PCT Janitorial: Growing with the Community

RJ Patel immigrated from England in 1978 at just 14 years old. When his family arrived in Kennesaw, his father purchased a hotel that became their home and livelihood for 27 years. Growing up in a new country, Patel learned to blend his Indian and British cultures into American life. He played soccer at Mt. Paran Christian School and earned a scholarship to play at Kennesaw State University from which he earned two bachelor’s degrees in management and marketing. Having become fully immersed in Cobb County, Patel knew this was the place to plant his roots.

He learned much from his father, including what he did and did not enjoy about the hotel business. That, he says, is why he pursued establishing a cleaning service in 2023 that offers hospitality without the 24/7 routine. PCT Janitorial is now the leading commercial cleaning and janitorial services provider in North Georgia, however, the company is much more. It is part of the great diversity that makes the Town Center Community special.

Living in the hotel, Patel had the pleasure of meeting people from all walks of life and homelands around the world. The lessons learned from these interactions helped him understand how important it is to respect and bring people from a broad diversity of backgrounds together.

“That’s what I’m doing now with my company. I am building a culture. I am building a team atmosphere,” said Patel. “I want my employees to experience the same enriching opportunities I enjoyed.”

As an active member of the Town Center Community, he has served on boards for Cobb EMC, Cobb Travel & Tourism, Kennesaw Business Association and the Cobb Chamber, among others. He’s come to see the district as a place where he can build a future for both his business and family and one in which he can help stimulate meaningful and positive change.

“I really love what Town Center CID stands for because its purpose is to continue supporting responsible growth and tackling issues of importance to the community,” he added.

In his 47 years residing in Cobb County, Patel has seen Kennesaw develop from a small town into a thriving center for business and residential growth that places it among the best destinations in metro Atlanta for its high live-work-play attributes. Having moved to the area when it was still largely underdeveloped, he has been, and continues to be, a contributor to that success. PCT Janitorial currently employs 40 but is expanding rapidly, expecting to have 100 on staff by year’s end.

As an immigrant, Patel says he needed somewhere that gave him that “warm feeling,” and he got it in Town Center. Today, he’s grateful to the district for providing a diverse and inclusive space where both he and his business can thrive.

“We have such diversity in our business sector and in the people who live and work here which is why I chose to stay in the community for so long,” Patel concluded.

Looking forward, he is excited to see Town Center’s continued development and hopes his company will continue to flourish alongside those of his friends and business associates.