The first time Dan Noel put on the green and black kilt, he knew he would receive a few curious stares. Now, some 18 months later, showing up at a customer’s house in a kilt to wash their windows is just another day at the office. Noel owns the local franchise for Men in Kilts, a window washing and gutter cleaning service. He and his employees do the cleaning in kilts, something that not only draws the odd glance but also helps promote his business.
“I’ve had people honk at me and wave at me,” he said about wearing his kilt. “Somebody actually stopped me and said he was trying to get a hold of us for an estimate. He caught me at a red light and waved me down. It does garner attention.”
A Lexington-based franchise of Men in Kilts opened in March 2022. “It does garner attention,” owner Dan Noel said of the company’s signature uniform.
Noel didn’t start off working in a kilt. He began his career in human resources. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Noel ventured into recruiting and HR. After about 15 years, he decided to explore other opportunities.
“I felt like I was on a treadmill,” he said. “I came home one day and told [my wife] Leslie, ‘I’m looking to get into something different where I can interact more with people, hire people, and actually influence company culture and grow something.’ Her first question was, ‘What do you think about wearing a kilt?’ It was totally out of left field.”
Men in Kilts was started in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Scotsman Nicholas Brand. With a hand-sewn kilt, Brand created a visual element to pair with the otherwise non-descript job of window cleaning. Within five years, the company had grown to more than $1 million in annual revenue and was looking at franchising. Since then, the company has expanded with franchises across Canada and North America.
Noel said he was initially attracted to the company for the opportunity to interact with people and to build something from the ground up. After discussions with his wife, he decided it was the right opportunity at the right time. First, he trained with another franchise owner in Cincinnati and then worked with the company to start the business in Lexington in March 2022.
Initially, he said, he focused on the 40515 zip code near where he lives, starting with friends and family. Through door hangers, community events, and a membership with Commerce Lexington, he’s been able to grow the business.
“Work kind of begets work,” he said. “People see our truck, and they see me, and I’ll hand out business cards or I’ll hand out door hangers, and it helps to expand the business.”
For Noel, the business is about more than just cleaning windows — it’s about building relationships. Being able to interact with customers and help them not just as a maintenance partner but as a person who lets them know how their investment is holding up is a key part of what makes the business worthwhile to him, he said.
Now, with a full year under his belt, he’s been able to see firsthand how the business fluctuates and changes with the seasons.
“We’ve mainly focused on window cleaning in the winter, but there are a lot of times when leaves fall late, so people need their gutters cleaned out,” he said. “Unfortunately, sometimes they don’t see it until it’s too late. We’re really looking to build our commercial work as well during January… where we can come in and do inside storefronts or apartment associations and condos.”
With one employee, Noel said he’s currently looking to hire another team member. That can prove to be challenging, he said.
“I’m slow to hire. I’m very deliberate in the type of person that I want,” he said. “Part of it is that they kind of weed themselves out when one of the requirements is ‘Hey, you have to wear a kilt.’ Somebody could be great at what they do, but they just don’t have the guts or the desire to wear a kilt. I need people that are going to be comfortable with that.”
In the future, he sees the business expanding to another truck and more equipment to handle more customers. With franchise rights that currently extend throughout the state, Noel hopes to expand the business further, but only if things are done in the right way.
“We want to make sure that we’re doing things safely, that we’re representing our community well, that we’re customer-focused, and that we can do things right,” he said.
Since starting the business, Noel has grown a full beard to complement his reddish hair. While the kilts are a gimmick, he said, they are a gimmick that works and that have helped him to stand out from the crowd. Whether attending chamber of commerce ribbon cuttings or showing up to tailgate at UK football games, the kilt draws attention.
They do have their drawbacks. Cold weather and wind can create less-than-ideal working conditions. With shorts on under their kilts, Noel and his employee have come to accept that their work clothes are just another part of the job.
“We like to have fun with it,” he said. “We’ve got shirts that say, ‘No Peeking.’”
