Bob Armbruster, Founder and CEO of Clean Team, Inc., posing with award at the Ernst & Toung LLP EY Entrepreneur of the Year award ceremony.


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). Armbruster was selected among nearly 1,000 program participants, including 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 founders who bootstrapped their businesses from inception or raised outside capital to grow their companies, 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.

"This recognition belongs to every team member who shows up each day committed to excellence," says Armbruster. "Since day one, our focus has been on building a culture centered around people, accountability, and delivering exceptional service to our customers."

As a Michigan and Northwest Ohio award winner, Armbruster will now be considered by national judges for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum. At this event, 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.

2026 Award Winners:

• Sheldon Yellen, CEO, BELFOR Holdings, Inc. dba BELFOR Property Restoration
• Bob Armbruster, CEO, Clean Team, Inc.
• Max Surnow, CEO, Cooper Street Snacks
• Lauren Rakolta, Owner and CEO, DFM Solutions
• Brett Smith, President, Energy Products Inc.
• Jason Slocum, CEO and President, i2G Systems
• Austin Arksey, President and CEO, National Trails
• Ryan Niles, CEO, Niles Industrial Coatings
• Dr. Ahzam Afzal, Co-Founder and CEO, Puzzle Healthcare
• Melissa Butler, Founder and CEO, The Lip Bar
• Jim Richards, CEO, Total Security Solutions