Grand Rapids Fish Window Cleaning franchise owner hired as company president

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A little over a decade after buying a Grand Rapids area franchise of Fish Window Cleaning Service Inc., Randy Cross has been hired to lead the company.

Cross was named president of the St. Louis-based company, which is the largest window cleaning franchise in the country. Fish provides service to more than 200,000 commercial and residential customers nationwide, the company said.

Cross plans to keep his Fish franchise location, at 2990 Franklin Ave. SW in Grandville, while leading a staff of 25 to support 250 franchise locations and develop new territories.

Other than decisions of faith and family, joining Fish Window Cleaning has been one of the best decisions of my life, said Cross. I look forward to continuing to help others realize their dreams of business ownership and the freedom and flexibility it can provide in their lives.

One reason Cross was drawn to the Fish franchise: he wouldn't have to work nights, weekends or holidays, which allowed him to have a balanced life with time for his family and volunteering. Before buying the franchise, he was a sales operation manager at Computer Products And Resources.

"I do not let business dominate my life and going back to faith, I believe I have been rewarded for that," said Cross, 44, who graduated from Grand Rapids' Creston High School in 1988 and from Hope College, in Holland, four years later.

Two years after Cross bought the Grand Rapids Fish franchise, he was named Franchisee of the Year in 2005.

Cross says franchising has been a good fit for him because it is about following systems and processes, which is his strong suit.

"My wife likes to tease me that I wont deviate from a recipe when cooking. That same trait helps make me a successful franchise owner," said Cross. "The skills I have taken from the experience of being a business owner will help me in my new role leading Fish Window Cleaning."

He began working for the corporate office in 2008, recruiting franchise prospects as part of the franchise development team, and more recently, leading Fish's franchise support staff.

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Grand Rapids Fish Window Cleaning franchise owner hired as company president