Stratus Building Solutions Chosen Among 50 Top Franchises for Minorities by The National Minority Franchising Initiative

ST. LOUIS, MO, November 30, 2010 (Press-News.org) Stratus Building Solutions, the nation's fastest-growing building services and maintenance franchise company, is one of the "50 Top Franchises for Minorities" selected by the respected National Minority Franchising Initiative (NMFI) in a process that evaluated hundreds of U.S. franchisors.

Stratus Building Solutions was identified in a USA Today feature article about the growth of minority franchising and the value of NMFI as a reliable barometer of minority franchise opportunity.

Stratus Building Solutions CEO Dennis Jarrett and President Pete Frese said in a statement: "We built our company on core values that enable unit franchisees in all races, colors and creeds to be successful by owning and operating their own business, regardless of their background.

"We are indeed honored to be chosen as one of the very best franchisors for minorities because it validates Stratus Building Solutions' business values and our commitments to equal opportunity," said Jarrett and Frese, adding "We like to help people be successful."

NMFI's top 50 franchisors, including Stratus Building Solutions, were chosen from hundreds of companies that requested consideration and which provided current Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) and other data for NMFI's expert evaluation.
In announcing the Top 50, NMFI Founder Rob Bond noted that franchising by minority entrepreneurs is increasing. Bond said, ""We are extremely pleased to see that, in short ten years, minority representation has increased remarkably in the franchising industry. Whereas minorities may have accounted for only five or six percent of total franchisees in 2000, the consensus is that today they account for well in excess of 15%. This is quite a remarkable testament not only to the industry's reaching out to minorities, but to the underlying values and entrepreneurial talents that minorities contribute."
The NMFI program was launched by World Franchising Network in 2000 to provide industry analysis and meet the needs of a largely under-represented market. For more information, see the website http://www.MinorityFranchising.com.
Stratus Building Solutions was founded by Jarrett and Frese in 2004 after both men worked for more than ten years as top executives in the building maintenance services franchise industry. Stratus Building Solutions now has U.S. operations in 23 states, plus operations in Europe, Canada and Central America, with plans to open in the Middle East in 2011.

Stratus Building Solutions offers 16 different building service franchise plans providing state-of-the-art "environmentally green" cleaning systems, products, services and marketing support. These include the "Stratus GreenClean" program which uses eco-friendly products and services to help sustain healthier, more productive facilities. Also, the firm offers an exclusive "Stratus Sani-Proof" program that kills bacteria, including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), and other germs found in schools, health clubs, daycare centers, gyms, dormitories, medical offices and hospitals.

Stratus Building Solutions franchise benefits include orientation and training; customer referrals; administrative and accounting support; pre-arranged credit lines; access to insurance and surety bonds, financing options, business reviews; promotional support; and other turn-key advantages. The firm's headquarters are at 1976 Innerbelt Business Center Drive in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.

Stratus Building Solutions is lauded as the fastest-growing company of its kind by many authorities. In May 2010, the firm was identified as the Number One Fastest-Growing Privately Owned Company in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal. In April 2010, Franchise Times Magazine identified Stratus Building Solutions among the top 50 fastest-growing franchises in the nation. The January 2010 edition of Entrepreneur Magazine ranks Stratus Building Solutions the Number One New Franchise, the Number Three Fastest-Growing Franchise and Number 13 Overall in its 2010 Franchise 500 rankings.

For information about Stratus Building Solutions' franchise opportunity, visit http://www.stratusfranchise.com. To learn more about Stratus' minority support, visit http://www.stratusdiversity.com. For more company information, see http://www.stratusclean.com or call Stratus Building Solutions headquarters 314.731.2000 or toll-free 877.731.2020. Media contact: Jeff Dunlap @ 314.993 6925.

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