IICRC Triple Master

4/29/2022 (Permalink)

IICRC Triple Master Beau Baumgartner

SERVPRO of Appleton is pleased to announce that our very own Beau Baumgartner is now a Triple Master, holding IICRC Master Certifications in all 3 available areas: 

1. Fire & Smoke Restorer
2. Water Restorer
3. Textile Cleaner

IICRC stands for “Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification”.  The IICRC is a certification and standard setting non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration industries.  They develop health and safety related industry standards, as well as common, industry-accepted language and terminology. 

IICRC offers over 20 certifications.  Each certification requires candidates to successfully complete a course and get a passing grade on a standardized examination.  Becoming a Master in each category is a long and labor-intensive process.  It requires candidates to get all certifications related to that category in stages, as well as years of experience in the field and a final master exam. The first step is to get multiple certifications in the specific category as well as a minimum of 12 months working in the field for Journeyman status.  Once that is achieved there are more certifications and a minimum of 3 years in the field before qualifying for the Master Course and exam.  Only 3.7% of IICRC’s constituents have attained this prestigious designation. And we are fortunate to have one of them working for us!  

Olympic Gold Medalist in the SERVPRO Extended Family

3/23/2022 (Permalink)

Growing up in the Michigan Upper Peninsula near a ski hill, our own Beau Baumgartner and his four siblings worked and spent a lot of their free time at the ski hill.  For brother Nick, that turned into a career in snowboarding, with gold & silver medals at 2 Winter X Games, and 4 trips to the Olympics, culminating in a gold medal at the recent Beijing Olympics in 2022.

At the age of 40, Nick competed in the Beijing Games as the oldest American Snowboarder in Olympic history.  But that distinction brought him gold.  Nick and his partner Lindsey Jacobellis, 36, won the first ever Winter Olympics mixed team snowboard cross event.  A mixed team snowboard cross consists of one man and one woman.  In each round the men go down the hill first in groups of four.  When the men cross the finish line, their times are transferred to their teammates.  The women then take off in a staggered format based on the time difference.  The first woman across the line wins.   

We here at SERVPRO of Appleton are lucky to have Nick’s older brother Beau working for us.  Beau joined us in the July of 2021 bringing with him 12 years of experience in the restoration industry with Service Master.  Beau has been a huge asset to us.  It is clear to us that Robert and Mary Baumgartner raised some very hard-working boys. 

Entrepreneur Magazine Top 10 Franchise Company

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

“Entrepreneur is an American magazine and website that carries news stories about entrepreneurship, small business management, and business.  The magazine was first published in 1977.  It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California.  The magazine publishes 10 issues annually, available through subscription and on newsstands.  It is published under license internationally in Mexico, Russia, India, Hungary, the Philippines, South Africa and others.”            

Every year since 1979 Entrepreneur has published a list of their Top 500 Franchise Companies. The Franchise 500 evaluation process is based on what the magazine calls “The Five Pillars of the Franchise 500”:  Costs and Fees; Size and Growth; Support; Brand Strength, and Financial Strength and Stability.   

SERVPRO has been consistently making the list since 1988. But for the first time since 2016, SERVPRO was named a Top 10 overall franchise opportunity in 2021, even ranking above McDonalds.  And we have held the #1 position in the cleaning and restoration industry for nearly 20 years in a row.

According to our CEO Rick Isaacson, “SERVPRO’s #10 overall ranking is a result of the hard work our franchises, their crews, and our dedicated headquarters team put in while many businesses were not so lucky.  So many businesses were negatively impacted, slowed, or closed due to the pandemic.  When COVID forced much of the world to slow down or step back, our team stepped up and did what it took, whether that was cleaning businesses so they could reopen safely or disinfecting first responders’ vehicles – man of those at no cost – to give back to those working every day to keep us safe.”  We here at SERVPRO of Appleton have been proud to play our part by disinfecting the COVID areas of a local hospital on a daily basis, as well as many businesses when cases arose in their staff. 

2021 Franchise 500 Ranking (entrepreneur.com)

.

Hoarding Experts

1/31/2022 (Permalink)

Years ago you didn’t hear much about hoarding.  But with cable television shows like Hoarding: Buried Alive, many of us have now been exposed to hoarding.  Simply stated hoarding is “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.”  “Hoarding disorder is a mental health disorder in which people save a large number of items whether they have worth or not.”  Hoarding and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) are closely related.  They both fall under the obsessive compulsive and related disorders category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^th edition.  Hoarded items can vary but generally they are common possessions.  Hoarded items can be anything from books, clothing, magazines, and containers, to garbage, rotten food and even feces and all of the above.  

