GORHAM – After two years, a local business that sells janitorial supplies finally has gotten its foot in the door at the Gorham School Department.

Phil Sferes, who owns Clean-O-Rama in the Gorham Industrial Park with his brother Greg, said this week they have a meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2, with Gorham Superintendent Ted Sharp and Norm Justice, director of the schools Facilities Department, in Sharp’s office.

“We’re just happy to have a meeting,” Phil Sferes said Tuesday, “at least they’re communicating. It’s encouraging.”

Clean-O-Rama markets cleaning products, equipment and equipment repair, along with training, for customers that include hospitals and many local school districts. Sferes thinks Clean-O-Rama has been shut out from doing business worth thousands of dollars with the Gorham School Department.

He said the company hadn’t done any significant business with school department for 20 years and nothing in the last two years.

James Means, vice chairman of the Gorham Economic Development Corp., which promotes business in Gorham, brought the issue forward at a recent Gorham School Committee meeting. Means said the school department is buying cleaning supplies from an out-of-state vendor, and said the Gorham firm should have an opportunity to compete.

Justice, a former chairman of the Gorham Town Council, said last month the school department has an agreement signed in late 2009 as members of a “green cleaning program.” Under a non-binding agreement, the Gorham School Department has been buying cleaning supplies from a national company, Amsan, spending nearly $250,000 since July 1, 2007.

Justice began his present duties with Gorham School Department in September 2009 following a similar post with the Scarborough School Department, which did business with Clean-O-Rama.

Justice couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

Means serves on a three-member development corporation sub-committee looking into the cleaning supply issue, and it had planned to meet on Tuesday, April 10. But Means plans to recommend postponing the meeting for now.

“We’re going to be continually, actively involved to make sure they not only meet with Clean-O-Rama but Clean-O-Rama be allowed to submit a proposal for the business,” Means said. “We’ll see what happens.”

The Clean-O-Rama meeting with the Gorham School Department materialized after Phil and Greg Sferes sent a letter last week to Sharp.

“It is disturbing that we cannot get an appointment and ultimately compete for business in our town,” the Sferes brothers wrote to Sharp. “Would you consider helping us reconcile things so that we can offer a competitive proposal? We’re not asking for any favors or advantages, just an opportunity to compete.”

Sharp responded on Monday.

In the meeting with Sharp and Justice, Phil Sferes said, they are seeking clarity as to why his company hasn’t been able to bid.

Sharp wrote in his letter to the Sferes brothers: “There is much misinformation attendant to this matter and I have always believed that meeting together to engage in a civil and an informed discussion is the most productive and respectful manner to address any agenda, any issue.”

With a meeting scheduled, Sferes’ hopes are buoyed.

“We just want an opportunity to save the Town of Gorham money this year,” Phil Sferes said.