When Bill Coakley founded Service Management Systems in 1988, he wasn’t trying to build a typical service company.
He wanted to create a place where people worked with purpose, took pride in their results, and supported one another along the way. That idea became the foundation of a company that continues to grow more than three decades later.
The Beginning of Service Management Systems
The first SMS office sat on Murfreesboro Road in Nashville, Tennessee. It was just two rooms, one for Bill and one for his assistant, Angie Dean. Angie had been Bill’s assistant at his previous company, and when he decided to start his own business, she left to continue working alongside him.
“When he told me he was starting his own company, I didn’t hesitate,” Angie said. “He asked me to join him, and I quit my job the next day.”
For the first six months, Bill paid Angie out of his own pocket while the company waited to take on new business. When the time came, they launched with three accounts located in Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee. It was a small start, but Bill believed that steady growth built stronger roots.
Early employees often traveled for weeks at a time, managing cleaning and maintenance operations at client sites around the country. “Back then you didn’t leave on Monday and come home on Friday,” Angie said. “You stayed until the job was done.” That work ethic helped shape the company’s culture of reliability and teamwork. Everyone pitched in, and everyone understood that quality mattered more than speed.
A Company Built on People and Integrity
From the beginning, Service Management Systems felt different from other service companies. Bill’s focus was never on growth for its own sake. He built relationships with clients and employees through honesty, trust, and follow-through.
Bill led by example. One vendor recalled arriving at a mall late one night to deliver supplies and finding the company’s owner unloading buckets of floor cleaner. Only later did he realize the man beside him was Bill Coakley.
As Angie recalled, “If you didn’t know Bill and you were in a room filled with people, you would never guess he was the founder and president of a company that generated hundreds of millions a year. He was the first to roll up his sleeves and get to work. That’s the philosophy he built into his company.”
That type of hands-on leadership defined SMS. Bill expected high standards, but he also inspired loyalty through fairness and respect. As the company grew, that attitude evolved into what employees today know as the Whatever It Takes culture, a commitment to doing the job right, supporting teammates, and exceeding expectations.
“He did so many things behind the scenes that nobody knew about,” Angie said. “He didn’t want credit. He just wanted to help.”
That sense of humility and service became the heart of SMS. “We called it our work family, and we meant it,” she added.
Adapting and Expanding
Through the 1990s, SMS continued to grow as new clients came on board and existing partnerships deepened. Bill’s ability to listen to customers and his willingness to adapt led to new services and stronger relationships. If a client needed something beyond cleaning, SMS found a way to deliver.
That adaptability helped SMS move into new industries, including healthcare. Hospitals and medical centers needed partners who could bring reliability, expertise, and compassion to their environments. SMS applied its proven systems and people-centered approach to create programs that supported patient safety and infection prevention.
Over time, Service Management Systems became known for its consistent results and dependable partnerships. Each new account reflected the same foundation Bill had set in motion in that small Nashville office: build relationships, deliver quality, and support the people who make it possible.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Bill Coakley passed away in 2004, but his influence continues to guide Service Management Systems today. The leaders who worked beside him, and the many who came after, still measure success by the strength of their teams and the relationships they build.
Managers mentor their people. Longtime employees train new ones. The same values that defined the company’s earliest years still drive its future. Reflecting on Bill’s leadership, Angie said, “He made you believe you could do more than you thought you were capable of.”
Her own career is proof of that. She began as Bill’s assistant and eventually became a director, continuing the leadership style that shaped her career. “Bill and the leaders who followed gave us those opportunities,” she said. “That’s what makes it special.”
Angie also reflected on the lasting impact of his work: “Bill accomplished more in 48 years than most people could in ten lifetimes.” His leadership didn’t just build a company; it established a culture of service, accountability, and care that continues to shape SMS today.
A Lasting Commitment
From the first floors cleaned in 1988 to the hospital corridors, airport terminals, and retail centers served today, Service Management Systems has remained true to its purpose: to provide clean, safe, and welcoming environments for every person who walks through the door.
Bill Coakley’s legacy is visible every day in the company’s people and their work. The Whatever It Takes spirit he inspired continues to define how SMS serves its partners and supports its employees.
That commitment remains at the heart of who Service Management Systems is today.