Coverall

About Coverall

In 1985, a small, three-person company was founded in San Diego with a mission to help people achieve economic independence. This company, Coverall, wasn't built on a new technology, but on a new application of a classic business model: franchising. Instead of selling burgers or coffee, Coverall offered a turnkey business in commercial cleaning. The core idea was simple: provide individuals with the training, brand recognition, and support systems needed to run their own cleaning business. Franchisees get access to Coverall's proprietary methods, like the Health-Based Cleaning System®, and in return, the parent company receives franchise and royalty fees. The model proved effective. Coverall experienced steady growth, expanding across the United States and then internationally. This wasn't a story of venture capital-fueled blitzscaling, but of methodical expansion. The playbook involved selling franchise packages that often included a guaranteed level of initial monthly revenue, which helped new owner-operators get started. Over the years, the company grew to support over 8,000 franchise owners serving more than 50,000 customers. While Coverall itself doesn't clean buildings, it has created a massive network of small business owners who do. The company's journey also included a significant financial event when it was acquired by private equity firm ICV Partners in 2015, marking a new chapter in its long history of building businesses from the ground up.