When Curtis Norton was a kid in 1990, his parents opened Leapatrick’s Carpet Cleaning (the name came from a combination of his mom’s name, LeaAyn, and his dad’s name, Patrick). Curtis and his brother Sean worked for the company for most of their childhoods and into their 20s. LeaAyn and Patrick sold the company in 2017, but Curtis knew he wanted to keep the tradition alive and decided to open his own version of the company with his wife Bri in 2022.
Leapatrick’s Carpet Cleaning specializes in all types of residential and commercial floor care from carpet cleaning to LVP/LVT to tile and grout and strip and wax on VCT tile. They are also experts at cleaning all types of furniture upholstery and have recently added house cleaning.
Below is an interview with Curtis Norton, owner of the new Leapatrick’s Carpet Cleaning.
How long have you been in business and what was the owner’s motivation for starting the business?
I have owned this business since December of 2022. The motivation for reopening my parent’s cleaning company came from not wanting to work restaurant hours anymore in order to be home more with my wife and three young children.
I was the executive chef at Round the Bend Steakhouse in Ashland for 12 years and loved it! TJ and Tif Olson were great bosses and still great friends of mine. After my third child was born in 2022, my wife and I decided it was time to do something different and move on from the restaurant world. That is when I had the idea to do the cleaning thing again!
We always had the goal for my wife to stay home with the kids and homeschool if possible. Leapatrick’s was the way for us to make that goal happen! We succeeded when my wife quit her management job at Mutual of Omaha to be home with our kids!
How has the business grown over the years?
We were blessed to grow very quickly! What started with just myself part time cleaning and part-time help at Round the Bend quickly turned into a full time job for myself. Then in March of 2023 my father came on full time and we were off and running. We added the house cleaning in June of 2023 and that was a complete game changer. Carpet and house cleaning go hand in hand. Then in 2024 we hired two additional employees!
What do you think sets you apart from other businesses in the same industry?
Many things set us apart. First and foremost is our customer service, we are always extremely friendly, understanding and never late. Also since I have been cleaning since I was 14 years old and my dad has been cleaning since 1990, we have a ton of wisdom to get the job done correctly. The hot water extraction with bonnet buffing method that we use to clean carpet cleans better, dries faster and ensures that we do not need to use soapy and harmful chemicals when cleaning.
The other thing that sets us apart is house cleaning. You can hire one company to do all your cleaning in your house. We also do not subcontract out any of our cleanings. We use background checks and hire only close family and friends.
What do you and your team like about living and working in Omaha?
As all my friends and family know, I absolutely love Omaha and our surrounding towns. I have lived my whole life here. My wife and I raise our children here. This is one of the best cities in America and I truly believe that. Omaha’s residents do a great job of supporting family-owned small businesses. We are Midwest nice and hard working. I always say Omaha is the biggest small town in the world. The networking and connections in this city are amazing and help a ton when opening a business.
What are your plans for the next five years of your business? 10? 25?
My next five years of business would be to grow our company slightly to have two carpet cleaning vans and two house cleaning crews out cleaning. My next 10 – 25 year goals would be to see if this business is franchisable. My father owned a local Chem-Dry franchise so we know what it takes to run a franchise. I believe that by combining the carpet and house cleaning, we can be a total home cleaning company and that would be something different that the market would reward. One company to clean your entire house, why not. One call for all your cleaning needs!
If you could choose one thing you enjoy most about your business, what would it be?
I love serving people by cleaning their homes. The satisfaction of knowing they have a clean and healthy home helps people so much. Customer interaction has always been a favorite part of cleaning. I appreciate people using their hard-earned money to hire my company so that I can provide for my family and employees.
How does your team give back to the community?
We have given our time and treasure to many nonprofits around the area including Mustaches for Kids, Food Bank of the Heartland, Heartland Hope Mission and The Open Door Mission. On a smaller scale we have done a handful of free cleanings for those in need who do have the money to clean. I would like to grow this side of the business as we get further into the year.
Does your business have a mission statement?
We here at Leapatrick’s Carpet Cleaning serve God everyday by serving others in our community by giving them the clean home they deserve. We work every day to create a fun, welcoming and safe environment for our employees and customers at all times.
If you could give other business owners a piece of advice, what would it be?
Answer your phone! Too many small businesses have full voice mail boxes and do not get back to their future or regular customers. I have gained customers for life just by answering my phone! Lastly, do not cut corners, do the job right in a timely fashion. Deliver on what you promised.
