According to a press release, the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) awarded Kelmann Restoration the Phoenix Award for Innovation in Restoration and Platinum Restoration the Phoenix Award for Innovation in Reconstruction at the recent Leadership Summit & Industry Expo in Las Vegas. 

Kelmann Restoration was recognized for its innovative work following the restoration of the St. Alphonsus Parish and School after a fire. The company has 40 years of experience restoring religious buildings, and for this project Kelmann had two weeks to restore the school so students and teachers could return on time. The Parish also wanted to continue conducting worship services, so Kelmann worked on a tight schedule and accelerated the cleaning process to provide the church with a temporary place of worship. This was Kelmann’s fifth Phoenix Award win.

Platinum Restoration was awarded the Phoenix Award for their restoration of an historical home built in 1898. Even though it was not on the National Register of Historical Places, the homeowner wanted to preserve the home’s historic integrity and rebuild it to its exact state prior to the fire. Platinum utilized experts to determine the extent of structural damage and verified that the entire roof and front porch needed to be replaced. With an impeding Chicago winter storm, the company decided the best way to mitigate additional damage was to erect a new roof over the old one. They also brought all of the wiring up to current code specifications, restored or replaced much of the woodwork throughout the house, and rebuilt the front porch.

The Phoenix Awards are presented each year to recognize achievement in the industry and the winning projects exemplify the skills and talents required to return a structure to pre-loss condition. The deadline for submissions for the 2014 Phoenix Awards is Monday, December 16, 2013. For more information, visit www.restorationindustry.org.