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For more than 50 years, Cummins Facility Services has been helping clients sparkle and shine. Jill Frey is the owner and president of this family business.

Her parents, Ron and Myra Cummins, founded the business in 1972, the year Frey was born. Frey grew up on Smeltzer Road and spent many days at Lawrence Orchards.

For Frey, holidays as a child were a little different than many other families.

“Every holiday was a very big time for us to go into buildings and do strip and waxing or deep cleaning. My dad would work all night with the crews. Our holidays were always spent working as a family,” Frey said. “I started by every summer with my dad. He took me on a van route and we would clean all the restrooms for the remote GTE locations.”

As a child, Frey dreamed of being a Rockette. After graduating from Pleasant High School, Frey went to the University of Toledo to study communications. She wanted to be a newscaster. Shortly after she finished college, her parents took a vacation. The Cumminses bought land on a beach in Honduras and called Frey to say they were not coming back. The company was in Frey’s hands.

When Frey became president of Cummins in 1994, it had 15 employees serving local clients. Under her leadership and determination, Cummins now serves clients nationwide.

“We have so many great employees. We still have one of our first employees here who has been here over 40 years,” Frey says. “I am so proud of my executive and leadership team. They never cease to amaze me. They are the best of the best. I have the best team. I am so proud all the way down to the front-line cleaners. It takes a village to run this company and they are out there every day working to bring our continued success.”

The key to success

This woman-owned company has been fueled by two desires − to serve its employees and its clients.

“My employees have always been my ‘why.’ When I started, I wanted to make sure they would always have jobs and be able to take care of their families. Seeing them around and knowing I am able to help them provide is the biggest reason I could have,” Frey said.

Frey has a simple secret to her success.

“Always do the right thing and believe in your team. I am here to make the world a better place. How, we enable clients to have better buildings that are safe and healthy. Cleaning for health is what we do,” Frey said.

As a young entrepreneur, Frey depended on support from local clients, employees and leaders.

“Elaine Merchant from the Marion Palace Board and Pam Hall from Chamber [of Commerce], both dear friends from Marion, were my mentors,” Frey said. “Seeing their passions fired my own and gave me confidence in myself to pursue my dreams.”

A heart for community service

Frey is proud of the Marion community.

“Marion is full of good people with great hearts. I am very grateful to call it my hometown. Marion is a gem that still needs to be discovered. I think its time is coming soon. There are so many wonderful things about Marion,” Frey said.

Cummins took the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to thrive.

“COVID showed how important we are and the work that employees do keeps us safe,” Frey said.

Cummins also gives back to the Marion community. Employees volunteer for the Peanut Butter Jelly Truck, litter clean-up, sponsor a downtown Marion flower bed, adopt local families for the holidays and serve at an area soup kitchen.

Now a third generation has joined the family-owned business.

“I am so proud that my daughter and son are working with me. They are bringing a new spin into the business. It has been a lot of fun to watch them grow and blossom,” Frey said.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Jill Frey takes Cummins Facility Services to new heights in Marion