| Summary: | Maintenance company chief executive John W. Barfield was born February 8, 1927 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving two years in France and Germany. Upon his return, Barfield worked as a custodian for the University of Michigan and cleaned newly constructed houses for additional income. In 1955, he began a contract cleaning group, the Barfield Cleaning Company, which was acquired by International Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1969. That year, Barfield wrote The Barfield Method of Building Maintenance, which set the industry standard. Three years later, Barfield and his wife reentered the maintenance business with the Barfield Building Maintenance Company. In 1977, Barfield incorporated John Barfield and Associates, an organization that provided staffing services to General Motors among other organizations. This company became The Bartech Group. In 1996, Barfield received The George Romney Award recognizing lifelong achievement in volunteerism.
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