The newly established Beyond Housing Community Chamber is an innovative network of trusted partners from the trades and related industries who share a deep commitment to community, service and collaboration.
Together, these companies are building a network that strengthens businesses by strengthening the community itself.
Unlike many existing business networks that focus on lead generation for their members, the Community Chamber is a purpose-driven alliance for those who believe In doing well by doing good—companies that measure success not only in profit, but in the positive impact they make on their employees, customers and community.
At first glance, Verity Partners Group appears to be a commercial cleaning company.
Look closer, however, and it becomes clear that cleaning buildings is simply the platform. The company’s true mission is developing people, strengthening businesses, and leaving every community better than it found it.
“Clean floors matter. But what lasts longer are the people we develop, the leaders we influence, and the relationships we strengthen.”
That philosophy is what made joining the newly established Beyond Housing Community Chamber a natural fit. Unlike many business organizations centered primarily on networking and lead generation, the Chamber brings together organizations committed to improving communities through service, collaboration, and long-term impact.
For Verity Partners, those goals have always been central to their identity.
While the company will care for more than 2.5 million square feet of school flooring this summer alone, Managing Partner Melaina Gautieri believes square footage is one of the least important ways to measure success.
“Clean floors matter,” Gautieri said. “But what lasts longer are the people we develop, the leaders we influence, and the relationships we strengthen.” The company’s impact is ultimately measured through the entrepreneurs it helps build, the trust it earns with clients, and the healthier workplaces it leaves behind.
A legacy built on trust
The name Verity Partners Group was intentionally chosen because verity means truth. “It’s truth in love or fundamental truth,” Gautieri explained. “That’s how we operate our business.”
After a successful career with AT&T, Gautieri joined Verity 17 years ago, recognizing that the company represented something much larger than commercial cleaning. It was an opportunity to transform an industry by investing in people.
Beginning as director of operations and later serving as co-owner, Gautieri helped expand the company’s services while intentionally shaping its culture around servant leadership, accountability, excellence, and relational maturity. Upon Mark Smalley’s retirement, she will become Verity’s sole owner.
Today the company serves industrial facilities, offices, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, retail businesses, religious organizations, and multi-tenant commercial properties throughout the region.
Yet regardless of the building, the mission remains the same: Relationships first. Excellence always.
A different business model
Verity Partners employs a small internal team, but its greatest strength is its expansive network of entrepreneurial cleaning partners. Unlike many companies within the industry, Verity does not sell accounts to subcontractors and profit from repeated ownership transfers. Instead, the company retains ownership—and accountability—for every client relationship while partnering alongside the cleaning businesses performing the work.
“Like Mark and founder Greg Stokes before me, I am very adamant that this company is built on trust and partnership—not on generating revenue from the people doing the work,” Gautieri said. “We are here to create opportunities in a skilled trade, strengthen our local economy, and build trusted partnerships with both our cleaning teams and our clients.”
“We’ve celebrated countless people who learned business fundamentals through Verity and then went on to accomplish incredible things.”
That philosophy has created long-term relationships benefiting everyone involved. Some cleaning partners have remained with Verity for more than three decades. Others have used their experience as a launching point into successful careers in engineering, healthcare, logistics, education, and business ownership.
“We’ve celebrated countless people who learned business fundamentals through Verity and then went on to accomplish incredible things,” Gautieri said. “Watching people grow has always been one of our greatest successes.”
Solving problems through partnership
That culture is what attracted Sales Manager Matt Hodges to join Verity in 2025. “This industry has kind of a bad reputation for churning people out,” Hodges said. “Too often, the workers carry the burden. But we’re here to make the local ecosystem better—whether that’s solving problems our cleaning partners face or providing education and training that sharpens their skills.”
That same philosophy extends to clients. Rather than simply responding to complaints, Verity’s teams work to identify root causes, separate facts from emotion, and build permanent solutions. “Problems are inevitable,” Hodges said. “Our response is what differentiates us.”
Many clients, he explains, are surprised to discover a vendor focused less on transactions and more on partnership. “It’s not about revenue walking out the door,” he said. “It’s about trust.”
Serving schools—and communities
One of the clearest examples of Verity’s philosophy can be seen in its work with local schools. Recognizing the financial pressures schools face, the company has developed creative service models—including daytime custodial support—that improve cleanliness while strengthening communication and responsiveness throughout the school day.
Those team members do more than maintain buildings. They become an extension of each school’s culture.
“Our clients are beginning to recognize the difference,” Hodges said. “They’re seeing our commitment to problem-solving, education, and partnership. That trust has become one of our greatest strengths.”
Looking ahead
Over the next three years, Verity Partners plans to expand into five additional metropolitan markets across four states. But for Gautieri, growth will never be measured solely by geography or revenue.
“Our focus is to create positive change in every community we enter,” she said. “We don’t simply want to become another janitorial company. We want to become a trusted partner that leaves organizations—and the people inside them—better than we found them.”
For Hodges, that mission is deeply personal. “It sits well with me that I can wake up every morning, look at my kids, and know I’m leaving them with something better than what I found,” he said. “I believe that same legacy carries through every relationship we build.”
For Verity Partners, clean buildings are only the beginning. The company’s greatest legacy will be measured in stronger leaders, thriving entrepreneurs, trusted partnerships, and healthier communities.
