When Doug Compau met Robin Moser, he had no idea that she would one day be his partner in both life and in business, but that’s exactly what happened. The couple, who married in 2002, own a Molly Maid franchise that serves East Pierce County and Southeast King County. Molly Maid offers cleaning services in a range of flexible options, and all maids that work for the company are licensed, bonded and background checked. But that’s only part of what makes this business stand out in the community. Other highlights include Doug’s military background, as well as he and Robin’s support of the community.
As one can see in the photos, Doug and Robin are well-suited to one another, what with their mutual love of the outdoors, especially mountains. The duo loves nature so much that they even enjoy farming.
When it comes to business however, they have different interests and therefore different strengths. He operates the business on a daily basis while Robin works as a corporate accountant outside the company. “She does the accounting only. She pops in and does book keeping, such as taxes, balancing the books, looking for my mistakes,” jokes Doug. “I do daily operations, marketing, supplies and repair.”
Doug, whose father was a United States Marine who served in the Korean War, was born at the Navy Hospital in Bremerton. He attended Puyallup High School and served in the Navy as a sonar technician during the Vietnam era, between 1974 and 1980.
All that military experience serves this disabled veteran well as an entrepreneur. “It gives you a foot up in management and figuring out how to do things on your own,” says Doug.
Molly Maid Supervisor Joe Rodriguez, who is also a disabled veteran and served in Desert Storm, works alongside Doug and they make a very effective unit.
“Joe and I work better together than [I did with] any former female office person. We think alike and both have that ‘get it done’ attitude,” Doug says. “We are a great team, supporting and filling in for each other as needed.”
Aside from the dynamic duo of Doug and Joe, and Doug’s wife Robin, the company employs 16 other people all from the local area—a fact that is important to Doug. He explains that business is “growing and giving jobs to entry level and empty nesters at wages above minimum wage, with home cleaning professionals of mixed nationalities and cultures.”
In addition to providing jobs, Doug and Robin like to give back to the community. One way they do this is by offering discounts to senior citizens, veterans, and others who may not otherwise be able to afford their services, like those on a fixed income.
Clients can have Molly Maid employees clean and organize their homes, businesses and even churches. Molly Maid actually services several small churches weekly and the big Catholic church in Sumner twice a week, and is also contracted by the City of Bonney Lake to service the town’s senior center, public works department, city hall, and police department.
As far as private homes go, Doug says that some customers’ needs have changed since the recession. “Both adults in the home work now and get stuck in traffic,” he says. “They want their weekends to spend with the kids; they prefer service every two weeks.”
Also, different types of clients require different services. “Baby Boomers are finding it hard to do some tasks now, but are pretty independent,” he explains. “They want us either monthly or only to do the things they find to difficult.”
Molly Maid services also include packing, arranging, and organizing, but as Doug says, “We are in the farm country of the Pacific Northwest, so cobwebs, dust, hard water issues and muddy hardwood floors are the top of the list.”
Whatever your cleaning needs may be, rest assured that Molly Maid likely has an option to fit.
Molly Maid of Bonney Lake/Auburn/Enumclaw is located at 1310 Zehnder Street #1A in Sumner. For more information, call 253-891-4276 or visit the Molly Maid website.
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