From St. Louis roots in 1978 to national leader: The rise of a commercial cleaning powerhouse
In 1978, in St. Louis, Mo., Mitch Murch, Sr., started 4M Building Solutions in a true entrepreneurial fashion. Mitch, 50 at the time and nearly broke, saw an opportunity and took it. The owners of a 750,000-square-foot office building in St. Louis wanted their janitorial contractor to improve. They demanded Class A services but needed help finding a commercial cleaning company to meet their expectations.
Mitch’s vision to provide quality cleaning services to large facilities began. He borrowed $36,000 from his best friend and began cleaning and janitorial services at the building, and two others, in just 30 days! Those building owners trusted Mitch, and 4M counts all three buildings among its customers today. Mitch Murch’s Maintenance Management, as it was named, grew to be the largest janitorial contractor in St. Louis as it quickly earned its reputation as a top-quality contract cleaner.
Mitch Murch Maintenance Management used the MMMM acronym in its 4M Building Solutions rebrand in 2014. The company’s core values, written in 1978, stand today: customer intimacy, integrity, 360-degree teamwork, and innovation. The company presently operates in 18 Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast states. It is known for its high customer service levels, people-focused culture, proprietary systems and processes, innovative solutions, and industry-leading safety standards.
During a five-year period ending December 2022, 4M experienced more than 100% growth with 2022 annualized revenue of $125 million. Nearly 4,500 Team Members provide daily environmentally friendly cleaning to 145 million square feet of space in corporate owner-occupied facilities, multi-tenant office buildings, and facilities supporting industrial and manufacturing, logistics, distribution, education, healthcare, and senior living.
In January 2023, 4M Building Solutions received a significant investment from O2 Investment Partners, a Midwestern-based private investment firm, to expand upon organic growth and maintain 4M’s reputation.
Mitch’s oldest son, Tim Murch, is 4M CEO and managing partner.