Trust Through Communication: The Addilan Group Improves Facilities Management Partnerships

This post is sponsored by the Addilan Group. 

In the past, people assumed that facilities management was mostly about fixing what’s broken. Today’s industry insiders understand that it is about so much more than that. The Addilan Group, a sponsor of our 2025 Fexa Flex retail summit, has built its business on the philosophy that great facilities management is all about communication. 

In fact, Addilan’s Co-Founder Steve Vollrath says that they are a communication company that happens to provide facilities services. This perspective has shaped everything from how Addilan Group vets vendors to how they handle those 3 a.m. emergency calls. We were happy to welcome them to Fexa 2025 as a sponsor. 

A Communication-First Approach to Facilities Management

Facilities management companies often emphasize the breadth of their service offerings, and Addilan Group is certainly proud of what it has to offer, including: 

• Nationwide 24/7 support
• Trade services (handyman, plumbing, locksmith, and electrical) 
• Critical maintenance services (grease traps, hood cleaning, kitchen equipment, etc.) 
• Fire & Life Safety services
• Capital improvement programs

However, Addilan Group has also differentiated itself by prioritizing how it delivers those services. They are committed to being a single point of contact for multi-site clients (typically those with 50+ locations). This means that it’s Addilan Group that you call in the middle of the night when something is seriously wrong. The company prides itself on quickly triaging and resolving emergencies. 

Why having a single point of contact matters

By serving as a centralized communication hub, Addilan Group eliminates these friction points:

• 24/7 availability for emergency situations
• Consistent messaging across all locations
• Reduced vendor coordination complexity
• Faster triage and resolution times

Building trust through transparency

At Fexa Flex, Vollrath shared with us that Addilan Group’s philosophy extends beyond simply responding quickly to issues. They also communicate clearly to clients in a transparency-first approach. 

Transparency in the facilities management process is important because operators need to know that their partners are protecting their interests—even if that involves delivering difficult news like the need for a major equipment overhaul or repair. 

In the world of facilities management, trust is paramount. Clear tracking of costs is a key way to build trust. With Addilan Group, facilities managers can be confident that when they hand off a project or work order, it’s not going to require constant oversight and “babysitting.” They can trust that Addilan Group will do the job right and stick to the client’s budget, as if it were its own. 

This approach aligns with industry best practices for effective vendor management, which emphasize the importance of clear expectations, performance tracking, and collaborative relationships. Addilan Group’s model recognizes that sustainable partnerships require mutual benefit and shared accountability.

Leveraging technology to enhance human connections 

Addilan Group has built a foundation on clear communication and relationships, but that doesn’t mean they have ignored the important role that technology plays in the facilities management industry. 

That’s why Addilan has invested in tools that provide real-time visibility into work progress, including a mobile app that allows vendors to easily check in and out of sites, upload photos of work, and confirm work order completion. When their clients use the app’s client-facing dashboard, they get access to up-to-date information on work in progress and completed work. 

This is a big change from when Vollrath started in the facilities management industry, when everything was done over email. Today’s facilities managers are often overseeing teams all over the country, which means they need near-instantaneous updates with accurate information from the field. 

Technology as an Enabler, Not a Replacement

Addilan Group’s goal of providing the best possible communication between stakeholders in the facilities management industry is aligned with other industry trends, like digitization and automation. 

Modern facilities management increasingly relies on integrated systems that provide comprehensive reporting and real-time insights. Vollrath is always quick to emphasize that the role of technology is to enhance human communication — it should never replace human relationships.  Addilan Group invests in tools, technology, and people. 

The importance of adapting to industry challenges 

The facilities management industry is always changing, and professionals in this sphere need to adapt quickly to challenges. For example, Addilan Group took note of a common complaint they were getting about locksmiths to sites in a timely manner. Locksmith service calls tend to be emergency or safety-related, and Addilan Group restructured their approach to paying locksmiths to get things back on track. Specifically, they started paying their locksmiths COD, which led to much faster resolution times. 

At Fexa Flex, Vollrath told us, “Often, clients come to us with a problem area or a service that’s failing. We take the headache and turn it around. That’s how we grow—earning trust through performance, then being asked to take on more.”

Problem-solving, not order-taking

This approach aligns with research that shows that effective vendor management requires moving beyond transactional relationships toward true partnerships. By positioning themselves as problem-solvers rather than order-takers, Addilan Group addresses one of the core challenges facing facilities managers: the need for reliable partners who can handle complex, multi-faceted maintenance challenges.

Key areas where they’ve adapted their approach include:

• Emergency response protocols for safety-critical situations
• Communication preferences tailored to client culture
• Service delivery methods based on operational needs
• Billing and payment processes for improved cash flow

Partnership-focused growth

Vollrath’s vision for Addilan Group extends beyond traditional service delivery to encompass genuine partnership with clients.

The company holds monthly check-ins with each client—brief 15-20 minute conversations designed to maintain communication flow and prevent issues from escalating. “A good partnership is two-way,” Vollrath noted in our conversation. “Yes, the bulk of responsibility is on us—but we need our clients engaged.”

Meeting facilities managers at Fexa Flex 2025

Facilities management professionals who attended Fexa Flex 2025 had the opportunity to connect with Addilan Group, a service provider that works to meet the evolving challenges of modern facilities management.

Their communication-first approach, combined with comprehensive service delivery and technology integration, positions them as a valuable partner for organizations looking to streamline operations while maintaining high service standards.

What Addilan Group offers

Addilan Group strives to offer an excellent product, supported by outstanding service.  Whether organizations are dealing with communication breakdowns, vendor management issues, or the need for more responsive service delivery, Addilan Group’s experience with multi-site operations offers valuable insights.

“We don’t want to just be another name in an RFP,” Vollrath emphasized. “We’d rather be given the chance to prove ourselves. We listen, match our team to the client’s culture, and adapt.”