Van Rooy Properties’ unprecedented sweep of the National Maintenance Mania Championships was no stroke of luck. It was the result of year-round training and extraordinary support from the company’s owner.
While many employees use their lunch hour for a much-needed break from work, Van Rooy Properties’ maintenance technicians spend that time practicing for the next Maintenance Mania competition at a series of mock stations in the Van Rooy family’s Indianapolis home.
That dedication—and company owner Adam Van Rooy’s support—show it’s no coincidence that Van Rooy Properties swept the top three places in the Fourth Annual Maintenance Mania National Championships at the 2010 NAA Education Conference & Exposition in June—an unprecedented performance.
The training facility—set up on Van Rooy’s indoor basketball court since the inaugural Maintenance Mania competition in 2007—simulates the atmosphere of the real event, from the length of the tables to the type of timer used. The facility is located four blocks from the company’s downtown Indianapolis office and includes replicas of every station (with the exception of the race track), all of which were built in-house.
Van Rooy says his maintenance team practices during their lunch break from Feb. 1 until the late June competition date each year, as well as an additional two nights or more per week for a month prior to each competition. However, Van Rooy says every maintenance technician is free to practice anytime and always has a way into his house. “It’s the same open-door policy we have in the company’s offices,” he says.
Despite the awards, Van Rooy says it’s the internal camaraderie that means the most to him. “We have been able to create such a unique atmosphere where our own employees compete against each other but at the same time help one another improve, because at the end of the day they just want the company to do well,” he says.
“We have our own internal competitions throughout the year, and other employees come by to attend and cheer our maintenance team on. Leasing, accounting, business administration—everybody is there. We have food and drinks and it gives departments that don’t usually interact with one another a chance to appreciate everyone’s skills.
“The entire company’s support for Maintenance Mania has absolutely increased employee retention and recruitment, too.”
Van Rooy’s maintenance employees say they appreciate the company support and opportunity to improve. “We believe practice makes you better at everything,” says Maintenance Technician Herb Harr, who placed second in the 2010
Maintenance Mania Championships in New Orleans. “Whether it’s Maintenance Mania or our normal work day, we want to do our best and have fun doing it. The practice facility and support we get for the competition helps build morale, and we enjoy our jobs more knowing we have a company like Van Rooy backing us.”
Van Rooy’s maintenance employees are currently preparing for their next state competition on April 20 through the Indiana Apartment Association.
For Maintenance Mania information or to schedule an event for the 2010-2011 season, contact NAA’s Senior Manager of Affiliate Relations Kimberlee Berry at 703/797-0625 or
kimberlee@naahq.org.