Jacksonville, FL – May 7, 2010 - Paul Davis National (PDN), the large loss specialists for Paul Davis Restoration, is providing building restoration, drying and stabilization services for a large retailer located at Opry Mills shopping center, 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville. The 140,000 square foot sporting goods store recently experienced devastating water damage with two feet of water throughout the structure that poured in from the recent floods. According to Howdy Russell, PDN’s Corporate Spokesperson, the company is working with the retailer’s insurance adjusters and store managers and staff to provide restoration and emergency mitigation services through next week.

  According to Russell, PDN responded to the customer’s emergency call on Sunday, May 1 and responded immediately to assess the damage. “The retailer will remain closed due to the aftermath of extensive flooding in the Nashville area,” said Russell. “The mall and its surrounding service roads are not open to the public. We had to access the property by boat before the waters receded in order to determine the extent of damage and next steps in our scope of work,” he said.

  On May 3, more than 95 restoration, emergency services, and structural clean-up workers and technicians arrived at the job site with five tractor trailers and hundreds of pieces of large and small equipment to mitigate the flood damage. Desiccant dehumidifiers, air movers, generators and highly-specialized drying and contents processing equipment also arrived and are being stored in the trucks on site. Russell expects the initial phase of the retailer’s job to be completed by May 14. “We were the first restoration company in the shopping center vicinity to be on site immediately and ready with full access to our own power, heavy equipment and skilled labor,” said Russell.

  “As soon as we could begin work, PDN staff arrived at the out parcel and began site stabilization. We began drying the interior of the building and made special arrangements for contents processing of some very unique fixtures such as faux trees, taxidermy and elaborate displays along with some very high-end pieces of merchandise and soft goods,” Russell said.

  “As the job progresses, we have to keep the outside waters from coming in and dry the interior of the building at the same time,” said Russell.  The PDN staff will be on-site everyday around the clock and will utilize available power from diesel generators due to continuing problems with the area’s power outages and surges.  “It’s been quite a challenge. The building was severely damaged, plus we had to contain and control the microbial growth right away. We’re working to establish a healthy and safe environment for the building’s ongoing use as a public area,” he said.

  According to Russell, it was imperative that the situation be brought under control quickly and effectively through emergency response support. “Unfortunately, the loss location is not predictable, and therefore, a response strategy must be managed.  There are many times when a situation is critical, and immediate action is needed. This is where PDN has a tremendous advantage,” Russell said.  Russell says documentation is the product PDN delivers to ensure efficient cost containment. The company’s primary objective is to operate all loss sites efficiently by establishing, in writing, its proposed tactics and techniques in advance of implementation.

  “Prior to implementing our proposed plan of action to stabilize and restore the retail location, all parties were aware of the proposed actions and pricing methodology. In this case, time was critical and we had to establish an agreed upon course of action for work necessary to alleviate the problems. Having a relationship with the customer’s insurance company allowed all parties to make more effective and efficient decisions and to make sure the resources are in place to meet the demands of the situation,” he said.