Every business has an origin story, and Cleanstar’s began far from a boardroom. The company was founded around a kitchen table, built on a simple idea and a willingness to take a chance while raising a young family.
“In the early days, we were juggling long hours with a growing family,” Cleanstar co-founder and director Lisa Michalson says. “We started small, learned quickly and took opportunities as they came.”
Family support played a defining role in those formative years, giving the founders the space to focus on building the business step by step. As momentum gathered, confidence followed. Cleanstar’s growth was shaped by agility, personal relationships and a sharp focus on customer needs rather than rapid scale.
Built around people and purpose
As the business matured, investment was made carefully and with purpose. The product range expanded in line with distributor needs, reinforcing Cleanstar’s commitment to supporting partners and helping their businesses succeed.
“Everything we do is designed to back our distributors,” Michalson says. “Their success matters to us, and that thinking guides every decision we make.”
Alongside its own Cleanstar brand, the company represents a portfolio of respected global names across the cleaning and equipment sector. Customer service remains central to the business, underpinned by a loyal team that shares a long-term vision for quality, reliability and innovation.
That commitment extends to ongoing investment in new product ranges and innovation, with Cleanstar continuing to bring solutions to market that respond to evolving industry demands.
“Invention and innovation matter,” Michaelson says. “They are essential for the future of our industry and for Australia more broadly.”
Two decades on, Cleanstar remains proudly Australian-owned and operated, employing local people and fostering a workplace culture built on support, family values and shared purpose. The company sees its people as its greatest strength, recognising that long-term success is driven by those who show up every day with care and commitment.
“Our people are the backbone of Cleanstar,” Michalson adds. “They are the reason we are here today.”
After 20 years, the business continues to grow with the same principles that shaped its beginnings, grounded, customer-focused and guided by people who believe in building something that lasts.
