Family-owned business working to keep employees, customers safe amid pandemic

HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- During the COVID-19 pandemic, essential businesses have been going above and beyond to keep employees and clients safe. That includes ABC Home and Commercial Services, a family-owned business that has been serving Texans for over 70 years.

"ABC was started in 1949," said Raleigh Jenkins, President of ABC Home and Commercial Services. "Mom and Dad sold everything they had in order to buy the business in 1964. He would go door to door, saying 'How are you doing, my name is Bob Jenkins. I've got a pest control company. Can I do your pest control?'"

Raleigh Jenkins and his two brothers started working for the company from a young age.

"I have an older brother in Austin, and he's been running that business for 30-plus years. And I have a younger brother in Dallas, who's been running that business for about that same period of time, " said Raleigh Jenkins. "Although we're all with the same name, we're all different ownerships and we're very much in a competitive environment with one another. And it makes it a lot of fun."

Raleigh Jenkins' own children now work for ABC Home and Commercial alongside him.

"From the age of probably seven, summers weren't just hanging out at the house, enjoying the pool. Summer was going to the office and getting in our hours so we could get some allowance money." said marketing director Vanessa Jenkins Green.

"Growing up in the family business and being a Jenkins child, all I knew was ABC. From my grandfather to my uncles to my dad and my mom, that's our family," said marketing director Tiffani Jenkins Johnson.

Their spouses also work in the family business.

"I feel more like a son than a son-in-law in this family, which is really cool," said Ben Johnson, division manager-pest operations.

"Vanessa and I, we got married in late 2017. Raleigh executed the master plan," jokes Michael Green, residential sales manager. "I was the last in-law or child to be brought into the business."

ABC Home and Commercial has grown from a two-person operation in Houston to over 200 employees.

"As we look at our relationships with our customers, people trusted us as a business and as a people," said Raleigh Jenkins. "So we decided we were going to do other services. Pool came in shortly after that, and then we started doing lawn, and we've developed those relationships and that's going to continue."

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ABC Home and Commercial is taking special safety precautions at the office and while servicing customers' homes and businesses.

"During this time of coronavirus, operating a business has changed a lot," said Raleigh Jenkins. "We are laser focused on making sure that we're keeping a healthy environment at the workplace. When you come into our office, we're going to check your temperature, we're going to do a couple of health questions."

Even during uncertain times, giving back to the community is important to ABC Home and Commercial.

"We love Houston and we love the people of Houston," said Tiffani Jenkins Johnson. "We're really encouraging our employees to be active and keep moving. So our intiative with our employees is, for every mile that they walk, run, or bike, we will give to the Houston Food Bank dollar-for-mile."

ABC Home and Commercial has also given gift cards for free meals to first responders.

"We are going to get through this, but we are going to have to fight and struggle and push forward together," said Raleigh Jenkins.

For more information on ABC Home and Commercial or for services, click here.