It’s important to note that hoarding is different than collecting.  Collecting involves targeting very specific items, removing the items from ordinary use, organizing them, and often displaying them for the collector and others to admire. Hoarding is more impulsive and is usually very chaotic and disorganized. The resulting clutter takes over the home and disrupts the ability to use living spaces, while creating unsanitary and unhealthy conditions. 

The overall prevalence of hoarding disorder is approximately 2.6%, with higher rates for people over 60 years old and people with other psychiatric diagnoses, especially anxiety and depression. The bulk of evidence suggests that hoarding occurs with equal frequency in men and women. Hoarding behavior begins relatively early in life and increases in severity with each decade, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

While we here at SERVPRO have extensive experience cleaning hoarding situations, it is essential that our services be combined with mental health therapy to treat the underlying cause.  If the proper treatment is not done, the home will quickly return to its original state. 

We are a Preferred Provider for Most Major Insurance Companies

1/5/2022 (Permalink)

Very often when you’ve experienced a disaster, your insurance company will cover the remediation and possibly even the rebuild process if you’ve purchased adequate coverage.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is many people find it daunting to deal with the insurance claims process.  That’s where SERVPRO of Appleton can really stand out over other restoration companies. 

We are a preferred provider for some of the top insurance companies in the business.  We are a preferred provider for State Farm, American Family, Auto Owners, Erie, Hanover, and Farmers to name a few.  What this means is we know exactly what these insurance companies are looking for in terms of photos, sketches, and other documentation, to process your claim quickly and efficiently with the maximum amount of coverage.  We have multiple software programs that communicate directly with these major insurance companies and streamline the process for the customer. 

And rest assured that while we know how to deal with insurance companies on claims, you are our customer, and we work for you!  Our sole purpose is to make the restoration experience as smooth as possible for you, our customer.  Your disaster is probably a once in a lifetime experience for you.  But it’s what we do all day, every day.    

The most important thing you can do when you call us is be prepared to give us the name of your insurance company, the claim number if you have it and the name and phone number of the adjustor that has been assigned to your claim.  We will take it from there.

Hurricane Ida

9/29/2021 (Permalink)

Recently Hurricane Ida struck causing damage and massive flooding all the way up from the gulf coast to the New York and Jersey areas.  As you can imagine, restoration companies in the affected areas could not keep up with the demand for assistance. 

While SERVPRO locations are franchised and independently owned, they are also part of a national network with the organizational capacity to mobilize and send crews from all over the country to areas hit hard by disaster.  

We here at SERVPRO of Appleton are proud to have the capacity to send an amazing group of employees, who are willing to leave their own homes and families, and travel to other parts of the country to help when the need arises, while still servicing our customers here at home. 

This crew recently spent a couple of weeks out in the New York and New Jersey area and we couldn't be more proud.   

We Are a One Stop Restoration Company

6/30/2021 (Permalink)

In a previous blog post we discussed the fact that making your emergency “Like it never even happened,” is most often a two-step process.  First there is the clean-up/mitigation of the damage done by the water, fire, smoke, mold, or other disaster.  And while our primary goal is to save as much of the structure and contents as we can during the mitigation process, very often we must remove or displace some things so that we can properly mitigate the damage.  For example, sometimes cabinets need to be  removed, in order to get air circulating behind them, so that proper drying can take place. 

This leads to the second step in the process which is the rebuild process.  In this process we put things back in their proper place and replace things that could not be saved like drywall, carpeting etc…In our previous example, the cabinets would be put back in place during the rebuild process. 

Not all restoration companies are able to rebuild after a disaster.  With some restoration companies the customer needs to find a second company to do the rebuild work.  At SERVPRO of Appleton however, we have two full-time carpenters on staff, as well as a host of excellent subcontractors to handle all the customer’s rebuild needs.  While each of these steps is a separate service and billed independently, it is helpful for the customer to have one contractor managing the process and dealing with the customer’s insurance company.

This also means that we are more than just a restoration company.  Our rebuild team would be happy to give you a quote for any of your home remodeling projects.  You need not have an emergency to call SERVPRO of Appleton.  Call our office today at (920) 832-1110 for more information. 

National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day

3/29/2021 (Permalink)

March 29^th is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, a day that honors all small business owners.  SERVPRO of Appleton uniquely qualifies as both a big business and a small business. 

SERVPRO Industries was originally launched in 1967 by Ted and Doris Isaacson as a painting business in Sacramento, California.  But with their background in cleaning and restoration, they transformed the company into a franchisor of cleanup and restoration specialists.  They sold their first franchise in 1969.  By 1988, there were 647 franchises and the corporate headquarters was moved to Gallatin, Tennessee.  Today there are over 1,900 franchises in the United States and Canada.

