Was it a box cutter, like this?
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thu...en-US:official
Or a utility knife w/ replaceable blades, like this?
http://images.oldhouseweb.com/storie...093/knife1.jpg
I could definitely see why maintenance would use a utility knife in their daily work (e.g. fixing upholstery), but a box cutter would be pretty worthless for maintenance work.