Cleaning with pride

Veteran brings Army values to business

By J.M. Simpson on July 12, 2021

Mark Herr said that concentrated effort is an excellent way to achieve one's business goals.

"It takes hard work," the Army veteran began. "In war zones and in recruiting, I learned that I had to go out and get what I wanted, even if there were several other people who wanted the same thing as I."

Like his dad and stepdad, the native of South Carolina knew from an early age that he would enlist in the Army.

After two deployments to Iraq and eight years as an infantryman, the Army decided to make him a recruiter. In both military occupational specialties, he met the challenge.

But in June 2018 while riding his motorcycle to the Seattle Recruiting Battalion Headquarters, Herr was involved in a traffic accident. The injuries he sustained precluded him from continuing with a career in the Army.

During his recuperation, Herr talked with a fellow veteran he had known since basic training about what he was going to do after separating.

"It is at that point we hatched the idea for me to purchase a carpet cleaning van from him," he continued.

Now the sole owner of Clearview Carpet Cleaning for the past couple of years, Herr's company is built on honesty and integrity.

"We offer a service that everyone who rents or owns property needs when it's time to move - we clean carpet," he said.

"At face value, this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it is. There are a large number of less than admirable characters in this business, and we are changing that mold."

Herr said that his company is based on the Army's seven values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.

"We offer up front pricing with no hidden agenda; we don't bring a high pressure sales situation to our clients' homes; and we always offer a 10 percent discount to our active duty, veteran, first responder, and health care provider families," he said.

Besides offering a carpet cleaning service, Clearview Carpet Cleaning also does tile and grout cleaning and sealing, upholstery cleaning, and strip and wax services for vinyl composite tile floors in commercial settings.

"The time I spent in the Army taught me how to be comfortable in environments that weren't inherently comfortable and where I didn't have all the answers I wanted in order to make decisions," Herr said.

"I had to work harder and smarter than others to achieve. I had to be hungry enough to want to do the things required to be successful. This mentality has served me well in business."

Herr also offers this way of thinking to those who are thinking about what career path they might pursue after serving.

"Go after what you want and don't listen to people when they load you up with all the reasons you can't or shouldn't do something."

"Just start doing something, jump into the deep end of the pool and figure it out, the rest will take care of itself," concluded Herr.

For more information, visit www.clearviewcarpetcleaning.com or call (360) 352-8657.