Hall of Fame: Dan Chavez
Photos by Emma Highfill: Rose Wheat Photography
Dan Chavez understands the meaning behind the saying, “Good things come to those who work.” Growing up in a family business means you roll up your sleeves and help, even before you are supposed to.
“I officially started working for my dad when I was 19,” Dan said. “Unofficially, it was more like 12.”
At Chavez Restoration and Cleaning, it also means you finish the job, no matter what your friends are doing.
“My friends spent weekends going to ball games,” Dan said. “I spent most of mine finishing a job.”
While as a kid he sometimes resented the responsibility he was given,Dan says that work ethic helped shape him into the business leader he is today. But he is the first to admit that he didn’t truly appreciate the business his father had built until he left it behind.
“I moved out to California and got a job in a clothing warehouse, stapling price tags onto merchandise all day,” Dan said. “It was mind numbing work, but hey, I was in California!”
Dan settled into the monotony of a dead-end job, until, one day, he got a phone call from his dad.
“My dad asked me to come back and help him with the company,” Dan said. “He told me I could earn a better living back in Topeka and that he could use my help. So, I came back.”
FINDING PASSION
That decision turned out to be the best one Dan ever made; however, it didn’t mean there weren’t struggles along the way.
“Family businesses can be rough. It is hard when you are a grown man to have your father and your older brother telling you what to do,” Dan said.
Power struggles aside, Dan soon found himself loving the business and what they do for customers. Seeing
how something as simple as cleaning a carpet can improve someone’s quality of life made Dan realize the impact he could make every day.
“We deal with people in their lowest moments, whether it iswater damage, mold, trauma or even infectious disease,” Dan said. “Whether it is a mobile home or a mansion, we do the best job we can to help improve a person’s life.”
A true family business, Chavez siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins have worked together through five decades to build the business Dan’s father, Trinidad Chavez, started in 1967.
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
Trinidad started Chavez Restoration and Cleaning when he saw a need for good carpet cleaning services in Topeka. In the 1970s, the company expanded into janitorial cleaning and other types of cleaning, including restoration services.
Growing Chavez Cleaning and Restoration into a thriving business was one thing. Keeping it that way in a world of competition is another. Dan says the company has had to adapt with changes in consumer demand and technology. However, being early adopters of new technology has often brought its own set of challenges.
“Sometimes we have to fight insurance companies that won’t allow us to charge for a special piece of equipment because no one has ever done it that way before,” Dan said.
He recalled trying to convince an insurance company of the value of thermal image scanners to map out moisture issues.
“The adjuster was trying to determine the extent of the water damage at one location,” Dan said. “They were planning to just start cutting into drywall on an exploratory mission.
I told them my thermal imaging equipment could find the exact source of the moisture problem. It wasn’t until they actually saw what that equipment could do that they understood the value and why we should be able to bill for those services.”
The company has also adapted to changing market demands over the years. At first, it was carpet cleaning. Then it was water removal and restoration. Then mold remediation. Now it is all forms of cleaning and restoration, even disinfecting from infectious disease.
“We try to stay ahead of trends and technology. We are continually going to classes, training on new equipment and educating ourselves on additional ways we can improve our existing services and offer new ones,” Dan said.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
Two of Dan’s four children now work with him in the business, continuing the tradition their grandfather began more than five decades ago.
Dan says passing the business on to the next generation has always been his dream but letting go can be easier said than done. He finds he often has a different perspective on things than his kids do, and while he wants them to question him and push him out of his comfort zone, he wants them to understand his point of view as well.
“I’m that dad that looks over their shoulder,” Dan said. “I remember my dad telling me things I didn’t always agree with. Years later, I found myself wishing I had listened.”
Dan says the beauty of a family business is everyone pushing and working toward a common goal. He loves to see the energy his children bring to the business and their push to put their own stamp on things.
“I remember pushing my dad to try new things or find better ways, changing some of the things he started with. Now, I’m on the other side of that,” Dan said.
BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT
Chavez Restoration and Cleaning has one underlying mission: To leave it better than they found it. Dan feels that way about Topeka as well.
“The values I grew up with are still here,” Dan said. “The people here are Topeka’s bright spot.”
Dan says understanding the value of people is the true reason for his company’s success. Giving people the services they need, and treating them like neighbors, goes a long way to building lasting relationships.
“A lot of our customers are into the second and third generations now. That relationship comes from doing what you say you are going to do and treating people with integrity and respect,” Dan said.
That integrity and respect carries through in all aspects of Dan’s life. While he is honored to receive this recognition from Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, he doesn’t see himself as anything special.
“I am not here because of something I did,” Dan said. “I am here because of something I am a part of. After all, we are just trying to leave things better than we found it.”
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