Restoration Today

Scott Whitaker, owner of Restoration 1 Spokane, Wash., has partnered with Traction Capital , an investment firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs in the Western U.S. Private equity firms have recently begun investing as franchisees in the restoration industry, signaling a new era of business growth and opportunity. The influx of funds across the industry will allow local businesses to expand thei...

While the restoration industry is considered to be a relatively small space, it abounds with events all year-round. In recent years, the RIA's International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo has arguably risen above others as the ultimate place to learn and network with fellow restoration contractors. This year, under the theme of Restoration Beautiful, the events committee has put togeth...

Welcome to season two of the Restoration Master Class! The 2023 Master Class is sponsored by Encircle , and focused entirely on profitability! Two times each month, we will drop quick, new episodes on different topics related to profitability - with different industry guests! In episode 1, Trish Wall from SERVPRO Team Wall shares lessons and wisdom on creating an organizational structure that can...

Unsurprisingly to most restoration contractors, the latest C&R State of the Industry report found that getting paid is one of the problems that keeps contractors up at night. In this episode of Restoration Today, Josh Ehmke - a One Claim Solution co-founder - shares tips on getting paid, and what he has observed during his time in the restoration industry.

In a time when there are many franchises for potential business owners to chose from, it is more important than ever to stand out from the competition - both in efficacy and branding. 1-Tom-Plumber has seen explosive growth despite only a few short years in business, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In this episode, meet the father-son duo of Rocky and Kameron Hensley who are at t...

Thanks to advancements in restoration and cleaning technology, it is more possible than ever to restore a vast number of items - instead of tossing them in the landfill and replacing them with new. This is great news for restorers and insurance carriers as the cost to restore item often costs far less than replacement, and gives contractors another revenue stream. There are also different options...

Ever wondered how IICRC standards are created, consensus bodies are formed, how often they are reviewed, and more? Mili Washington, IICRC standards director, joins Restoration Today to discuss the creation and revision of standards, the importance of volunteers and public comment periods, and more! Plus, learn what standards are currently out for review and how to get involved!

C&R's State of the Industry report asked restorers what is keeping them up at night. Unsurprisingly, hiring was among the top answers. As the worker shortage in the trades continues, regardless of economic conditions, contractors are always looking for new ways to hire - and fresh ideas to attract good talent to their organizations. Gregg Taylor from Xactly byGTE , a company offering recruitin...

It is a seat no business owner expects to be in, yet according to the Small Business Administration, 20% of new businesses fail in the first year, 45% fail in the first five years, and 65% in the first decade. Only one-in-four businesses make it 15 years or more. All that in mind, every business struggles from time to time, or goes through slow periods - even in an industry that is considered "eco...

The landscape of the restoration industry seems to change almost with the tide. Over the last several years, we have seen a major increase in mergers and acquisitions, private equity interest, more pushback and requirements from carriers, more restorers moving away from TPA work, and the list goes on and on. Among the many changes appears to be an explosion of franchise opportunities specific to r...

On January 5, 2022, Kustom US announced the acquisition of Sacramento-based Five Star Restoration. Now one year into new ownership, we wanted to catch up with Five Star's GM Aaron Provencal to chat about what the transition has been like for him, and the rest of the team. Aaron shares insights on: The first steps to take when it might be time to sell. Choosing the right buyer. Highs and lows of th...

Digital marketing is an overwhelming topic for a lot of restorers, especially as algorithms and best practices are constantly evolving and changing. The good news: there are experts to help! In this episode, Ashlee Southworth and Amanda Stichter from Virtual Vision join Restoration Today to answer questions like: What makes a website good? How important is content on a website? What is SEO, exactl...

In C&R 's State of the Industry report, restorers agreed software choices - and software onboarding - are ongoing pain points for their companies. Clean Claims and E3 are two of the platforms looking to ease this pain point by full integration of the two platforms that complement each other well. Chuck Dewald III, of the Dewald Academy of Drying and creator of E3, and Lane Larsen from Clean Cl...

