$2 million to $15 million | 2025 Revenue: $3,660,000
For Joshua Davis, one business led to another.
Davis first found entrepreneurial success buying four Cold Stone Creamery stores.
Then in 2021, with the goal of reducing costs at his ice cream shops, Davis founded JanSan, an industrial janitorial supply company.
“A lot of the stuff on the food side, we don’t have control over, but the paper products, chemicals and janitorial supplies, we have some discretion there,” Davis said.
Davis intended only to invest in a janitorial supply company as a partner. Instead, he ended up buying and operating one.
“From the moment I walked in, I fell in love with the business, because it kind of speaks to me as a technician at heart. I’m an operations guy,” he said.
Davis, 39, started work as a bagger at Publix at 14. After high school, he joined the military and became a Navy diver. He was in the Navy SEAL program until he became ill during training and had to abandon that aspiration, he said. He served 14 years active duty and another six in the naval reserve.
In high school, Davis took a date to Cold Stone Creamery. In 2017 he and his date, Amber, who had become his spouse, got the opportunity to buy a shop already in operation on Amelia Island. It had been open since 2004, so it was well established.
The spouses are partners in the Cold Stone Creamery business. They also own two Graze Craze locations, which offer customizable charcuterie boards.
Davis said he takes a hands-on approach to business and tries to be an example to his crews. He counts among his JanSan customers the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Episcopal schools, Community First Igloo ice rink, Goodwill and doctors’ offices at Baptist Health.
JanSan has served more than 2,200 clients, according to the company’s website.
Davis said he built his roster of clients through good customer service and referrals.
“Sales is a really a byproduct of doing a good job,” he said.
JanSan grew 33% last year, without a dedicated sales and marketing department, Davis said.
The JanSan store is stocked with cleaning solutions and professional equipment. The newest tool is the Nilfisk SC25 floor scrubber. It is robotic and industrial strength, and works similar to a household Roomba vacuum cleaner.
“I’m in the commercial setting. There are just a higher volume of soils,” Davis said. “You’re going to have heavier-duty parts that are going stand up to wear and tear better. They’re going to be able to remove a higher volume of soils from that environment and probably have a little bit more complex and advanced software package.”
JanSan sells and leases machinery.
“Our preferred method of purchase is through a leasing program in which we can support the platform with a full service and maintenance agreement. When the client will hopefully renew, they’ll get new equipment with a renewal,” he said.
“Technology moves very quickly. It’s always advancing. So having the latest and greatest is a big benefit to a leasing program.”
Davis’ team also handles facilities management and conducts seminars on how to clean more efficiently.
“Clients will really appreciate how we how we handle their account,” he said. “They’ll normally ask us for more, so that’s a big part of our growth.”
When hiring, a strong sales resume isn’t necessarily the deciding factor, Davis said.
“I look for a spirit. I call it the true believer spirit,” he said.
“We’re a relatively small, agile company looking to make a big impact in our industry. We’re not always at top pay or top benefits compared to some of our larger competitors, but if somebody can be a true believer, then the promise is if and when we get there, they’ll have built something that they can be proud of.”