Team Clean Founder Donna Allie Selected by Philadelphia Business Journal & NAWBO as One of Philadelphia’s 2008 Women of Distinction

Philadelphia, PA -- December 10, 2008 -- Donna Allie, founder of Philadelphia’s largest minority-owned business, Team Clean, has been selected as one of the Philadelphia region’s 2008 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal and the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Allie and her 24 fellow honorees received the award at a gala ceremony and dinner last week at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center. She was also featured in a profile in the November 21, 2008 editions of the Philadelphia Business Journal.

“It’s an honor to be included in this prestigious group of accomplished business women,” said Allie. “All of us at Team Clean look forward to continue growing a sustainable business, built for the future, with an emphasis on ‘green-collar jobs” and implementing additional green initiatives as that continues to evolve as a concern for our industry and our customers.”

The president and founder of Team Clean (a leading provider of janitorial services in the Philadelphia region), Allie launched the company in the mid-1980s as a solo entrepreneur, and has grown the company to over 600 employees and over $16 million in sales. The company she founded on a shoe-string has been named as the #1-ranked Minority-Owned Business in Philadelphia according to the Philadelphia Business Journal for the past two years.

Team Clean serves a variety of clients in government, education, industry, professional offices, sports and entertainment venues and events. Among the highlights of the company’s growth are clients such as Cheyney University and the National Constitution Center.

Originally unable to find employment in her chosen field after college graduation, Allie was a single parent determined to find a way to support herself and her child. She had accompanied a friend on a job cleaning a home, and realized that there was an excellent income potential in cleaning houses. She answered newspaper advertisements for “cleaning ladies,” and began cleaning homes throughout Philadelphia’s suburban Main Line. Team Clean grew when Allie began to respond to those newspaper ads by hiring women herself and sending them off in pairs to clean homes, establishing the burgeoning company’s “team” approach to cleaning. She took her first commercial contract in 1985 with the Upper Main Line YMCA.

In addition to her selection as one of the 2008 Women of Distinction, Allie has previously been the recipient of a number of professional awards. In April 2007, she was honored by the Philadelphia Phillies with the inaugural Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner during ceremonies on Jackie Robinson Day at Citizens Bank Park. In 1994, the African American Chamber of Commerce honored Allie with their Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, and in 1995 she received the Business Acumen Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women. In 1996, Team Clean was selected as one of Philadelphia’s 100 Fastest Growing Small Businesses by the Wharton Small Business Development Center and the Philadelphia Business Journal, and in 1997 Allie was named one of Pennsylvania’s 50 Best Women in Business. Also in 1997, Allie and Team Clean received the Special Recognition Award for Excellence of Service from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

In 2001, she was selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the "District Minority Small Business Person of the Year." The Business Center at New Covenant Campus honored Allie in 2006 with their Harriet Tubman Trailblazer Award. In addition, Allie has received the 62nd National Freedom Day Community Service Award, the City of Philadelphia’s Supply, Service and Equipment Award, and the Main Line Martin Luther King Jr. Association’s Business Leadership Award.

A graduate of Wilberforce University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Vocational Rehabilitation, Allie has attended the Loyola Advanced Minority Business Executive Program as well as several courses at The Wharton Small Business Development Center. Throughout the history of her company, Allie has remained committed to community service. She is an active board member of a number of non-profit organizations, including the African-American Chamber of Commerce; the Fund for Philadelphia; the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board; the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation; Philadelphia Women in Business; the Universal Charter School; and The Business Center in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood.

About Team Clean:
Team Clean is a leading provider of janitorial services in the Philadelphia region. The company serves a variety of clients in government, education, industry, professional offices, sports and entertainment venues and events. Active in the Philadelphia community with a variety of social and economic programs, Team Clean has been recognized as the top Minority-Owned Business in Philadelphia. Additional information is available at http://www.team-clean.com/.

Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Phone: 215-564-1122
E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com