Garret Gray , CoreLogic's President of Protect (although likely going through a title change soon!), returns to Restoration Today to catch up on all things InsurTech and RestorTech-related. Garret and Michelle discuss: The latest with Symbility/Claims Connect. Symbility's pricing methodology. Ongoing efforts to update pricing, and gather industry feedback. Deviating from standardized price lists....

The Certified Mold Professional (CMP) designation has been available to restorers and cleaners for more than 20 years. For most of that time it was offered through the Restoration Industry Association. But in August,  C&R  shared news from Wonder Makers Environmental that the designation is going through a rebrand, and getting a refresh! Today, the Certified Mold Professional (CMP) is sponsore...

Welcome to Phil & Michelle’s Happy Hour – a podcast designed to make you smile, and hopefully learn a few things along the way. A few times a year, Phil Rosebrook Jr. of Business Mentors and Michelle Blevins of C&R Magazine sit down with restoration and cleaning industry leaders and icons to chat about all-things restoration, share stories, and have a few laughs. In Episode 2, we are joine...

Ahead of the C&R State of the Industry reveal, we sat down with Violand Management Associates GM Tim Hull to discuss overall industry trends, the economy, what might lie ahead, and more. This conversation explores the belief that the restoration industry is economic-proof. While that is true to a certain degree, businesses can still struggle in a down economy, or when faced with high inflation...

Everyone who starts a business knows profitability is important, but too often contractors treat it as optional.  This podcast goes along with a recent C&R article titled "The 4 Modes of Profitability for Contractors." It was the first in a series to attempt to help new entrepreneurs, in-progress contractors, and aspiring persons in a position of leadership to better grasp the essential nature...

Every state has different rules and regulations regarding construction work - Florida is certainly included in that. From changes in Assignment of Benefits (AOBs) in 2019, to mold remediation licensing, to laws governing work after catastrophic events, like hurricanes, restoration contractors are well-advised to do their homework before traveling to Florida to work. In this episode of Restoration...

Mammoth Restoration is one of the many restoration companies that mobilized to Florida following Hurricane Ian's landfall in late September. As the CAT team drove semis packed with equipment toward Ft. Myers and Sanibel, other members of the Mammoth team, based in Pheasant Gap, Penn., readied themselves to handle necessary logistics, paperwork, and other tasks that could be done remotely. In this...

In September, Encircle and Phoenix Restoration Equipment announced the integration of the Encircle platform with Phoenix’s DRYLink technology. Kris Rzesnoski, VP of Encircle , and Erin Hynum, Business Unit Lead for Phoenix , have spent many years with their teams pushing toward greater innovation and collaboration in the industry. In this podcast, Kris and Erin discuss why integrations like this a...

So, what is the difference between sales, marketing, and branding, anyway? People often lump those first two words together, when they are in fact quite different roles - and require different talents! In this episode of Restoration Today, Jeff Jones, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Violand Management Associates, brings his knowledge of the industry - after having spoken with hundreds of r...

Building a strong, healthy restoration company doesn't happen by chance. Success and sustainable growth require processes, efficiencies, KPIs, and an owner who is able to run the business, instead of the business running them. In this episode, RBA Founder Gokul Padmanabhan joins in for a conversation on what he sees at work within the most successful restoration companies, what it means to have a...

There is a new franchise in town - the Mold Medics ! The company's CEO, Tim Swackhammer, joins Restoration Today to discuss his background in franchising, remediation, and the launch of this new franchise system specializing in mold removal. Plus, Tim discusses specific services, training, certifications, and more!

Corey and Lindsay Brandon are familiar faces in the restoration industry. Today, they work together as a team as Director of National Projects for Insurcomm . Michelle sat down with Corey and Lindsay at The Collective to talk about what it looks like to mobilize for catastrophes, the importance of partnerships and working together, and how they effectively tag-team their role to serve customers at...