MBE Spotlight – Nicole and Jasmine Natividad

American Facilities Services Group Brings Family Values to Facility Services Across the West

Every day, your team walks into a building and expects it to be clean, safe, and ready for work. When that expectation isn’t met, productivity drops, morale suffers, and health risks climb. That’s the problem American Facilities Services Group (AFSG) was built to solve, and for 37 years, this family-owned, NMSDC-certified MBE has been doing exactly that across the western United States.

From a Minivan and a Mop Bucket to a Multi-State Operation

AFSG’s story starts small. Nicole Natividad, Vice President, shared that the business began with her parents, Jerry and Grace Natividad, who started out of their home with nothing more than a minivan and a mop bucket. What started as a way to provide for their family grew into a privately held company serving accounts across Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Utah, Nebraska, Arizona, and New Mexico, with plans to expand toward the eastern United States.

Nicole didn’t step into leadership right away, either. Before joining AFSG, she owned her own tanning salon. After closing that business, she had the chance to join the family company, but rather than stepping straight into a leadership role, she wanted to truly understand the industry first. So she started as a day porter, servicing US Bank locations and cleaning parking lots. That experience gave her a deep respect for the frontline employees who carry the company every day. From there, she moved into administration and gradually took on more responsibility, growing into the leader she is today. Her daughter, Jasmine Natividad, followed a similar path, starting at the bottom and growing alongside her mother after finishing college. That hands-on foundation still shapes how the company operates.

Earning Trust in an Industry People Overlook

Nicole and Jasmine were both candid that one of their biggest challenges has been earning credibility in an industry many people don’t fully understand. Commercial cleaning is about far more than keeping buildings clean. It’s about building trust, managing people, solving problems, and delivering consistent service every single day. For Nicole, moving from owning her own business to learning an entirely new industry from the ground up, and later stepping into a leadership role, meant balancing daily operations with long-term growth and the high standards clients expect. Each challenge, she says, made her a stronger leader and reinforced the value of resilience, teamwork, and continuous learning.

“Commercial cleaning is about much more than keeping buildings clean, it’s about building trust, managing people, solving problems, and delivering consistent service every single day.”

The Partner Your Facility Needs

Facility managers don’t just need a vendor. They need a partner who understands that a clean building is about more than appearances. As Jasmine put it, cleaning is about the health and wellness of a space, the productivity of the people inside it, and the trust that a facility is being cared for the right way.

That’s where AFSG positions itself, not just a service provider. The company handles janitorial cleaning, day porter services, landscaping, snow removal, power washing, window washing, HVAC work, lighting replacement, and post-construction cleanup, essentially anything a facility needs to stay functional and inviting. Clients ranging from Wells Fargo and Denver International Airport to Metro Water Recovery and the City of Denver rely on AFSG for exactly this kind of full-service support.

A Plan Built on Access and Accountability

What sets AFSG apart, is combining the capabilities of a large commercial facility services provider with the responsiveness of a family-owned business. Clients get direct access to leadership. There’s no getting lost in a chain of escalation. Nicole and Jasmine visit clients and employees in person, treating both relationships as partnerships rather than transactions.

AFSG also doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Every facility has different needs, and the company tailors its services to meet those expectations rather than applying the same playbook to every client. Nicole says that focus on long-term partnerships, not just providing a service, is what has allowed AFSG to serve clients for decades.

That same philosophy extends to the team. AFSG has built a track record of promoting from within, taking cleaning technicians and developing them into supervisors, project managers, and even directors. Jasmine pointed to one director of operations who started as a supervisor on a single contract. That kind of growth path builds a workforce that understands the business from the ground up, which in turn builds trust with clients.

“We combine the capabilities of a large commercial facility services provider with the responsiveness of a family-owned business.”

More Than a Certification

Nicole and Jasmine credits AFSG’s certification through the Minority Supplier Development Council network with expanding the company’s reach in ways that go beyond contracts. It has meant access to training, networking with other minority business owners, and relationships with clients and mentors who understand the specific challenges of growing a minority owned business.

But for AFSG, being a certified Minority Business Enterprise means more than the paperwork behind it. It reflects the diversity of the company’s leadership, its employees, and the communities it serves, and it opens the door to partnerships with organizations that value inclusion and supplier diversity. Even so, Nicole is clear that certification isn’t what closes the deal. She wants clients to choose AFSG because the company consistently delivers quality service, builds lasting relationships, and stands behind everything it does.

Success Measured in People and Legacy

When asked what success means to her, Nicole didn’t point to revenue or contracts first. She talked about her employees, the people she calls the backbone of the company, and the goal of making sure every one of them wants to come to work. That mindset carries through the entire organization, from the executive level down to the cleaning technicians in the field.

Her proudest accomplishment reflects that same value. Nicole points to helping position AFSG for its next chapter while preserving the values the company was built on, and to working alongside her own daughter as another generation steps in. For Nicole, that’s not just growing a business. It’s building a legacy.

Advice for the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

Some of the most valuable lessons came from working in the field, not sitting behind a desk. They encourage new entrepreneurs to listen, stay humble, and never stop learning, because setbacks often turn into the best teachers. Above all, they point to relationships. People do business with people they trust, and trust is earned over time through honesty, reliability, and doing what you say you’ll do.

“Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned came from working in the field, not sitting behind a desk.”

What’s Next for AFSG

AFSG is looking to grow nationally, expanding further into the eastern United States while continuing to build out services beyond janitorial work. The company is also investing in business development, strengthening partnerships, and embracing new technologies as it grows. Nicole is especially excited to introduce AFSG to organizations that may not know the company’s story yet, and to keep creating opportunities for its employees along the way.

She also has a vision for deeper community involvement, using AFSG’s client relationships to give back through initiatives like backpack drives and other local partnerships.

Asked to describe the business in one word, Nicole landed on driven, with empowerment close behind. Given the company’s history, and the generations now carrying it forward, both words fit.

Learn more about American Facilities Services Group at afsg-us.com.