Innovative Solutions For 50+ years

Early Years as Two Companies

In 1967, Kellermeyer Building Services began business primarily as a provider of cleaning services to department stores. In the 1970’s, the department store landscape became more competitive and Kellermeyer grew by providing cost savings through an outsourced model of cleaning. In 1984, Bergensons Property Services began as a family business that quickly started to gain regional traction in several states, focused primarily on pharmacy and supermarket chains along with Class A and B office buildings.

A System of Raising Standards — Lowering Costs

By the late 1990’s, Bergensons gained traction in these markets and saw an opportunity in the scale of national retail. Working with large retail chains, the company began to deploy a system of cleaning that raised the standards of quality for stores, while lowering costs. This system was applied across large scale operations, and Bergensons grew to service accounts in 28 states by 2005.

Growth and Merger

By 2010, Bergensons had tripled in size organically and in 2011, the company was acquired by private equity firm Kohlberg, which also owned Kellermeyer. Bergensons and Kellermeyer were subsequently merged, forming KBS. Mark Minasian, a co-founder of Bergensons became CEO of the new company. KBS became the largest provider of facilities services in North America through an integrated delivery model.

Investment in Technology and Leadership

In the next decade, KBS invested heavily in its management teams and began to diversify the business, growing into markets beyond retail. The company also invested heavily in technology, introducing KBSForce^TM, a web-enabled platform offering transparency and efficiency to the marketplace.

Acquisitions

In 2014, KBS was acquired by GI Partners, opening a new chapter of growth for the company. In 2017, KBS rapidly expanded by acquiring companies including Varsity Facility Services, Empire, Image, Pristine, Capital Contracts and Hospitality Staffing Solutions. In November of 2019, KBS was acquired by Cerberus Capital Management. By 2020, KBS had grown its footprint, providing essential facility services for clients across Retail, Logistics Support, Business and Industry, and Hospitality, servicing over 100,000 locations daily across North America. 

Responding To COVID-19 and the Challenges Ahead

This diversity and scale allowed KBS to respond rapidly to clients’ needs at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. With a wide base of clients, broad geographic reach, innovative technology, and an empowered team, KBS responded rapidly to the crisis performing over 250,000 COVID-19 response services nationwide. KBS continues to expand by diversifying its client base and services, and through innovation that help clients across a wide range of industries raise standards and lower costs.