The Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert Podcast

After years of putting out fires and pointing the finger at employees, Eric Sprague and Larry Wilberton learned to point the finger at themselves. In this episode, Sprague shares how he and Wilberton transformed their property restoration and cleaning company into one with a culture of high engagement, performance and profit by rethinking their roles as leaders. Today they help other blue-collar companies do the same through Morning Tech Meeting and Blue Collar Consulting.

Jim Kowalski is owner and vice president of Kowalski Construction Inc. He is also president of the Restoration Affiliates board. In this interview, Kowalski shares secrets to success and lessons learned in purposefully growing his third-generation, family-run property restoration and repair company in Arizona, which was founded in 1967. He also explains what exactly Restoration Affiliates – a national network of cleaning and restoration firms – is.

Why is strategic planning important? Who should be involved? When should it happen? How do you ensure it fuels action? Where do you begin? Is it worthwhile in a world of heightened uncertainty? Jeff Jones, director of sales and marketing with Violand Management Associates, offers a crash course in annual business planning, as well as longer- and shorter-term strategic planning.

Jennifer Todd, president of remediation company LMS General Contractors and acclaimed leader in construction, was the youngest Black woman to acquire a Class A California general engineering license. She joins us to discuss her experience as a Black, woman contractor-owner in a white-, male-dominated field. Todd highlights the importance of looking at the labor shortage and diversity as one conversation instead of two separate topics. She also shares ways she is attracting talent from minority groups and helping them thrive.

CoreLogic acquired Next Gear Solutions on Sept. 15, 2021. In this episode, Garret Gray, founder and CEO of Next Gear Solutions, discusses what this means for the restoration industry now and into the future. He covers the impetus and vision for the acquisition, its impact on existing customers and restoration contractors overall, how and how long the integration of the two organizations will play out internally and externally, as well as advances to workflow management solutions, claims estimating solutions, and the pricing landscape.

In this first-ever Real Stories in Restoration episode, disaster restoration expert and author Sean Scott joins us to share insights from his more than 43 years in restoration and construction, takeaways from three of his publications, fire and smoke damage restoration tips, and more. Listen through the end for exciting news on what’s ahead for him and R&R.

PuroClean recently offered its inaugural Microbial Warriors training program, which proved a huge success with new and seasoned franchises. Here, Jeff Jones, master trainer of the Artemis Biorisk Training Academy’s Microbial Warriors Experience, and Darren Hudema, director of training and technical services with PuroClean, dive deep into what made the course so impactful. They cover everything from what biohazards and infectious agents are, to forensic restoration training tips, to the state of forensic restoration.

Dr. Anirban Basu, chief economist with Associated Builders and Contractors, sheds light on key factors contributing to the top challenges of restoration and remediation companies: finding skilled workers, increasing wages and retaining labor. He gets to the real what and why behind the labor shortage, “great resignation” and “great retirement.” He points to what prospective employees want from restoration and remediation employers, thus how these companies might address their labor challenges. He also covers contractor confidence, the latest construction backlog indicator, and top trends impacting restoration and remediation contractors.

In this special episode, Andrea Stenberg, emergency services production cleaning manager with Paul Davis Restoration of Portland & Vancouver, Washington joins us to share her story and insights. She is the winner of R&R’s 202 Ladder Award, an annual award honoring outstanding young restoration professionals under 35 years of age.

John Downey, executive director of the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), joins us to talk Healthy Buildings America 2021. The theme of this year’s conference, scheduled for Jan. 18-20, 2022, is “Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice – In the Age of COVID-19 and Beyond.” Downey provides an overview of the conference’s history, purpose and 2021 learning opportunity highlights for restoration professionals.