GREENFIELD — When Cameron Ward left his job as a Greenfield Recorder sports reporter for a work schedule more conducive to family life, he had no way of knowing his young son Tyler would one day buy the rug-cleaning business that hired him, and they’d eventually be working under the same roof.

Tyler Ward bought Pristine Orientals from Bill Noyes and Dennis Cleary in 2015. In July of last year, he moved the business from Butternut Street to the Wells Street building Cameron owns to operate Camelot Carpet Cleaners, which he founded in 2010.

“I’ve got no complaints,” the younger Ward said this week. “Bills are paid — nothing to complain about.”

Pristine Orientals specializes in cleaning Oriental and area rugs, which require more expensive equipment. Camelot Carpet Cleaners conducts mostly on-site carpet and upholstery cleaning.

“We’re bigger than one man and a van,” Cameron Ward said of Camelot Carpet Cleaners. “There’s definitely those operations that exist, and we work with those guys, too. They’re excellent at what they do. We’re just more than that. So there’s room for multiple people to be in ownership positions. Tyler found a way to do that and we then found a way to coexist like that.

“When I left Pristine, the owners were concerned that there was nowhere near enough to sustain two [cleaning businesses] in the same community. And I had those concerns as well,” Cameron Ward added. “There was, and there is [enough demand].”

Tyler Ward said he worked for his father for three or four years before moving on to Pristine, which was founded in 1973. He explained customers either drop off their rugs or he picks them up.

“I enjoy what I do,” he said, adding that he has one employee who works six hours a week dusting and vacuuming rugs. “The rest of it, I take care of.”

The elder Ward said he has three vans and two employees — Josh Cady, who has worked for Camelot Carpet Cleaners for six years, and Shane Kilgour, who started with the company less than a year ago.

The Wards said it’s difficult to determine the main reason their services are required, but there are a few frequent explanations from customers.

“Cats and dogs — God bless them — and kids,” Cameron said. “And husbands that don’t take their shoes off.

“We do a lot of work with animal owners, that’s for sure, but there’s so much more than just the animals. I think people like to blame the animals,” he added with a laugh.

Cameron owns the Wells Street building and rents space to Pristine Orientals, Four Phantoms Brewing Co., Absolutely Fabulous Hair, Current Electric and Wilson Builders.

More information about Camelot Carpet Cleaners is available at camelotcarpetcleaners.com. More information about Pristine Orientals is available at pristineorientals.com.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.

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