IT'S A TRUE AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY.
SMG Corporate Services is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that started modestly as a window washing company a century ago. From the beginning, the belief was that growth would come by delivering real value – not only quality services, but insights from experienced hands. In this belief, the concept of delivering Reliability At Every Level was born.
"JUST WORK HARD"
OUR HUMBLE ORIGINS
1924. Slightly north of where the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held, and southeast of where a company called IBM was being founded, the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut was experiencing a prolonged explosion in population. Like many of its new residents, the Weintraub family had settled into the industrial center after immigrating from Vienna, Austria – joining thousands of Irish, Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans, English, and Italians.
Adolf Weintraub, born in 1884 in Vienna, Austria, had made a courageous journey to America in 1916, leaving behind his wife and two young sons in Poland. Within three years, through relentless hard work, he saved enough money to bring his family to the United States, reuniting in 1919. They initially settled on the Lower East Side of New York, where Adolf tried his hand at running a small candy shop. But his ambition and determination to provide a better life for his family led him to seek new opportunities when the business failed to thrive.
In 1924, Adolf, then just 33 years old, boarded a train from New York City to Boston, where he had other family members. Fate intervened during a stop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he met a fellow countryman selling a window washing route. With a handshake, Adolf seized the opportunity and purchased the route, recognizing it as a promising way to make a living. It was here that his vision began to take shape.
With a soap bucket, squeegee, and rags in hand, Adolf launched Bridgeport Window Cleaning Services, setting out each day to prove how valuable and reliable he could be. He was soon joined by his two older sons, who helped part-time as the business started to grow. The family expanded over time, with Adolf and his wife welcoming two more sons in the early 1920s. The window washing business steadily grew its geographic reach, bolstered by the hard work and dedication of Adolf and his family.
"CUSTOMERS NEED US"
OUR RESILIENCE OVER THE YEARS
Adolf’s hard work began to create traction for his business, and by the late 1930s, it had grown to employ several crew members. Then, his expanding janitorial company was met with a major challenge: The start of World War II. Men were drafted into the military, leading to labor shortages. While women stepped in to fill certain roles, customers’ focus (and often business models) shifted, and protocols for service businesses increased dramatically.
The Great Depression presented different challenges. With widespread economic hardship, many businesses could not afford regular janitorial services. In response, our business offered flexible pricing, and expanded services to include a wider range of maintenance tasks.
Resiliency during tough times became a hallmark of the company. Employee conversations were always centered around the customer, and figuring out how to provide pivotal service regardless of the situation.
This mantra was tested throughout the years – including recently with the 9/11 tragedy and COVID-19 pandemic. The aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks brought a heightened focus on security and biohazard protocols across all sectors, to which we incorporated more advanced technologies and procedures for our clients. During the pandemic, we responded as frontline workers – responsible for maintaining the most sanitary conditions, utilizing specialized services and equipment, and ensuring the safety of individuals.
While these and many other situations posed potential barriers, what never wavered was the consistency delivered by each of our team members – a selfless agreement to be there for every customer.
“ONLY IF IT HELPS CLIENTS”
OUR STABLE GROWTH & INNOVATION
By providing the highest-quality service through consistency and innovation, the business has grown over the years – evolving to the Bridgeport Janitorial Service name in 1955, founding the Security Services of Connecticut (SSC) business unit in 1975, changing the cleaning services unit to Service Management Group (SMG) in 1988, and unifying the companies under the SMG Corporate Services brand in 2016.
Within the expansion, new generations of the family – both men and women – have taken leadership positions. The bond and aligned thinking of the family members have ensured that growth has always been measured, and focused on increasing support for our clients.
In the janitorial sector, SMG has revolutionized cleaning practices with automation and smart technologies. Robotic cleaners and IoT-enabled devices can now perform routine tasks, while human professionals can focus on more complex and detail-oriented jobs. Eco-friendly products and sustainable practices have been introduced, as have data analytics which enable customers to monitor resources and performance in real-time.
Service Management Group Security Services of CT.,
417 Knowlton Street, Bridgeport, extends courteous service to many businesses such as the Rehabiitation Center. Shown pictured above are (left to right) Robert Weintraub, Al Weintraub, Harry Cohn, and Jerry Such, volunteer.
"CONTINUALLY EVOLVING"
OUR COMMITMENT TO ADD VALUE
In the security space, traditional physical patrols and surveillance cameras have been enhanced by sophisticated technologies. AI-powered video analytics, biometric access controls, access control barriers, and patrol software make our client businesses safer and more efficient.
In the early 2000’s, SSC introduced the Background Screening and Investigations division. Providing comprehensive services such as employment background checks for criminal records, academic and employment verification, identity credentialing, drug testing and more, this unit ensures clients have the critical information they need to make an informed hiring decision.
Driven by a decades-long desire to tailor solutions to each client, our business continues to grow with a steadfast commitment to three key tenets – responsiveness, loyalty, and value-added services.
“ULTIMATE VALUE”
OUR PLAN FORWARD
The janitorial and security industries are forecasted to go through significant transformations in the future – and SMG Corporate Services is poised to lead clients through it all. As more integrated models are desired, we will be there with customized, bundled services that combine janitorial, security, and other facility management tasks. We will be there with ways to streamline a customer’s operations. We will be there with a coordinated team, and seamless experience.
“RELIABILITY AT EVERY LEVEL”
To provide the ultimate value for the companies that trust us, SMG Corporate Services will prioritize adaptability by investing in training and technology. But training and technology only goes so far – and what has gotten us to a century in business is people who believe in service, and who deliver reliability.
Rely on the Experience of SMG Corporate Services
Reach out to our team about your needs.