The 1 Accord Story

As a young boy growing up in Buffalo, New York, owner Sherman Washington was blessed to have been raised by parents who valued hospitality and entrepreneurial pursuits. He started working with both his father in his upholstery shop, and his aunt in her dry cleaners. The way they treated customers and provided exceptional products and services proved to be an early inspiration to him.

Over 30 years ago, he embarked on a career as a service industry manager, first with large-scale hotels, such as Hyatt and Hilton, working at the front desk, and later in housekeeping. He eventually became an executive housekeeper. He then moved on to work as a cleaning manager with one of the area’s larger facility services companies, Aramark.

After completing several small business training and certification classes and becoming further certified in various commercial cleaning applications, Sherman took his wife Helen’s inspiration, added her proven background in finances and opened 1 Accord’s first office in Buffalo, New York. The vision was to create jobs and employ people.

1 Accord quickly became corporate partners with NYSID to give their customers an option of choosing between a diverse staff that employed disabled groups, and one that employed non-disabled groups. Always managed by a highly trained and skillful management team, 1 Accord Services Inc. has cleaning down to a science!

In 2015, 1 Accord Services, Inc. was recognized by Southeast Works as Company of the Year for their work in the employment and successful training of disabled persons in commercial cleaning.

Our Mission

To provide exceptional commercial cleaning services by using cutting edge technology, offering superior customer service, providing knowledgeable and trustworthy employees, and delivering measurable results.

About the Owner

1 Accord was founded in 2008 by Sherman W. Washington, an expert in the commercial cleaning industry. Over the course of his 30-year career, he has served as an executive housekeeper in the hospitality industry and an area manager with Aramark Service Company. He has also developed cleaning programs for such large-scale facilities as the Buffalo DuPont factory and the Walden Galleria Mall.

Sherman is a noted authority in antimicrobial cleaning and air quality, and has served as a senior trainer in commercial cleaning, and cleaning procedures and applications. In 2014, he was also chosen as Entrepreneur Protégé of the Year by the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Emerging Minority Entrepreneur Enterprise Program.

In the Community

The team at 1 Accord is committed to giving back to the community in which we live and work. We currently operate a mentoring program in which we educate youth in the Buffalo area about entrepreneurial essentials, including work ethic, and brand and character development. Our company also offers employment for the disabled through New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID).