Eli Grenier of New England Eco Wash demonstrates the latest in power washing equipment.

HOLYOKE — New England Eco Wash has found a niche in the region by offering a clean and green alternative for residential and commercial power washing and sanitizing services.

Eli Grenier, the CEO and founder, held a recent grand opening at the company’s 194 Apremont Highway. Financing partner Common Capital and the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce welcomed Grenier to Holyoke’s business community.

A 12-year member of the Massachusetts National Guard, Grenier is committed to hiring former service members for his growing company. NEEW specializes in cleaning and sanitizing dumpsters and trash bins, indoor disinfection, decontamination, and similar needs.

Grenier said he came up with the idea of NEEW after seeing a Facebook posting of someone cleaning out trash bins. He realized that no company offered such services in the region. “I thought it would be the coolest thing to bring it to Massachusetts as the first bin cleaner,” he said.

While Grenier faced “trials and tribulations along the way,” he drew up a business plan and pursued financing with Common Capital, which specializes in funding small startups like Grenier’s.

Common Capital worked with Grenier to perfect the business plan, and while he raised a bigger down payment. Over two years later, he launched NEEW in January, serving clients in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. “We were able to get all the capital we needed and finally start the business,” he said.

NEEW’s current fleet includes two trucks with the latest sanitizing and ionization technology. The reclaimed water runs through special filters mounted on the trucks, ensuring all pollutants and contaminants are removed before recycling.

Grenier said the trucks offer several revenue streams, enabling him to staff multiple crews for a job. In the beginning, few companies knew such a service existed. “Once they get it, if you don’t show up, they’re yelling at you,” he joked. “I’m proud to be the first one in Massachusetts.”

NEEW also offers fleet vehicle, hard surface, environmental cleaning services, and anything pressure washing related. The company uses deionized water and special sprayers to remove grime from solar panels.

Grenier was an infantryman in the 181st Regiment in Agawam, part of the storied Yankee Division. He plans to hire more veterans as the company grows and has partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Affairs pays training and salary costs in the first six months of employment. “It’s a program designed to get veterans back in the workforce. It’s an all-around good program for vets,” Grenier said.

Callie Niezgoda, Common Capital’s director of lending, said the organization aids small startups and businesses in communities. She said banks often require startups to fit into “small boxes” to get traditional financing.

“We gave him a checklist of things to work on and come back,” Niezgoda said, “because we weren’t quite ready for financing for him at that point.” She credited Grenier for being steadfast throughout the process. “It’s always great to see a prospective client keep communicating.”

Niezgoda said veteran applicants have the discipline and passion for pursuing their dreams of business ownership. “They have a mission. They’re going to achieve it and make it work, “she said. The Small Business Administration offers special programs for veterans.

The Holyoke Chamber held a ribbon cutting outside the shop with Grenier and Common Capital. Jordan Hart, the chamber’s executive director, said the city has strong ties with the veteran community, especially with the Holyoke Soldiers Home.

“It’s challenging. I feel we don’t do enough for our veterans when they come home from service,” she said. “It’s fantastic to see these success stories, especially when they’re eco-friendly. It’s a unique business, and no one else in the Commonwealth is doing this.”

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