Garten Services

What Garten Services does

Garten Services, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 in Salem, Oregon, by Sally Gearhart, with a mission to support people with disabilities through employment, career, and retirement opportunities. The organization operates five social enterprise businesses — Garten Custodial (commercial cleaning over 2 million square feet nightly across Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Monmouth, Independence, Dallas, and Springfield), Garten Landscaping, Electronics Recycling/ITAD (processing over 660,000 lbs of electronics annually under NIST 800-88 Rev. 1 standards), NAID-certified Document Destruction/Shredding, and Print & Mail Services — alongside two human-service programs: DayBreak (adult day activities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities) and Community Employment Services (supported employment, job coaching, and a Summer Youth Program).

Garten monetizes through a hybrid revenue model: commercial B2B contracts (custodial and landscaping billed via custom quotes against square-footage or scope-based pricing), government procurement under Oregon Forward Contractor and AbilityOne federal contracting channels, transaction-based public drop-off services for shredding and electronics recycling (per-pound or per-item fees), grants and donations from foundations and corporate partners (KeyBank, Oregon Community Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, regional banks and credit unions), and event-based fundraising (Sip & Stroll, Garten Gala, Friends of Garten Happy Hour). Pricing for individual shredding ranges from $0.43/lb walk-in to $26/container recurring mobile service.

The organization holds NAID AAA certification for secure shredding, NIST 800-88 Rev. 1 compliance for ITAD, Oregon Forward Contractor status for custodial and landscaping, and 501(c)(3) status; it serves more than 200 individuals with disabilities annually and employs 101–250 staff across Salem headquarters, a Salem supported-services office, a DayBreak/Community Employment site, and a Eugene branch. In 2025, Garten consolidated with South Lane Maintenance, absorbing a 14-person crew and 60+ Lane County contracts to expand its geographic footprint, and received a $225,000 KeyBank capacity-building grant in December 2025. The technology footprint is intentionally low-tech: no proprietary AI/ML, no public API or mobile app, with operations supported by Versapay for billing and Mailchimp for donor communications.

Name

Garten Services

Legal name

Garten Services, Inc.

Website

https://garten.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Garten Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 in Salem, Oregon that operates five social enterprises — custodial, landscaping, document destruction, electronics recycling, and print/mail — to employ and support people with disabilities across the Willamette Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Rehabilitation and Social Enterprise Facility Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Commercial custodial services
• Electronics recycling services
• Document shredding services
• Supported employment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Social Enterprise Business Services: Revenue from commercial custodial, landscaping, document shredding, print/mail, and electronics recycling services. Revenue is reinvested to support mission and expand employment programs for people with disabilities.
2. Government Contracts (AbilityOne): Federal contracts under the AbilityOne program providing employment services and creating jobs for people with disabilities. State of Oregon approved Oregon Forward Contractor enabling streamlined contracting for public agencies.
3. Grants and Donations: Grants from organizations like KeyBank ($225,000) and foundations (Oregon Community Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust) support program expansion and capital investments. Individual donations and monthly sustainer programs provide ongoing support.
4. Public Drop-Off and Retail Services: Electronics recycling and document shredding services offered to individuals and businesses with per-pound or per-item fees. Walk-in, witness, and mobile shredding services available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Garten Services operates five social enterprise businesses (custodial, landscaping, document shredding, electronics recycling/ITAD, and print/mail services) that contract with government agencies, businesses, and educational institutions across Oregon's Willamette Valley. Revenue from these commercial services is reinvested to fund supported employment, day activity, and vocational training programs that create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The organization also delivers community-based programs including DayBreak adult day services, Community Employment Services with job coaching, and a no-cost Landscape Training Program in partnership with Chemeketa Community College.

Product overview

Garten Services operates a nonprofit business model consisting of social enterprises and supported employment programs. The organization provides five distinct social enterprises: Garten Custodial (commercial cleaning), Garten Landscaping (landscape maintenance), Electronics Recycling/ITAD Services, Document Destruction/Shredding Services, and Print and Mail Services. Supporting these enterprises are human service programs including DayBreak (adult day services for people with disabilities) and Community Employment Services (job coaching, employment path, and youth programs). The revenue from social enterprises is reinvested to fund mission-driven programs supporting people with disabilities through employment, career, and retirement opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DayBreak: Day support program offering engaging adult day services for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, featuring person-centered support, community excursions, and creative art activities.
• South Lane Maintenance

