Admittedly, I’ve always spent little-to-no time thinking about the commercial services sector.
For the longest time, I even naively grouped it into “home services,” never really taking the time to differentiate two distinct industries by the end customer they serve. That is, until I started noticing just how often home service brands and strategic platforms were talking about commercial services and national accounts programs as their secret weapon for increasing enterprise value and attracting private equity interest.
Today, I can’t go more than a few hours without hearing an institutional investor, platform executive, or franchisor talk about their plans to build a sophisticated national accounts program for franchisees.
If you had asked me in 2019, I would have assumed every home services brand already had one.
After all, I viewed the category as one giant industry.
The more I studied franchising and the more conversations I had with people who had spent decades in commercial services, the more I realized how wrong I was.
One commercial services CEO summed it up perfectly.
“Commercial services is B2B2C. Home services is B2C. That’s like saying I should use the same PR strategy to find customers as I use to find franchisees.”
Needless to say, I got taken to school.
That conversation sparked a fascination with the sector that has only grown over time.
Understanding Commercial Services
When you take a closer look at the industry, commercial services naturally breaks itself into three major categories:
- Construction Services
- Disaster Restoration
- Facility & Property Services
Historically, disaster restoration is what put commercial services on the map.
Brands like AdvantaClean, PuroClean, Rainbow Restoration, Restoration 1, and Paul Davis have spent decades building household recognition. Unfortunately, with severe weather events becoming increasingly common across the country, demand for these services isn’t likely slowing down anytime soon.
We’ll save that conversation for another day.
This month, I want to focus on the fastest-emerging segment of commercial services and the one that has captured my attention the most: construction services.
Construction’s Franchise Opportunity
Up until the mid-2010s, most construction-related service businesses were operated by independent entrepreneurs.
But as new construction accelerated and population shifts created growth opportunities across the country, franchise entrepreneurs began to realize there was an opportunity hiding in plain sight.
That realization led to the rise of construction-support franchise concepts.
Dumpster rental companies, waste management services, and compaction businesses quickly emerged as attractive franchise opportunities. Brands like Smash My Trash, VaVia, Bin There Dump That, and RedBox+ all gained momentum, many with significant support from franchise sales organizations eager to capitalize on the trend.
The category generated plenty of excitement. It also generated plenty of overselling.
As more concepts entered the space, differentiation became increasingly difficult. Many brands found themselves competing in categories where standing out was essential but not always easy.
While those businesses certainly deserve attention, they weren’t the ones that ultimately caught my eye.
Instead, I became fascinated by two highly specialized brands that play critical roles behind the scenes on construction sites every day: PIRTEK and ClearSite Construction.
PIRTEK: One of Franchising’s Hidden Gems
Let’s start with PIRTEK.
Founded in Australia in 1980 and introduced to the United States in 1996, PIRTEK has built an incredibly simple yet valuable business model.
When hydraulic hoses fail on heavy construction equipment, projects stop.
Every minute of downtime costs money.
PIRTEK dispatches mobile service specialists directly to construction sites to repair or replace those hydraulic hoses on-site, helping contractors avoid delays, cost overruns, and idle crews.
It’s one of those businesses that most people never think about until they realize how critical it is.
The value proposition is straightforward, recurring, and highly needed.
Apparently, private equity saw the opportunity as well. Princeton Equity Group acquired the brand in 2023, and I don’t think that will be the last major milestone for PIRTEK.
If this brand isn’t already on your radar, it should be.
In my view, it’s one of the most underrated franchise brands operating today.
ClearSite Construction Finds Its Niche
The story behind ClearSite Construction is much newer.
Full disclosure: I’ve had a front-row seat to this journey.
Our own Ryan Hicks, alongside industry veteran Ryan Combe, launched the business in 2023 after years of iteration and refinement.
The original concept actually started back in 2020 as Safe From Spread, a commercial sanitization franchise built during the pandemic.
As market conditions evolved, the company transitioned into CPR Clean through a strategic partnership. During that process, however, the founders discovered something unexpected.
Their most valuable service wasn’t sanitization. It was construction site cleanup.
That realization ultimately led to the creation of ClearSite Construction.
Today, the brand has found a clear lane in the market, helping construction managers avoid costly delays by preparing sites for owner walkthroughs, inspections, and final project turnover.
The business has also developed a growing national accounts program and established partnerships across the country, creating a scalable model that serves a critical need within the construction process.
Like many successful businesses, getting there wasn’t a straight line.
But after years of learning and adapting, ClearSite appears to have found a niche worth holding onto.
Investors interested in the category should be prepared to wait their turn.
From what I’m hearing, the line is already getting pretty long.
Final Thoughts
Commercial services may not generate the same excitement as restaurants, fitness, or children’s services, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked.
The sector continues to attract investor interest, create meaningful national account opportunities, and solve problems that businesses simply cannot ignore.
And while disaster restoration remains the category’s most recognizable segment, construction services may quietly become one of its most attractive growth stories.
Next month, I’ll be diving into another category that continues to spark debate across franchising: wellness.
Is it the future of consumer services, or just another trend riding a wave of hype?
We’ll find out soon enough.
Until then, keep your eye on commercial services. The rest of the industry is finally starting to.
