Angella Luyk is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back if you were in need.
She learned that way of life from her grandmother, who helped raise her. But it’s also a philosophy that helped drive her success as a business owner.

From her warehouse at One Stop Janitorial, Angella Luyk helps customers stock up on everything they need. She’s a hands-on CEO with a heart of gold. “If we all just do one thing,” she says, “it becomes a better life.”

With her husband Harold, Angella started a cleaning company 2 decades ago.
Along the way, they branched out into the supply side of the industry. Angella’s not just known for her business acumen. She gives back every single day, from Easter basket giveaways to Christmas toy drives and charity fundraisers. Angella even helped find a kidney donor for Harold when his health failed 3 years ago. Besides Harry, Angella has a soft spot for school kids, women’s shelters, veterans, and the elderly. “I fight with the CFO all the time who reminds me we need to make money to be able to give it away!” she laughs.

But that charity and this company was put to the test last March when business evaporated overnight. “We had just gotten a huge shipment and then Covid19 hit,” she says. “Cancel, cancel, cancel. I thought, what am I going to do? I have all these employees. I can’t furlough them.”

The answer came from the public she adores: everyday people turning to One Stop for hand soap, sanitizer, masks and gloves. Angella began selling her supplies directly to consumers. She rebuilt the business and recommitted to giving back. “A lady came in to buy toilet paper and said ‘I’m going to give you a check but you can’t cash it until Friday.’ I said, ‘I can’t take your check.’ We ripped the check up.” Angella says. “I have to look myself in the mirror at night and know that I took my business and did more than just make money. It’s people over profit.”

Angella grew up poor in Rochester and was raised in part by her grandparents. She had a paper route at age 11 and dropped out of high school at 18. A few years later she got her GED and a college degree. The rest is history made real by an entrepreneur who never forgot where she came from.

“I don’t know if I could ever have a better life!”, she says. “This is me!”