MWBE
spotlight
The Cleaning Lady
From Waitress to 'The Cleaning Lady':
Arlington Woman Finding Success as
Business Owner
Four years ago, Tarvia Bills was waitressing tables at an Arlington restaurant.
Today, she heads a successful residential, commercial and construction
cleaning company that continues to expand after landing a contract on the
Globe Life Field project.
MWBE Fast Facts
The City of Arlington is
working with the Texas
Rangers and The Cordish
Companies to ensure the
diversity of the workforce
for both the future ballpark
and the Texas Live!
development.
Texas Live!
$49,837,552, or 38 percent,
of the total awarded
contract dollars had been
awarded to minority and
women-owned businesses
as of September 2018.
Globe Life Field
$190,305,528 million,
or 25 percent, of the
total awarded contract
dollars had been awarded
to MWBE firms as of
September 2018.
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When Bills started her Arlington-based business in 2015, she cleaned just a
handful of homes. After joining the Arlington Black Chamber of Commerce
and connecting with the ACARI Management Group, Bills said she received
the support and guidance she needed to become a certified Minority/Women
Business Enterprise and seek more substantial contracts.
Those efforts paid off. Last year, Tarvia Bills The Cleaning Lady, LLC, received
the contract to clean Manhattan Construction Company’s office and
construction trailers at the Globe Life Field site. Now she employs 22 full-
time and part-time employees to tackle the growing number of ballpark
subcontractors who have requested her cleaning services after learning of her
work with Manhattan Construction.
“It took off overnight,” Bills said about demand. “It’s been a great and
wonderful experience. I’m so truly blessed they are considering me.”
Thanks to her success, Bills has been able to purchase a vehicle for her
business and help her twin sons with their college expenses. She said she
was also able to take her very first vacation. Next year, she plans to expand
her services once again, offering carpet cleaning and floor buffing while
also seeking cleaning contracts for real estate agents and other Arlington
businesses.
In June, Tarvia Bills The Cleaning Lady, LLC, received a “Rookie of the Year”
award for her work associated with the Globe Life Field project. Bills said she
appreciates the City of Arlington and and Rangers’ commitment to providing
meaningful opportunities to local and minority/women-owned businesses.
“I am so very thankful they have taken the time to recognize minority business
owners and to use local talent,” Bills said. “I get emotional. This has sent me to
a new direction, into construction. They are giving the little guy a chance. That
would be me, the little guy.”