Milwaukee, WI – February 12, 2010 - The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has named Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling of Southeast Wisconsin as a winner in the 2009 Wisconsin Remodeler Award (WRA) categories including Disaster Restoration - Fire and Commercial Interior. The awards were presented for Paul Davis projects in the Milwaukee area in 2009. Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling of Southeast Wisconsin is a member of the NARI Milwaukee, WI Chapter.

“We are honored to accept the awards for projects that were judged by an impartial panel of judges and who are experts within the industry and associated fields,” said Dan Druml, Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling of Southeast Wisconsin’s President and Owner. “The projects were submitted with before-and-after photography and project descriptions. Awards were based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty, and entry presentation,” Druml said. “We’d like to thank our employees who deserve the credit including our sales team, project managers and estimators. These key individuals are responsible for the success of many beautiful, award-winning restorations in Milwaukee,” he said.

Specifically, Druml and his team recently completed the residential project which was initially damaged from a cooking fire started by a tenant renting the property. Restoration of the property was challenging due to existing custom design elements and materials requiring recreation or modifications to ensure the customer’s tastes were reflected in the finished product. In addition, the customer’s previous do-it-yourself projects added to the challenge of replicating the look and feel of the existing structure. Restoration of the project was further complicated by the natural challenges of working with a customer who lived out-of-state for the entire duration of the restoration project.

“At the time of the fire, the owner was utilizing the property as a rental unit, but decided after the fire to relocate back to Wisconsin and live in the renovated and redesigned home,” said Druml. “The owner is a single mom raising three children, so certain design changes were requested to meet the needs of the young family,” he said.

According to Druml, as is the case with all fire restoration projects, fire damaged materials were removed for proper deodorization of the structure. This necessitated the complete demolition of the living room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and finished basement area. The complete demolition of the property provided a fresh canvas for the owner to implement her desired changes.

Completed in May of 2009 and after five months of restoration, the renovated home meets the needs of the owner and her young family and is a reflection of her tastes and interests.

Additionally, Druml and his team won the commercial restoration award for a recently completed commercial building exterior at the Paul Davis office location, 2000 South 4th Street in Milwaukee. The restoration was a conversion of an existing warehouse facility on the company’s property. The project included the construction of a multi-functional space with room for future expansion and increased functionality. According to Druml, the project was completed in February 2009 and required the conversion of a 7,150 square foot warehouse and storage building into office space for his company’s estimating and project management staff.

“The estimating and project management staff was previously located in our company’s main administrative building, but they now reside in our new location. The new space includes individual offices, a conference room with accommodations for eight individuals, and a combination break room, kitchen and business center,” Druml said. “This project was designed to allow for future expansion and the addition of a hands-on training center and accompanying lounge,” he said.

According to Druml, the main challenge of this project was to convert a cold, dark warehouse into a functional, comfortable working environment. Also, Druml aspired to replicate the design of the surrounding buildings to further define the area of Milwaukee where the building is located. The design goal was accomplished, leaving exposed ceilings and ductwork along with the installation of the cream brick found in the surrounding structures. Veneered maple floors with a golden stain permitted the floors to tie-in to the existing structure. Scaffolding was utilized to create work spaces adding to the industrial feel which was successfully achieved.

“The functionality of the new space continues to make a positive impact on employee productivity, morale and customer service,” said Druml. “This benefits our fast-growing organization which is a leader in the insurance restoration business,” he said.

The renovated space is located at the former site of the Aelco Foundry. The project is part of a large neighborhood redevelopment project which includes the dredging and cleanup of the Kinnikinnick River and a new 40,000 square foot industrial building which will be located just to the north of the estimating and project management center.