(Newswire Today) —  Panama City, Panama, 2009-12-15 - Stratus Building Solutions, the St. Louis, Missouri-based franchisor of branded building service and maintenance operations in the U.S., Canada and Europe, is expanding to Central America by awarding a new Master Franchise in the Republic of Panama.

CEO Dennis Jarrett said, “This new Master Franchise headquartered in Panama City is a business model for our company’s expansion in Central and South America as we continue to grow franchise operations globally, and enhance Stratus Building Solutions’ worldwide brand.”

Pete Frese, President, said, “Mark and Jayson Bashforth will operate Stratus Building Solutions of Panama, offering building services and maintenance licenses under the Stratus Building Solutions brand. The Bashforth brothers currently operate Stratus Building Solutions of Houston, Texas, which opened earlier this year.”

Mark Bashforth is a veteran marketing executive with over 20 years of international business experience. He is a member of the British American Business Council of Houston, the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce and earned a B.B.A. and Computer Science degrees from California Lutheran University. Jayson Bashforth served as a top sales executive in telecom and advertising industries in Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of California-Los Angeles with a B.A. in Psychology. In addition to their business success, the Bashforths are experienced deep water sailors who have sailed in oceans around the world.

“We are very excited with the prospects of Stratus Building Solutions in the Republic of Panama,” the brothers said in a statement. “Stratus Building Solutions is the fastest-growing international brand in the building services and maintenance franchise industry, with a track record of excellence.”

Founded in 2004, Stratus Building Solutions (stratusclean.com) today has U.S. operations in 22 states. In May 2009, Stratus Building Solutions of Canada was established to serve all 10 provinces in that nation. In September 2009, the company established a new Master Franchise in Lithuania as a model for European expansion. Stratus Building Solutions won four “top ten” spots in “Entrepreneur” magazine’s 30th Annual Franchise 500® ranking, and received the prestigious “2009 St. Louis Award” in the franchising category from the U.S. Commerce Association.

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