According to Wikipedia, “Despite the franchise structure of numerous relatively small entities, SERVPRO has the capacity and organizational competence to respond to large-scale disasters, including major corporate and government contracts…”  This means we are uniquely positioned to respond to major disasters, much like a large company, while remaining a locally owned, small family business.  

Small businesses are a vital part of the U.S. economy.  According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 27 million small businesses in the United States.  59.9 million people or 47.3% of the private work force are employed by small businesses. 

SERVPRO of Appleton was founded in 1992 by Mr. Kelly Rousso.  Kelly’s first employee was Debbie Soloway.  Together they built a thriving business.  In 2014 Kelly sold the business to C.J. Snyder.  Debbie and a few other key employees, like Joyce Ebajan, stayed on and helped C.J. grow the business to close to double its size in 2021 from when he purchased it in 2014. 

Today SERVPRO of Appleton employs approximately 30 people.  C.J.’s wife and 3 grown kids have all worked for the business at various times.  In addition, we sincerely view all our employees as part of our SERVPRO Family.  They are true heroes helping people during their time of need.

Continuing Education Classes for Insurance Professionals

3/29/2021 (Permalink)

Specific requirements vary by state, but most states require insurance professionals to complete about 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years. Completing their CE requirements not only keeps their insurance license active; it also keeps them updated on the latest rules, regulations, and products to keep them competitive.

Every year since 2017 SERVPRO of Appleton has been hosting 2 Continuing Education Classes for Insurance Professionals free of charge at Neuroscience Group Field, home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Baseball Team.  

This year there was a morning session on Ethics, and an afternoon session on Restorative Drying for Water Damage with a catered lunch in between.  

These classes are always very popular.  The venue is quite beautiful, the food is great and the Timber Rattlers mascot often joins us to raffle off tickets for the upcoming season.  

While things looked a little different this year with covid social distancing, we were thrilled to still be able to hold this very popular event.  If you are interested in joining us in March of 2022, watch our facebook page early next year for more information.  

IICRC Certification

7/19/2020 (Permalink)

All of our management and crew leads, as well as most of our technicians, are IICRC Certified.  What does that mean to our customers?   

IICRC stands for “Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification”. The IICRC is a certification and standard setting non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. They develop health and safety related industry standards, as well as common, industry-accepted language and terminology.

It was founded in 1972 by Ed York.  Today it is a global organization, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, with more than 53,000 active certified technicians and more than 6,000 Certified Firms. 

In order to become certified, candidates must successfully complete a course in one of over 20 qualifications in cleaning, inspection, and restoration, at one of 70 approved schools worldwide.  In addition to successfully completing the course, they must also get a passing grade on a standardized exam.  In order to remain IICRC Certified, candidates must earn continuing education credits.

Each IICRC Certification costs SERVPRO of Appleton a fair amount of money in course fees, certification fees, travel and lodging expenses, and lost time on the job.  But this is a cost we gladly incur in order to have the best trained staff.  Our customers can be assured that our staff has received the highest level of training in our industry.       

National Social Media Day

6/30/2020 (Permalink)

June 30^th is National Social Media Day.  In a relatively short time, social media has completely transformed our lives.  Many people might be surprised to know that it all started with a site called Friendster.  According to Wikipedia, “Friendster was a U.S. social networking site based in Mountain View, California, founded in 2002 and launched in March 2003 by Jonathan Abrams.  The company was sold in 2015 and became a social gaming site based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.”

A more widely known social networking site called My Space was born from Friendster.  According to Wikipedia, “In August 2003, several eUniverse employees with Friendster accounts saw potential in its social networking features.  The group decided to mimic the more popular features of the website.  Within 10 days, the first version of Myspace was ready for launch… From 2005 to 2008, it was the largest social networking site in the world, reaching more than 100 million users per month.”

Of course, we all know that Myspace was eventually dwarfed by Facebook.  Today roughly 68% of U.S. adults say that they use Facebook, and roughly three-quarters of them say they access Facebook on a daily basis.  Facebook users span a wide range of ages and demographic groups. 

