Stratus Clean Earns Top Industry and Customer Honors as 2026 Momentum Continues

Brand Climbs to No. 226 on Franchise Times Top 400 as Atlanta South Owners Lee and Amy Cantres Are Named IFA Franchisee of the Year and Orlando Team Wins Customer-Voted Orlando's Best Award

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratus Clean, the leading commercial cleaning company and fastest growing franchise, is adding three new honors 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 the International Franchise Association's (IFA) 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 honor 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 recognized by both the franchise industry and the customers they serve every day.

The Franchise Times Top 400 is an annual ranking of the largest franchise systems in the United States by global systemwide 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 systemwide 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 honors show exactly why. Climbing the Franchise Times Top 400 reflects the growth our entire system is driving," said Doug Flaig, CEO of Stratus Clean. "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.

The Cantres 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 systemwide. 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 Stratus Clean brand.

"Franchising gave us the chance to build something of our own while helping others do the same," said Lee Cantres. "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 honor 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.

"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," said Matt McCartney. "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 honors 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 United States 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, please visit www.stratusfranchising.com or new consumer website www.stratusclean.com.

About Stratus Clean

Stratus Clean is an international franchise company in the commercial cleaning industry, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Stratus was developed to provide environmentally friendly commercial cleaning services driven by dedicated, entrepreneurial, small-business owners and regional support offices. Stratus has over 5,000 unit-franchisees in major cities across the United States and Canada. Stratus is setting new standards in the building services and maintenance franchise industry by being the first to offer green janitorial products with their proprietary Green Seal Certified line of cleaning chemicals. To learn more about franchising opportunities, visit www.stratusfranchising.com.

SOURCE Stratus Clean