A Hub for Positive Impact
First Federal Bank of WI's Joe Bogenberger, Sandi Armstrong, Robb Armstrong, MEDC's Lynn Keckeisen and First Federal Bank of Wisconsin's Michael Berry
Commercial properties, schools, medical facilities, car dealerships…they all have to maintain their properties. Roofs, windows and HVAC systems need to be repaired and replaced. There’s painting and cleaning and landscaping to be done. Sandi and Robb Armstrong of City Wide Facility Solutions aim to make all this maintenance easier for business and property managers by finding the independent contractors to fill in their labor gaps. The company vets small to mid-sized owner/operators and makes sure they are insured and meet all the qualifications the client requires. Not only does City Wide Facility Solutions help clients by taking away “the headache of having to juggle multiple vendors,” as Sandi says, but they become the sales arm for the contractors and guarantee they get paid whether City Wide Facility Solutions gets paid by the client or not.
City Wide Facility Solutions of Southeastern Wisconsin is a franchise location that is independently owned and operated by the Armstrongs. They’d been making contractor/client matches since 2014 out of a rented space in the Menomonee Valley when it came time to grow and transition from renting to owning their offices. The search was on for a new space, and it was important to the couple to stay in the Menomonee Valley. “There are so many benefits the Valley provides businesses,” Sandi says. “Freeway accessibility, the riverwalk, business associations and networking, social events, parks and restaurants….” Since most of their nearly 300 contractors operate out of Milwaukee, the proximity to the city also creates convivence and stronger ties with them.
“This space is so much more than an office; it’s a place where community, collaboration and connection come together.”
In 2024, the Armstrongs found the 16,000 square foot, two story building on North 12th Street that would become City Wide Facility Solutions new home. The building came with a tenant occupying the first floor, and City Wide Facility Solutions would take over the second floor. “We loved the historic character of the building. It was rich with architectural detail and had great bones and a unique personality,” Sandi says. But, it needed some work. With some help from MEDC and First Federal Bank of Wisconsin, they purchased the building and began renovations.
They tore down walls and raised the ceiling to expose the beams. “We wanted to create a space that feels more like a home than an office – especially in a time when so many people enjoy working from home,” Sandi says. They opened up and expanded the kitchen – “the heart of any home,” as Sandi says – and built in collaborative spaces where employees could work outside cubes. “This space is so much more than an office; it’s a place where community, collaboration and connection come together,” Sandi says.
The City Wide Facility Solutions office space is more than just a place for the company to do its business. The company offers an “impact center” to help small, independent contractors create a larger vision. Charitable organizations use the building during off hours. Local nonprofits use the space for planning or business roundtables. “It’s a hub for positive impact,” Sandi says. “Business can be a force for good, benefitting not just our business but people in our community.”
Sandi and her team work to make sure both client and contractor are satisfied and happy, but she doesn’t want the good will to end there. “By helping small businesses grow, we’re helping to impact our community and positively impacting the lives of others,” Sandi says. “That’s really what drives my husband and me.”
Director of Operations Leah Baade in the office kitchen
Find out more about City Wide Facility Solutions of Southeastern Wisconsin.