017 after spending 25 year’s in the food service industry. I was with Outback Steakhouse for 17 years, 7 years as kitchen manager and then 5 years at the Firefly Grill in Effingham as a sous chef. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, playing golf, and going to an Indianapolis Colts or Pacers game. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with my daughter Emma and son Karsten.

Bob MonteithDecatur Branch Manager

After 15 years managing a hotel in Decatur, Bob joined the ESS Team in 2010. He is currently Branch Manager of Decatur. Bob has a B.S. in Hotel Management from Purdue University. He has been married since 2003 and has two stepchildren. Bob has been instrumental in a new project to feed the homeless in Decatur. When he is not working, volunteering or spending time with his family, Bob enjoys studying Astronomy and Genealogy.

Email: Bob Monteith

Brandon MoroneyUrbana Area Operations Manager

Brandon joined ESS Clean in 2022 as a part time cleaner. Brandon caught the attention of many of the Managers who recognized his strong work ethic and background in Management. Brandon was quickly promoted and is now the Area Operations Manager of our Urbana Branch. Brandon was born in Belleville, Illinois. He has been living in Champaign since 1995 and graduated from Centennial High School. Brandon is the proud father of two young boys. In his spare time he enjoys repairing retro media and toys. He’s also an avid Green Bay Packers’ fan.

Trevor OpferEffingham Area Manager

Trevor has worked for ESS Clean since 2019. He was originally hired as a Floor Crew team member and has worked his way up to his current position of Area Manager. Trevor has spent his entire life in South Central Illinois. He says that one of his greatest accomplishments is moving up to an Area Manager position in less than two years. He attributes this to hard work and his strong work ethic. He and his family are proud Illini fans. He is a father to a beautiful baby girl named Hazel who is his pride and joy.

Angie PearmanUrbana HR Coordinator

Angie joined the ESS team in August of 2021 as the Urbana HR Coordinator after 20 years in the Property Management business. Born in Oregon, and having lived in Arizona and Michigan, home for the last ten years has been St. Joseph, IL. Angie is married and has two teenagers that keep her busy with sports/band events. Also in the household is a spoiled cat and equally spoiled Bullmastiff (who outweighs almost everyone in the family!) Angie likes mustard on her French fries, loves her Chicago Cubs dearly, and dreams of having a house on the beach.

Paul TaylorCEO

Paul is founder of ESS Clean and serves as President and CEO. Paul has an Engineering degree from the U of I and has earned the designation of Certified Building Service Executive (CBSE) from the BSCAI, Green Cleaning Professional from ISSA, LEED Green Associate from the USGBC and is a Certified Workplace Trainer for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Paul is President of the Building Service Contractors Association International, a board member of Champaign County Habitat for Humanity and a member of Savoy Rotary. He also volunteers in the community as a mentor, a youth leader, and a facilitator for Financial Peace University. Paul likes to spend time with his wife, Andrea, daughters Grace, Olivia and Laura and his son-in-law, Jake. He also enjoys fishing, camping, skiing, running, biking, kayaking, swimming and hiking.

Email: Paul Taylor

Peggy TobinAccounting & Inventory Specialist

Peggy joined our team in 2014. Peggy has an accounting degree and has worked in the accounting field for 30 years which gives her the experience necessary for a variety of situations. Peggy and her husband of 27 years, Paul live in Farmer City. The Tobin’s have 2 grown children and are now the proud Grandparents. When not working Peggy enjoys the beach, working in the yard and spending time with her family.

Email: Peggy Tobin

Stan UnseldUrbana Area Manager

Stan joined ESS Clean in July of 2021 and moved to the Floor Crew team shortly afterwards. Joining the Floor Crew was especially exciting for him. Stan says he gained new skills and learned to operate equipment that he had never used before. Stan has recently been promoted to an Area Manager in the Urbana Branch. He says that ESS Clean has been a great match for him because cleaning is something he’s always enjoyed and feels he does it well. When Stan is not at work, he spends most of his time with family and friends. His hobbies include reading, audio books, gaming, table top games, astronomy and anything science fiction.

Brian VasquenzBloomington Area Manager

Brian started working at ESS as an Area Manager in 2012. He was born in Baltimore (he’s an Orioles fan) and grew up in Bloomington. Although he has studied History and Human Biology, Brian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at Illinois State University and a Master of Divinity degree from ORU. He lives in an 1892 Victorian house, so Brian and his wife spend many weekends finishing projects in the house as well as their gardens. Brian is married with three children; his oldest is serving in the Marine Corps and two are still at home. When he’s not working on his house or at ESS, Brian enjoys time with his family, reading, cooking, hand sharpening knives, riding bicycles and cracking whips (no kidding!).

Marty WhalinUrbana Area Manager

Marty has been with ESS Clean since January of 2015. In 2018, Marty was promoted to Area Manager at the Urbana Branch. Marty is known for his calm demeanor and strong work ethic. He spends his free time with his dog and his son, Henry. Marty’s hobbies include hunting, camping, canoeing, cycling… basically anything involving the outdoors and his dog.

ESS Clean, Inc.

2406 E. University Ave.
P.O. Box 17067
Urbana, IL 61803-7067

Phone: (217) 337-6701
Fax: (217) 337-6889
officemanager@essclean.com

Effingham Office

401 E. Wabash Ave. Suite A
Effingham, IL 62401-1545

Phone: (217) 342-6701
Fax: (217) 342-6705
sarah@essclean.com

Bloomington Office

7 Finance Drive, Suite #4
Bloomington, IL 61704

Phone: (309) 664-6711
Fax: (309) 662-6726
kevin@essclean.com

Decatur Office

2590 Federal Drive #507
Decatur, IL 62526

Phone: (217) 791-6325
Fax: (217) 791-6618
bobm@essclean.com

Indianapolis Office

5833 West 74^th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46278

Phone: (317) 552-0377
brittany@essclean.com