Colorado Springs, CO – The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has presented its highest honors for innovation in restoration and reconstruction to two member firms. The Phoenix Awards are presented each year to recognize achievement in the areas of restoration and reconstruction. Winning projects exemplify the complement of skills required to return a project to pre-loss condition.

Mellon Certified Restoration of Yeadon, Pa., won the Phoenix Award for Innovation in Restoration for its work on a 234,000 square foot school that suffered a fire from the 30-foot artificial Christmas tree located in the building’s rotunda.

  With the fire quickly contained, damage to the Milton Hershey School’s rotunda remained extensive. The Rotunda comprises 11,000 square feet of floor space, is 74 feet high and has 1,550 tons of Vermont marble on the walls and floors. Working under a tight turnaround period of only 14 days, the crews sacrificed spending the holidays with their families to clean and restore building contents, along with 13 HVAC systems and the 74-foot high rotunda ceiling.

Expressing his gratitude for being chosen as the winner for this award, President and owner, Jim Mellon, says, “Over the many years of my involvement with RIA, I have always dreamed of winning this coveted and prestigious industry award and it is an overwhelming honor to have been selected!”

Alliance Disaster Kleenup (ADK) of Northbrook, Ill., won the Phoenix Award for Innovation in Reconstruction for its work at one of the oldest boys and girls clubs in Chicago, The Off the Streets Club.

Seventy-mph winds led to the collapse of the building’s 100-year-old timber roof structure, scattering debris across the city. The fire suppression systems became dislodged and unleashed thousands of gallons of water into the building. On site within an hour, ADK recognized that a frame and a tarp roof would not withstand the continuous heavy rains and wind gusts. ADK worked quickly to create a temporary roof structure that allowed them to stabilize the roof and begin mitigating the damage, inventorying and removing contents, and drying the building.

President Justin Tubero says, “We are humbled and proud to be honored in such a way that allows our organization of dedicated and hard working individuals, to be recognized for the extraordinarily high level of service that we provide to our community and clients.” ADK is thrilled to be ranked with other elite restoration contractors and companies that have also won this prestigious award in the past.
br> The awards were presented at the 66th Annual RIA Convention and Exhibition in Colorado Springs, Colo. Since its inception in 1996, the competition has recognized only 21 firms with this honor.

The deadline for submission of projects for the 2012 award will be December 15, 2011. For more information on the competition and entry requirements, contact the Restoration Industry Association at 443-878-1000 or visit www.restorationindusty.org.