Bob Armbruster of Clean Team, Inc. Named Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award Winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US)
Toledo, Ohio — June 23 2026 — Bob Armbruster, Founder and CEO of Clean Team, Inc., was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). Bob was selected among nearly 1,000 program participants that included 592 finalists across 17 regions competing for the title.
Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. It celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or raised outside capital to grow their company, transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.
Regional winners were chosen by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges assessed candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment, and significant growth and impact.
As a Michigan and Northwest Ohio award winner, Bob will now be considered by the national judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, where high-growth CEOs, Fortune 1000 executives and investors converge to shape the future of business. The National Overall Award winner will move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in May 2027.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award winners are:
- Sheldon Yellen | BELFOR Holdings, Inc. dba BELFOR Property Restoration | Birmingham, MI
- Bob Armbruster | Clean Team, Inc. | Holland, OH
- Max Surnow | Cooper Street Snacks | Birmingham, MI
- Lauren Rakolta | DFM Solutions | Detroit, MI
- Brett Smith | Energy Products Inc. | Madison Heights, MI
- Jason Slocum | i2G Systems | Ann Arbor, MI
- Austin Arksey | National Trails | Livonia, MI
- Ryan Niles | Niles Industrial Coatings | Fenton, MI
- Dr. Ahzam Afzal | Puzzle Healthcare | Detroit, MI
- Melissa Butler | The Lip Bar | Detroit, MI
- Jim Richards | Total Security Solutions | Fowlerville, MI
Candidates were evaluated based on their entrepreneurial spirit, strategic growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.
Under Bob Armbruster’s leadership, Clean Team has completed 15 strategic acquisitions and earned recognition on the Inc.5000 list for five consecutive years. The company is known for its strong culture, performance-driven leadership team, and commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality service at scale.
With a long-term vision centered on people, process, and partnership, Clean Team continues to expand its footprint while maintaining a relentless focus on customer satisfaction and operational discipline.
Entrepreneur Of The Year honors business leaders across a range of categories, including founders who built their companies from the ground up, CEOs who have transformed existing organizations, and multi-generational leaders redefining legacy businesses for the future.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa, LLC, Marsh USA, SAP, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Regional sponsors for Michigan and Northwest Ohio include Full View Productions (Gold) and KLA Laboratories Inc., P.I.E. Management L.L.C., Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications, Varnum LLP, and ADP (Silver).
The Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized the leadership of entrepreneurs such as:
- Jason McGowan, Crumbl Cookies
- Reid Hoffman | Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn Corp.
- Saeju Jeong, Noom
- Allison Ellsworth | Stephen Ellsworth, Poppi
- Jitendra Mohan | Sanjay Gajendra | Casey
- Morrison, Astera Labs
- Shelly Ibach, Sleep Number
- Howard Schultz, Starbucks Coffee Company
- Holly Thaggard | Amanda Baldwin, Supergoop!
- Jodi L. Berg, Vita-Mix Corporation
- Michael Happe, Winnebago Industries
- Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons, The Home Depot, Georgia Force
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Founded in 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 business leaders in the United States and expanded to nearly 80 countries worldwide. The program honors entrepreneurs who lead high-growth companies and drive innovation across industries. Learn more at ey.com/us/eoy.
EY is committed to building a better working world by creating long-term value for clients, people, and society. Through data, AI, and advanced technology, EY helps organizations solve complex challenges and shape the future with confidence. Operating in more than 150 countries, EY provides services across assurance, consulting, tax, strategy, and transactions. Visit ey.com for more information.