How Peter Joyce is leading NJC with heart
At NJC, cleaning has never been just about spotless floors or polished surfaces. It is about dignity, trust, and people. True to its name, Not Just Cleaning (NJC), the business has built a national reputation on compassion, sustainability and respect, values that are championed daily by Operations Director, Peter Joyce, whose leadership journey embodies everything the company stands for.
Founded in 1984 by Connie Heppelthwaite, NJC began with little more than a widow’s benefit and a powerful belief: that cleaners are extraordinary people, entrusted with the care of spaces where others live and work. From its early days in Reading to its head office in Victoria, London, and now nationwide coverage across the United Kingdom, that founding philosophy has never been lost.
For Peter Joyce, NJC’s values are deeply personal. “I started as a cleaner when I was 18,” he says. “I worked my way up through the industry, and I know firsthand how important it is to feel seen, valued and respected.”
That experience has shaped Peter into a leader known for presence, humility and empathy, someone who leads from the ground up rather than the top down.
Leading by example
Today, NJC delivers a wide-ranging portfolio of services, from commercial offices and high-end residential properties to industrial, manufacturing and medical environments, including hospitals and laboratories. The company also operates specialist divisions for window cleaning, rope access and high-level works such as graffiti removal and stonework restoration. Yet despite this operational complexity, Peter remains unwaveringly focused on people.
“We’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake,” he explains. “It has to be sustainable, deliverable and fair to the people doing the work.”
This ethos extends to NJC’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. The company partners with Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene Services on environmentally responsible initiatives, including the use of OdorBac Tec, a biodegradable, chemical-free product supplied in reusable five-litre containers.
“It’s a genuinely effective product, but just as importantly, it supports our environmental responsibilities,” Peter says. “We work closely with all our partners, meeting quarterly, trialing new products and ensuring we’re always learning.”
A leader who shows up
Perhaps nowhere is Peter’s leadership more visible than in NJC’s ‘Thank Your Cleaner Month’, an initiative he helped to create as an extension of the industry recognized ‘Thank Your Cleaner Day’. “When I started out, cleaners didn’t get the recognition they deserved,” he reflects. “One day a year isn’t enough, as a senior leadership team, we wanted to do more.”
Running from October to November, the initiative sees NJC’s board, including Peter, personally visit every site where NJC operatives are based, meeting each individual face-to-face to personally thank them and present a card and small treat in recognition of their hard work and commitment. “It’s about presence,” Peter says simply. “Looking someone in the eye and saying thank you. That matters.” The impact is tangible. NJC boasts an exceptional 97 per cent staff retention rate, a figure Peter attributes to fair pay, manageable workloads and genuine care.
The company pays the London Living Wage across almost all contracts and structures its management model carefully, assigning one manager to around 25 contracts to ensure quality, wellbeing and support. “There’s no secret formula,” Peter says. “Education, compassion and being there for people, that’s what works.”
Educating, engaging and inspiring
Peter’s belief in education extends beyond NJC’s workforce to its clients. The company regularly hosts events and pop-up demonstrations to raise awareness around hygiene, sustainability and waste management.
That engagement recently led to NJC winning a Green Apple Award, following an initiative to educate tenants on efficient recycling, proof that leadership grounded in knowledge and collaboration delivers results. Recognition has followed. NJC has been nominated for the Innovation and ESG Awards at BICSc 2025, accolades Peter sees as vital, not for prestige, but for trust. “Being nominated builds confidence, for our teams and our customers,” he says.
Looking ahead, staying true
As NJC moves towards 2026, Peter remains focused on sustainable growth, staff retention and embracing new technologies available in the sector. A long-term five-year strategy aims to scale the business to £50 million, but never at the expense of its soul.
“We don’t want to lose what makes us different,” Peter says. “We’re still a family business, now led by Connie’s sons, Reuben and Mark, and those family values guide every decision.”
For Peter Joyce, leadership isn’t about titles or targets. It’s about respect, consistency and kindness, and proving that when people come first, everything else follows. “Cleaning is essential,” he says. “But caring for people, that’s what truly makes the difference.”