THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE DREAMS, IDEAS AND GOALS COME TO FRUITION, IS THE CORE OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOMS THAT ARE OURS IN AMERICA.

- Denise Burnett Stewart

SMALL BUSINESS DRIVES THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. IT THRIVES AND SURVIVES NO MATTER WHAT MAY BE GOING ON IN THE MAIN ECONOMY.

- Dick Gadomski

UNLESS WE PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE WILL NOT HAVE AN EXCITING BUSINESS ATMOSPHERE IN OUR COUNTRY.

- Allen B. Morgan, Jr.

Carlos H. Cantu

The ServiceMaster Company
President/CEO (retired)

The ServiceMaster Company was recently named by Fortune as the country’s #1 most admired outsourcing company, and Carlos Cantu who served as the Senior Chairman, earned a great deal of credit for leading the company to where it is today. Carlos joined ServiceMaster in 1986, and he became CEO in 1994. Building upon the original franchise model, he worked to form an outstanding network of quality consumer service companies that operate under such well-known names as TruGreen-ChemLawn, Terminix, Merry Maids, American Home Shield and Rescue Rooter.

Mr. Cantu’s business sense has proved invaluable to his peers, as he serves on a number of corporate boards, such as Exelon Corporation, First Tennessee National Corporation, and El Valor in Chicago. He was also quite active in the world of civic and charitable organizations. The honors he can count as his include the Horatio Alger Award in 1997, the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom in May 2000, and the Society of Entrepreneurs 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Description of Business

ServiceMaster is a portfolio of quality service companies operating under leading brands that currently include Terminix, TruGreen ChemLawn, TruGreen LandCare, American Residential Services, Rescue Rooter, American Mechanical Services, ServiceMaster Clean, American Home Shield, AmeriSpec, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and The ServiceMaster Home Service Center.

Year Business Founded

1947

Year Inducted

1992

Thoughts on Entrepreneurship

“The USA may aptly be described as the cradle of the free enterprise system. We are the most affluent country in the world today for two simple reasons: one, the men and women who have demonstrated the willingness to organize, operate and assume risk for a business venture, the classic entrepreneur; and two, the opportunity to live in a country that not only supports but encourages and respects entrepreneurship in every individual willing to do so.”

For More Information: http://www.servicemaster.com