In a matter of moments, fire and water damage can put lives on hold and turn businesses upside down. Friends William B. Barbee and Robert White, through their new ServiceMaster Cleaning and Restoration company, are aiming to help those impacted put the pieces back together.
* Name: ServiceMaster Cleaning and Restoration
* Location: 4295 Cromwell Road, Suite 408
* Products or services: Commercial and residential disaster restoration services in the Bradley, Hamilton and Marion counties; 24/7, 365 days a year.
* When launched: Jan. 15
* What prompted entry: Robert White, managing partner, and William B. Barbee, president and CEO, first met at Baylor where they became best friends. The two kept in touch and six months ago discussed opening a location here. Mr. Barbee, who has over 20 years experience and an office in Atlanta, said he saw an opportunity to offer a much needed service in Chattanooga.
* Biggest hurdle: Helping clients understand that everything will be all right. Mr. Barbee said empathy is an important part of helping people who have dealt with property damage.
"It's important to understand how they may feel and let them know there is hope," Mr. Barbee said. However, they do offer clients realistic expectations.
"Everything can't always be saved. We don't go in and sell the moon," Mr. Barbee said.
* Biggest reward: "You can have a positive impact on helping to restore their quality of life. We both get a lot of fulfillment that knowing what we do for a living helps put people's lives back together," Mr. White said. Mr. Barbee and Mr. White said the first 24 hours are crucial to the restoration process, with the goal to restore items to its pre-loss condition when possible.
First, an evaluation is conducted to assess the extent of the damage. If water, the freestanding water is removed and once gone, dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air. With fire damage, an emergency pre-cleaning of items susceptible to corrosion is conducted followed by additional items.
* Challenges in the future: Getting the word out that there is a new company in town that is specializing in these types or services and making customers aware that there is another choice in the area, White said.
* Where hope to be in five years: Mr. White said the company hopes to expand the service area and have 35-50 employees. The duo also hopes to continue creating what they call a "Master Moment" for clients by exceeding customer expectations through their cleaning services and keeping the lines of communication open, Mr. Barbee said.