It takes insight, patience, and a lot of hard work to start a business and nurture it along. Although Chuck Mongiello's pre-IMC years are a far cry from his family-owned-and-operated business, he relies on the same attributes to make a difference. Chuck's work with children as a teacher, athletic director, coach and summer camp owner was no less challenging and diversified than his entrepreneurial endeavor.

As a young man, just starting a family with his wife Maria, Chuck augmented his salary as a Social Studies teacher at St. Aloysius Academy with a part-time cleaning job at a local bank. He acknowledges "the Continental Bank in Chestnut Hill was instrumental in getting me started."

It Takes Two
From that part-time job at Continental Bank, Chuck slowly took on more nighttime cleaning work until he eventually needed to hire more help. It was a family affair right from the beginning, with Chuck and Maria working side-by side to raise their two sons and cultivate their business. Formally starting in 1973 as Interior Maintenance Company, the business was able to cover the bills and become a full-time endeavor. Chuck enjoyed meeting people, making decisions, and being on the job sites, while Maria ran the office and "kept everything running smoothly."

Son's Complementary Skills Contribute to Company's Growth
As his sons grew, so did the company—now in its third location in suburban Philadelphia. But no father's pride was greater than Chuck's as he welcomed his sons into the family business with open arms. He reminisces, "In the early '90s Matt worked here part-time helping us with sales and marketing and he asked to stay on." With Chuck Jr. already on board handling the operational responsibilities, Chuck Sr. was thrilled to recognize the tremendous benefits of his son's complementary skills.

His patience and his confidence in his sons' ability to take on management roles never faltered. Where other, more cautious business owners would have been tentative, he gave them the opportunity to make decisions..."often by trial and error," he admits.

What started as a part-time business more than 30 years ago has prospered into a reputable firm recognized by major institutions in the Mid-Atlantic area. Chuck acknowledges his sons' contributions, and credits them for the growth and success of the company. In fact, he can't give his sons enough credit. Chuck also praises his wife for the positive impact she made in the business—and moreover, in his life. He's still active in the company; and, with the Mongiello sons successfully running it, he now finds more time for his new challenge—mastering golf.