Dave Povlitz served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army in Korea before beginning his business career. In 1974, Povlitz founded Professional Building Maintenance Inc., a janitorial service company. Povlitz began experimenting with franchising in the early 1990s when he founded Anago International. Today, the company operates offices across the United States as well as one in South America.

“The skills I learned in the military will be used over and over in directing an organization,” said Povlitz, chairman and founder of Anago. “These include giving orders, building a team, establishing work orders (sequences of responsibility), monitoring for quality control, writing job descriptions and trust.”

However, one skill sticks out above all the rest, Povlitz says.

“As a radio operator for S-3 Battalion HQ, I learned the importance of communication,” Povlitz said.”In the military, good communication can save lives. In business, good communication can help companies thrive. In the business world, leaders need to be able to convey their messages clearly and effectively and it taught me the importance of active communication. As the CEO of Anago, it is my duty to create the message for the entire system, and my training really helped with that.”

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