Given those numbers, it’s not surprising that most U.S. companies also have a Facebook page.  We here at SERVPRO of Appleton are no exception.  We would love to count you among our followers at:

https://www.facebook.com/SERVPROAppleton

Followers of our page can find helpful tips for cleaning their homes, avoiding disasters and so much more

Grocery Store Fire

5/27/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Industries was originally launched in 1967 by Ted and Doris Isaacson as a painting business in Sacramento, California.  But with their background in cleaning and restoration, they transformed the company into a franchisor of cleanup and restoration specialists.  They sold their first franchise in 1969.  By 1988, there were 647 franchises and the corporate headquarters was moved to Gallatin, Tennessee.  Today there are over 1,700 franchises in the United States and Canada. 

According to Wikipedia, “Despite the franchise structure of numerous relatively small entities, SERVPRO has the capacity and organizational competence to respond to large-scale disasters, including major corporate and government contracts…..”  What that means to you is that we are always here to help. Whether you are a single homeowner in an area that has been hit by a large scale storm like a hurricane, or you are a large or small business, we can call upon our national franchise system to work together to address your needs.  We are the only restoration company in the industry that has the organizational competence to do this.    

Recently we helped the Madison franchise clean up after a fryer caught fire at a Pick ‘n Save in Columbus, Wisconsin.  Our two franchises worked together and put in long hours so that the store could reopen in just 3 days. We couldn’t be any prouder of our crews and the effort they put in to get that grocery store reopened, especially during these unprecedented times of a global pandemic.  It’s so important that our grocery stores remain open to serve their communities.        

National Third Shift Workers Day

5/12/2020 (Permalink)

May 13^th is National Third Shift Workers Day.  The third shift usually runs from midnight until 8:00 am.  According to 2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 15 million Americans work full time on evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts, or other employer arranged irregular schedules.    

On this day we would like to acknowledge our hard-working staff at SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County who often work irregular schedules.  While they may not work third shift every day, every week or even every month, they sure do when it’s necessary.  Emergencies can happen at any time of the day or night, and our heroes at SERVPRO are here to help with your emergency whenever it may occur!  We are very proud of their hard work and dedication to serving others in need!    

National Kickball Day

4/17/2020 (Permalink)

April 17^th is “Kickball Day”.  According to Wikipedia, Kickball was invented in 1917 by Nicholas C Seuss, who was the Supervisor of Cincinnati Park Playgrounds in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It was originally called “Kick Baseball” or “kick cabbage”.  Seuss’ first documented overview of the game included 12 rules and a field diagram.

In the early 1920’s physical education teachers began using Kickball in their curriculum as a way to teach their students the basics of baseball.  At that time, they used a soccer ball or a volleyball. 

The lack of both specialized equipment and highly skilled base positions make Kickball perfect for not only children on playgrounds, but also adults looking for a little fun and extra exercise.  Many communities offer adult Kickball Leagues in the summer. 

Every summer our employees form a team in a local league.  It’s always a great night out and a good time for all.  We love sponsoring such a fun event for our employees and their families.  It's another way to promote team bonding and a great working environment for our employees.       

We Are The Cleaning Experts

3/16/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is Here to Help during this time of need

During this unprecedented time caused by the global pandemic of coronavirus, this is a reminder to our customers that we are specialists in cleaning services, and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards.

Specialized Training

We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work that regular janitorial staff perform on a daily basis.

The CDC encourages cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and tables. Other spaces mentioned in the CDC’s guidance for commercial spaces include:

• Kitchen/Food Areas
• Bathrooms
• Schools/Classrooms
• Offices
• Retail Spaces
• Water Fountains
• Shelving/Racks
• Sales Counters
• Carpets and Rugs
• Stair Handrails
• Elevator Cars
• Playground Equipment
• Fitness Equipment

Specialized Products

The CDC recommends usage of a labeled hospital-grade disinfectant with claims against similar pathogens to the coronavirus. Multiple products in the SERVPRO product line carry the EPA-approved emerging pathogens claims. While there is currently no product tested against this particular strain of the coronavirus, we are following all guidelines as provided by the CDC and local authorities.

Call Today for a Proactive Cleaning

If your home or business needs deep cleaning services, call the experts today – SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County (920) 832-1110

National Have Fun at Work Day

1/28/2020 (Permalink)

Team Debbie

January 28^th is “National Have Fun at Work Day.”  At SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County we believe it’s important for our employees to enjoy what they do.  We believe that increased employee satisfaction means a better experience for our customers.  To that end, we regularly plan events for our employees to have fun and increase team bonding.

For our most recent outing this past December, we went to Badger Sports Park for an Escape Room Experience.  We formed two teams that competed against each other to see which team could escape the fastest.  “Team Debbie” took home the prize and lots of fun was had by all.     

