Stratus Clean Nears 100 Master Franchisees

LOS ANGELES -- Stratus Clean, a commercial cleaning franchise, has doubled down on secondary and tertiary markets across the U.S. and now operates 97 master territories and active regions.

The company said it is nearly sold out in Canada and plans to enter the United Kingdom next year, while targeting 25 additional U.S. markets where fewer competitors and closer-knit business communities give new owners room to grow.

"Nearing 100 master territories while being named the fastest-growing franchise for four years running tells us our model works in markets of every size," said Doug Flaig, CEO of Stratus Clean. "Our master franchisees show what's possible when the right people take on an open region with a clear game plan. As we complete the road to 100 and expand into new U.S. markets and the U.K., our focus stays on franchisee alignment and profitability."

Stratus Clean coined the phrase "the road to 100" this year to rally its system around reaching 100 master franchise locations. That next wave of growth will come from markets that often get overlooked, as Stratus is now targeting growth in markets throughout Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Vermont.

"There's a misconception that you have to be in a major metro to build a big business, and our system proves otherwise," said Rob Lancit, VP of Franchise Development of Stratus. "In secondary and tertiary markets, our owners face fewer competitors, they become part of the community faster, and they can get up and running more easily. Those advantages add up, and they're a big reason we're focusing our next phase of U.S. growth on these regions."

Culture of Shared Success
The ideal Stratus master franchisee is a white-collar professional or former business owner with the financial means to invest, but above all, a people person.

Every new master receives:

• Two weeks of hands-on training: one week at Stratus's home office and one week at the owner's own location.
• Ongoing support: guidance covering marketing, technology and sales well beyond onboarding.
• A dedicated mentor: a veteran master franchisee assigned to each new owner.
• Tiered peer calls: regular calls with masters at a similar stage of growth.

The brand's culture fosters a collaborative culture, in which master franchisees openly share best practices and invest in each other's success, with the annual meeting serving as the system's most important gathering.

Milwaukee Puts the Model to Work
That philosophy is playing out in Milwaukee, where business partners Tywone Redmond and Darrel McNeal hold the exclusive Stratus Clean master franchise rights for southeast Wisconsin. Friends since middle school, both Wisconsin natives came to the brand with sales backgrounds.

Redmond began his career in medical device sales before moving into education, where he spent seven and a half years as a school principal in New York City. McNeal started out selling home security systems, invested in and helped run a print company, and later built a career in casting and medical device sales across the Midwest.

The partners purchased the Milwaukee region in August 2023 and opened for business in January 2024. During due diligence, Stratus let them visit master franchises in markets similar in size to Milwaukee and meet the owners and employees who run them.

Those visits answered the partners' remaining questions. They were struck by the camaraderie among master owners, who readily picked up the phone to share what was working, and by the potential for a work-life balance that would let Redmond stay involved in his family's life.

The duo signed their first commercial client, the company they purchased their office furniture from, before awarding a single unit franchise, then added four-to-six-unit franchisees within their first four months. Today they follow a steady growth model of selling two unit franchises a month, and in January 2026 the territory surpassed $100,000 in recurring business.

"The recurring revenue changes how you run the business," said McNeal. "You're paid a month behind, so August's work is paid in September, and that predictability works almost like a line of credit. It funds our lead generation and lets us plan ahead instead of chasing the next check."

They rely on the Stratus playbook, its nine revenue streams, the Stratus CRM and HubSpot to manage leads, along with a weekly check-in with their corporate support contact. Redmond and McNeal aim to build a brand that helps their unit franchisees succeed, taking the time to nurture those relationships and equip owners with the resources they need to flourish.

"Some of the strongest Stratus markets aren't in the usual big cities. Look at Grand Rapids, Indianapolis and now Milwaukee," said Redmond. "You don't have to be in a major market to grow and be successful as a Stratus master franchisee."

Stratus Clean, which has been named the fastest growing franchise for four consecutive years, continues to seek executive-minded master franchise partners in open regions across the U.S. as it completes its road to 100.

For more information on the Stratus Clean franchise opportunity, go to www.stratusfranchising.com.