NEW YORK, NY ---Dynamic, driven by an intense commitment to customer service, and renowned for his ability to grow businesses and nurture profitable new divisions, Thomas J. Lawless, formerly Division President of Dupont Flooring Systems, Inc. of Atlanta, has taken over the reins at Remco Maintenance Corporation as President. (Founded in 1932, REMCO is the New York area’s oldest and largest architectural maintenance specialty company.) He also serves as Group Executive/Architectural Services for REMCO’s parent company, OMNI Facility Services of South Plainfield, New Jersey. The Queens, New York native and 30-year veteran of the facilities service business returns to his hometown to lead REMCO at a time he characterizes as a “world-class opportunity. This company founded the architectural maintenance and preservation industry. It defined quality and established the level of acceptable craftsmanship, and then raised the standards even higher. The past few years have been devoted to strengthening our internal management systems and teamwork strategies. Now it is time to move the premier company in the field to an even higher level, and we have the people, technology and talent to do so.”Lawless’s game plan focuses on a two-pronged approach: maximizing technology to offer clients products and services that deliver enhanced value and bottom-line benefits, and developing world-class customer service culture. “The work we do preserves our customers’ investments in real property and facilities; we see ourselves with the responsibility of continually developing ways to make their investments even more valuable. We have incredible pride in our work and in this great skyline, and we will work in partnership with our clients to see that it is maintained to the highest of standards.”Described by fellow professionals as someone who “works non-stop with all cylinders running,” the new REMCO executive and his colleagues are already at work on several new technological initiatives and are evaluating opportunities for expanding the REMCO level of quality into other key metropolitan areas.“We have the good fortune to pursue such growth because of the excellent foundation established by my predecessors,” says Lawless, “and the quality of work that our crews have adhered to, day in and day out, for 70 years.” Underpinning Lawless’s vision and the ability to deliver are three decades of building new service businesses within some of the giants of the facilities field. His career in facilities services began 32 years ago upon graduation from LeMoyne College in Syracuse New York, when he joined ARAMARK, Inc., a multi-billion dollar services provider, as a management trainee. For 13 years (l970-l983), he performed a number of management tasks and rose through the organization to become a Division General Manager. During that time he also completed an MBA from the University of Hartford, with a specialty in Organizational Design and Behavior, developing expertise he put into play throughout his career.From that point on, he held few titles that did not bear the rank of President. He spent five years (l984-89) with OMNI Building Services, Inc., serving as President of the Performance Facilities Services, Inc. division that helped pioneer services outsourcing, and as both Vice President (Sales & Marketing) and President of OMNI Building Services itself. He had full profit and loss leadership for this Boston-based, British owned firm and its 11 operating companies serving clients nationwide. During the late l980’s, he was tapped for Division President (1989-91) at ISS International Service System, Inc., where he focused on the northeast and led the strategic direction for management training and development and indoor environmental services. He also chaired the successful standardization of operations and training protocols for 60,000 North American employees. His firm then established a joint venture, Interface Service Management, Inc., as the service arm of one of the world’s largest floor covering manufacturers. Leading the new venture as President (1991-95), he created and delivered product care programs for the firm’s corporate and institutional clients. For the next six years, he devoted himself to the flooring business, ultimately serving as President, Maintenance Services/North America, DuPont Flooring Systems, Inc. While there, he led the development of a new DuPont service division from start up to 100 branch locations, creating the “customers for life” initiative as part of DuPont’s multi-billion dollar Nylon business unit. He has already begun working with his former employer in exploring new technologies for his new industry “ I’m very glad to be back in New York during this critical period. There is a tremendous sense of resilience and confidence in our city’s ability to prevail. We at REMCO are proud to be part of that energy and growth.”
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