If you’d like to join our team and make a difference in the lives of people who have just experienced a disaster, stop by our office to fill out an application or send an email to our president at:  cjsnyder@SERVPROappleton.com

Working at SERVPRO

1/15/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County is a family owned and operated business, and every member of our team is truly a part of our big family.  Our goal is to provide a work environment that encourages team work, gives a sense of purpose, teaches leadership, and fosters not only professional growth but personal growth as well.  We believe that when our employees have a positive experience, our customers will as well.  

We asked our employees this past week what their favorite part about working at SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County is and here are some of their responses:

“I like that it is a fun, team-oriented workplace.”

“Horrible things happen to good people. I get to swoop in and turn a devastating and stressful situation into new hope. I get to be a hero!”

 “I enjoy the family atmosphere and appreciate the knowledge you retain from being on the crew.”

“My favorite part of working for SERVPRO is the relationships I have with my coworkers and my boss.”

“I get the opportunity to help people in need, there is camaraderie within the team, and I have long-lasting relationships with my fellow coworkers that have become an extended family.”

“When I finish a cleaning assignment, the appreciation and gratitude from the customer is instant satisfaction.”

“This work environment gives me the opportunity to have self-growth”   

If you are interested in joining our team please stop by our office at 2235 Northern Rd Appleton, WI 54914, right off of HWY 41 at the Prospect Exit, to fill out an application.  You may also send your resume to cjsnyder@SERVPROappleton.com. Questions? Call our office at (920)-832-1110.

National Get Ready Day

9/19/2019 (Permalink)

September 19^th is National Get Ready Day.  It was established “in 2006 by the American Public Health Association (APHA).  The goal of Get Ready Day is to arm individuals, families, and communities with knowledge that will help them cope with crises, such as natural disasters, infectious diseases and pandemic illnesses”. Let SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County help you prepare your business or organization for a disaster. 

It is estimated that up to 50% of businesses that close due to a disaster, such as fire and flood never reopen!  Of the businesses that survive, the overwhelming majority had a preparedness plan in place.  Preparation is a key component for making it through any size disaster, whether it’s a small water leak, a large fire, or an area flood.  The best time to plan for such events is not when the event happens but well before it happens. 

Our Marketing Professionals can create an Emergency Ready Profile (ERP) for your business or organization.  Our ERP serves as a quick reference of important building and contact information.  Information like where the water shut off valves are, the name and contact information for the building’s alarm system management company, and so much more.  And your ERP can be loaded as an app on a phone for anyone in your organization who might need it, making it conveniently accessible anywhere or anytime, day or night.     

By working with SERVPRO of Appleton & Winnebago County to develop your personalized ERP your business will receive the benefits of over 40 years of experience in reducing the impact of any natural or man-made disaster.  SERVPRO is a leader in water and fire damage response and can help you quickly get your property back in working order. 

Call us today for your no cost ERP.        

Cleaning Mud on Carpets

6/6/2019 (Permalink)

It's been a particularly wet spring.  Here's a little trick from Linda Cobb in "Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean" on how to remove mud from your carpet.

"Cover wet mud with salt or baking soda and let dry thoroughly before touching.  Once it is dry, vacuum it using the attachment hose to concentrate the suction on the mud.  Use a good carpet spotter, following the directions, to complete the process.  For red dirt or mud, use a rust remover such as Whink or Rust Magic to remove any color residue.  Make sure you test the rust remover in a small area first." 

And of course if this doesn't work, you can always call the professionals at SERVPRO of Appleton.  Our carpet cleaning expert, Brent, can tackle some of the toughest stains.  He has been cleaning high profile commercial customers as well as residential customers for over 11 years.      

Winter & Early Spring Storms

4/18/2019 (Permalink)

This past winter was rough here in Wisconsin.  We here at SERVPRO got lots of calls for water damage caused by roof ice damming and flooding caused by snow melt and early rains.  To put it in perspective, on an average day, our Appleton Franchise gets about 3 or 4 water calls.  During the height of the “storm event” we were getting approximately 60 calls a day.  There simply aren’t enough restoration businesses in the Fox Valley to service that many customers.  As a result, we activated our National Storm Team and brought in crews from other parts of the country to help service as many customers as possible.  We had two SERVPRO Crews from Virginia franchises working on our behalf in the Fox Valley.  We are proud to be the only restoration company in the industry that has a national network of franchises that they can mobilize and bring in to a certain geographical area for a storm event.

While that storm event is over, and the crews from Virginia have gone back home, we are expecting to receive a lot of mold calls this spring and summer from customers who had smaller amounts of water creep into their homes or businesses during that storm event that was previously undetected.  In the coming weeks our blog posts will focus on mold, what it is, how it spreads, when it’s a problem and more.