Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 5th November 2026 Issue no. 1233

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Stratus Clean earns top industry and customer honours as 2026 momentum continues

Fast growing commercial cleaning company franchise Stratus Clean is adding three new honours to its 2026 run. The brand has been named 226 on the Franchise Times 2026 Top 400, climbing from No. 228 last year.

At the franchisee level, Lee and Amy Cantres, Master Franchise Owners for the Atlanta South territory, have been named an International Franchise Association 2026 Franchisee of the Year, and the Stratus Clean Orlando team, led by Master Franchise Owners Matt and Amy McCartney, has won the Orlando's Best Awards in the Commercial Cleaning category - an honour decided by customers.

Together, the Awards highlight the strength of the Stratus Clean model at every level of the system, from brand-wide growth to franchise owners recognised by both the franchise industry and the customers served every day.

The Franchise Times Top 400 is an annual ranking of the largest franchise systems in the US by global system-wide sales, based on the previous year's performance. Compiled through a five-month research and verification process, the list is regarded as the most comprehensive ranking of its kind. Stratus Clean posted $238 million in global system-wide sales in 2025, along with 11.7% sales growth and 7.5% unit growth.

"Our franchise owners are the heart of this brand, and these honours show exactly why,” says Doug Flaig, CEO of Stratus Clean, an organisation founded in 2006 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. “Climbing the Franchise Times Top 400 reflects the growth our entire system is driving.

"Lee and Amy have set a new standard of what's possible in a Stratus Clean Master Territory, and the Orlando team earned the kind of recognition that matters most - directly from their customers. Both reflect the alignment we have with our franchisees around a shared vision and a service-first approach."

Since opening the Atlanta South territory, the Cantres have quickly become standout operators within the Stratus Clean system, breaking company records and advancing through multiple performance tiers in less than a year. Their hands-on approach and willingness to share knowledge have made them respected leaders across the network.
They set a new company record by reaching $100,000 in monthly recurring revenue faster than any territory before them, and recorded zero customer terminations in their first year of operations. Their territory has become the benchmark for onboarding, training and equipping new unit franchisees, and Lee's customer service scores rank in the brand's top 10 system-wide. Their humorous approach to social media has also generated more leads than any previous Stratus franchisee's efforts. That performance was on full display at the brand's annual meeting in Del Mar, California, where the Cantres topped nearly every Award category, finishing No. 1 in sales growth, net gain, special sales for one-time services and overall sales growth. Beyond their results, the Cantres stay deeply involved in local initiatives and believe long-term success comes from building strong relationships both inside and outside the business. That commitment has strengthened their local presence and reinforced the values at the core of the brand.

Says said Lee Cantres:

"Franchising gave us the chance to build something of our own while helping others do the same. This recognition belongs to our unit franchisees and our customers. We've always believed that if you take care of people and do things the right way, the growth will follow."

In Orlando, the Stratus Clean team earned its honour through a process driven entirely by customers. Initial nominations for the Orlando's Best Award were based on Google reviews, and winners were then selected through a customer survey voting process. Matt and Amy McCartney bring deep corporate leadership experience to the Orlando territory. Matt spent 14 years in manufacturing and industrial products, most recently as vice president and general manager at a Dover Company in Auburn Hills, Michigan, following leadership roles at Sensata Technologies spanning engineering, finance, operations, marketing, IT and sales. Amy held sales and management roles at AT&T and Brink's Home Security, where she served as sales consultant, brand sales manager, national sales trainer and national sales program manager. The couple chose Stratus Clean because their unique skill sets lined up with what the business requires: operations, sales and coaching people. They were also drawn to the opportunity to partner with local franchise owners and help them build successful businesses of their own.

Says Matt McCartney:

"This is the best recognition we have ever received, because it came directly from customer feedback, and that's the only scoreboard that matters to us. It validates how we operate our business, the processes we use, how we treat our clients and how we show them that we care."

The honours add to Stratus Clean's strong momentum in 2026, following the brand's April rebrand from Stratus Building Solutions. Stratus Clean now operates 96 Master Franchise Territories with more than 5,200-unit franchisees across the US and Canada. So far this year, the brand has been named the No. 1 fastest growing franchise for a record fourth consecutive year, ranked No. 21 overall on the Franchise 500 and No. 1 in the commercial cleaning category.

For more information on the Stratus Clean franchise opportunity, visit:

www.stratusfranchising.com | www.stratusclean.com

5th November 2026