ST. LOUIS-BASED STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS ENTERS FLORIDA MARKET

St. Louis, Missouri…Stratus Building Solutions, a St. Louis-based franchisor of retail-commercial-industrial building cleaning service franchises nationwide, has entered the Florida market by awarding a new Master Franchise to Jacksonville-based Paladin Services of Florida, LLC.

Dennis Jarrett, CEO of Stratus Building Solutions, said, “Our new Master Franchise in Florida complements cleaning service franchises in 12 other states that our company has established since Stratus Building Solutions was founded as a premier service franchisor in 2004.

“Paladin Services of Florida will exclusively offer Stratus Building Solutions sub-franchise units for sale throughout northeast Florida to entrepreneurs who will provide top-quality commercial cleaning services based on our successful business model,” Mr. Jarrett said.

Paladin Services of Florida will strengthen Stratus Building Solutions’ expansion of franchise opportunities into the southeast United States. In June 2007, Stratus Building Solutions established a Master Franchise agreement with Atlanta-based Paladin Services of Georgia, which now offers Stratus Building Solutions sub-franchise units for sale throughout Georgia.

Pete Frese, President of Stratus Building Solutions, said, “We are very excited about entering the Florida market. The Master Franchise agreement with Paladin Services of Florida is a great opportunity for people to start new businesses, create jobs and generate income by providing top-quality cleaning services to building owners and managers in northeast Florida.”

Financial terms of Stratus Building Solutions’ Master Franchise agreement with Paladin Services of Florida were not disclosed.

Jeffrey B. Aibel is CEO of Paladin Services of Florida, with offices at 9471 Baymeadows Road, Suite 403, Jacksonville, Florida, 32256. Phone: 904.222.8373 or toll-free 1.866.549.4764.

Mr. Aibel said, “Stratus Building Solutions has a track record of superior quality cleaning solutions, employee training excellence, minority-owned business support and environmental responsibility based on a franchise model that is recession-resistant.”

Stratus Building Solutions offers 16 different cleaning service franchise plans providing state-of-the-art “environmentally green” cleaning systems, products, services and marketing support to franchisees. 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.

Stratus Building Solutions operates its own Master Franchise in St. Louis which has awarded 260 sub-franchise units in the metropolitan area to entrepreneurs, including executives establishing a “second career,” business owners, investors and families who manage cleaning contracts for major office and professional buildings locally.

Jarrett and Frese founded Stratus Building Solutions after each worked as top corporate executives for more than ten years in commercial cleaning franchise industries. In 2006, Stratus Building Solutions revenues topped $4.5 million, based on franchise unit sales and royalties.

“Our vision is to become the dominant global franchisor in the commercial cleaning industry,” Mr. Jarrett said. “We strive to deliver unparalleled satisfaction to all our franchise clients by offering a full range of cleaning systems, employee training, business management solutions and environmentally-friendly products and services.”

Stratus Building Solutions currently offers franchises in Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico in addition to Missouri and Florida, with plans for more expansion in 2007. The firm’s headquarters are at 1976 Innerbelt Business Center Drive in suburban St. Louis.

For more information, please see the website www.stratusclean.com or call Stratus Building Solutions at 314.731.2000 or toll-free at 1.877.731.2020. Media contact: Jeff Dunlap @ PowerlinePR 314.993 6925.

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