This year, Stratus Building Solutions officially rebranded to Stratus Clean, marking its 20th anniversary and signaling a significant shift toward a more focused, service-first identity with its new tagline, “Commercial Cleaning Elevated.” The timing is notable for this fast-growing franchise leader in the US$90 billion janitorial and facility services industry.
In this interview, Stratus Clean CEO Doug Flaig shared his insights with CMM Editor Elizabeth Christenson into the company’s name change and rapid growth in this extremely competitive industry.
The company currently operates 96 master franchise territories across 47 states in the U.S. and Canada, serving over 5,100 franchisees and covering more than 80% of the U.S. population and 85% of the Canadian population. As one of the fastest-growing franchise brands in North America, Stratus Clean has sold an average of over 1,000 franchises each year for the past four years.
Flaig attributes Status Clean’s success to treating franchisees well, building a strong reputation, and implementing a strategy focused on selling franchises and driving contract sales. Additionally, the three-tier franchise model—which includes the corporate, master franchise territories, and unit franchisees—allows for rapid growth by effectively creating a large franchise development team across the territories. The model requires strong sales teams at master offices to deliver promised contracts to franchisees while maintaining a local ownership feel within each territory.
Flaig also noted that post-pandemic commercial lease renewals present opportunities beyond standard office spaces in retail, industrial, and other segments. He also highlighted the potential impact of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, which could reduce labor requirements while increasing franchisees’ capacity.
The company has set a target to break 100 master territories this year and is working toward a paperless office system as part of its rebranding efforts. It is also expanding into national accounts and expects the new Stratus Clean name to better communicate its services to customers.