Products and services

• DayBreak A community-based day support program offering structured adult day services for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, featuring person-centered support, daily community excursions, and creative art activities.
• Community Employment Services Supported employment services including job coaching, Employment Path Community skill development, and Summer Youth Program for people with disabilities seeking meaningful community employment.
• Garten Custodial Commercial cleaning and custodial services cleaning over 2 million square feet nightly, serving businesses and public agencies throughout Salem, Eugene, and the Central Willamette Valley.
• Garten Landscaping Commercial landscaping maintenance services for commercial properties throughout Salem and Central Willamette Valley, including grounds care, landscape bed care, irrigation management, and exterior cleaning.
• Electronics Recycling / ITAD Services IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services providing secure, responsible electronics recycling and data destruction for government, retail, education, and consumer sectors, processing over 660,000 lbs. of electronics annually using NIST 800-88 Rev. 1 standard processes.
• Document Destruction / Shredding Services NAID-certified secure document destruction services including walk-in shredding, mobile on-site shredding, and scheduled offsite pickup for businesses and individuals.
• Print and Mail Services Full-service printing and mailing solutions serving local businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions with USPS-compliant direct mail campaigns, address verification, and custom printing.
• Landscape Training Program A no-cost, six-week landscape training program in Salem, Oregon that prepares participants for entry-level landscaping careers through classroom instruction and hands-on training, with a $1,400 stipend upon completion and a Non-Credited Certificate through Chemeketa Community College.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves more than 200 individuals with disabilities each year through training and employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Lane MaintenancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Lane Maintenance, a nonprofit creating employment for individuals with disabilities in Lane County since 1981, consolidated with Garten Services. SLM's 14-person crew integrated into Garten operations, maintaining existing contracts and expanding supported employment in Lane County.
• Chemeketa Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution providing Non-Credited Certificate upon successful completion of Garten's Landscape Training Program.
• Salem for RefugeescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner5-year partnership bridging gaps and creating meaningful work experiences for families, with Garten providing employment support for individuals with barriers to employment.
• LooptworksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMission-driven company utilizing Garten's commercial services, providing better, faster, and cheaper comparable services while supporting inclusive employment.
• Travel SalemminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTourism marketing partner utilizing Garten's services, describing Garten as an extension of their organization that is invaluable to their operation.
• Jiffy LubecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal business partner providing internship and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through Garten's Summer Youth Program and Supported Employment services.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chimes: Chimes is a nonprofit providing vocational, behavioral, and community services for people with disabilities, operating social enterprises including custodial, food service, and grounds maintenance. Comparable to Garten in mission, social enterprise structure, and focus on supported employment programs.
• Opportunity Village: Opportunity Village is a Nevada-based nonprofit providing vocational training, employment placement, and day services for people with disabilities, operating social enterprises in document shredding, custodial, and packaging. Direct comparable on mission, social enterprise portfolio, and AbilityOne program participation.
• Penn-Mar Human Services: Penn-Mar is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit providing employment, residential, and day services for people with disabilities, with social enterprises in packaging, custodial, and landscaping. Direct comparable on vocational services, social enterprise model, and supported employment programs.
• Melwood: Melwood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating social enterprises (custodial, landscaping, document destruction, IT recycling) that employ people with disabilities across the Mid-Atlantic. It is the most direct structural peer to Garten, sharing the same social enterprise model, AbilityOne participation, and federal contract strategy at a larger scale.
• RHA Health Services: RHA is a multi-state nonprofit providing vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and community-based services for individuals with disabilities. Comparable to Garten's DayBreak and Community Employment Services offerings across multiple states.
• Work Incorporated: Work Inc. is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing employment and day services for people with disabilities, operating social enterprises in janitorial, landscaping, and mailroom/document services. Closely mirrors Garten's service line portfolio and mission integration.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill is the largest nonprofit operator of vocational and social enterprise programs for people with barriers to employment, with retail, custodial, and document destruction divisions. Provides a national-scale reference point and partial operational overlap, but serves a broader population than Garten's disability-exclusive focus.
• Shred-it: Shred-it (Stericycle) is a leading national document destruction provider with NAID certification, serving enterprise and government customers. Direct operational comparison for Garten's shredding social enterprise, though operating as a for-profit at much larger scale.
• Easterseals: Easterseals is a national nonprofit providing disability services including employment, day programs, and vocational rehabilitation across all 50 states. Comparable mission focus on individuals with disabilities, though broader in scope and less concentrated on social enterprise business lines.

Regional players

• LifeWorks NW: LifeWorks NW is an Oregon-based nonprofit providing mental health, vocational, and social services including supported employment programs. Comparable regional peer offering vocational rehabilitation services in the same Pacific Northwest geography as Garten.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gartenservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garten-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/gartenservices

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Garten Services