“Why was the window so good at making friends? Because it was always transparent about everything!”
Eric Summerville, who is known for his Dad Jokes, laughs, and is joined by his wife, Melissa. For the past 21 years of marriage, the couple have planted roots in Springfield, where they raised a family and built a beloved business — Squeegee Squad — that keeps the area’s buildings gleaming.
Fittingly, Eric and Melissa met as vendors at a bridal show. “I was putting a banner away at the end of the show and Eric came over to give me some friendly advice on how to roll it more efficiently,” Melissa says.
Knowing they would spend their lives together, there was no question they would stay in Springfield, where Melissa grew up and where Eric had called home since 1997. “We love the community spirit and beautiful landscapes in Springfield. People are very friendly and supportive and there is a vibrant local culture. It is a great place to raise a family and build a business,” Melissa says.
Today, their son, Landon, 26, is a police officer near Kansas City, where he lives with his wife, Michallia, a nurse in a pediatrics office, and their son, Theodore, who was born last November. The Summervilles’ other son, Ashton, 20, is likewise successful, living in Columbia and working as a new car salesperson at a Hyundai dealership. “Although they do not live locally, they are still in Missouri,” Melissa says.
In their off-hours the couple enjoys exploring the Greenway trails. “There are also fabulous parks — like Sequiota, Nathanael Greene, Rutledge-Wilson — that offer such different varieties of scenery,” Eric says.
During the year, they travel to attend professional conferences to improve their services and add in a few days to take in the sights. “A conference we love to attend is in Arizona,” Melissa says. “We love going to Sedona to hike and explore.”
This love of exploration motivated the couple to launch a window-cleaning business in 2010. They joined Squeegee Squad franchise two years later and have been steadily serving communities in Southwest Missouri. “In 12 years, we went from being based in our home garage with Eric using our 1997 Dodge Caravan, employees and five trucks,” Melissa says.
They like to bring smiles to their customers. (On their website, you can see Eric donning a shirt with a Superman shield and flashing a thumbs-up.) “When professionals are invited to your home, it’s nice to be a bit lighthearted,” Melissa says. “This extends to how we stay connected with customers through regular updates, personalized communication and community involvement.”
They recommend cleaning interior windows at least twice a year and outside quarterly to keep them maintained and enhance the home’s curb appeal. “Having our team inspect gutters for clogs is also important as it allows us to address issues before clogged gutters send rainwater into the house,” Eric says.
After every service, they make “happy calls” to ensure customer satisfaction. Additionally, they launched The Squad Club, a subscription-like service that allows customers to set up regular window, gutter and home exterior cleaning, receive savings on services as well as on options like holiday light installation.
Each year, Squeegee Squad turns into Santa’s helpers, illuminating homes and businesses for the holiday season. “We use Christmas Light Installation Pros Association Certified Installers, stock quality commercial-grade lights and offer mock ups of holiday lighting to help people envision what their home or business could look like,” Melissa says. “Lights are affixed by professional grade clips, so there is no drilling or anchoring into the house.”
Want a timely holiday display? Call this summer to schedule installation. “We start installations in September and then can add the timer later,” Eric says. “Since we order lights in advance, the earlier people call us, the better chance they will get what they want.”
Trends include using energy-efficient LED lights and RGB lighting, which combine red, green and blue to give color options — perfect for people who want lights beyond one season.
“There’s a growing trend toward new color choices and patterns,” says Eric, who lit his own home last year in teal and red. “It gave a neat pop — very different than classic white lights. We complemented it with beautifully lit outdoor wreaths and bows to give our home a festive daytime look.”
Learn more about the services offered at SqueegeeSquad.com/Locations/Springfield-MO.
“We love the community spirit and beautiful landscapes in Springfield.”
“We love going to Sedona to hike and explore.”