The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has opened nominations for the 2015 Phoenix Awards for Innovation in Restoration and Innovation in Reconstruction. The Phoenix Awards are presented each year at the RIA International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo to recognize achievement in the industry and the winning projects exemplify the skills and talents required to return a structure to pre-loss condition.

This year’s Convention & Industry Expo will take place from May 6-8 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The Phoenix Award for Innovation in Restoration is awarded to a contractor/firm for a residential or commercial restoration project – either personal property or building - which does not include building reconstruction, but may include the restoration and/or remediation of a structure and its contents (e.g., drying out a structure and reframing, drying and/or cleaning contents).

The Phoenix Award for Innovation in Reconstruction is given to an individual contractor/firm for work on a project that may encompass some restoration, but generally requires significant rebuilding of the structure (e.g., new roof over most or all of an entire structure, expansion or redesign of an existing structure to make it better fit a customer’s current needs). Projects may be residential or commercial.

A minimum of three jury members with extensive experience in restoration, reconstruction, and insurance issues will select the winning projects for each award. Jurors’ names will be kept confidential. They will not vote for or against competitor contractors from their own market areas and cannot judge any projects in which they may have been involved in some capacity.

Projects submitted should:

• Demonstrate value through a conspicuous reduction in the amount of the loss to the insurance carrier and/or the property owner.
• Focus on effective problem-solving in a catastrophic situation.
• Identify innovative procedures that provide a good example for the industry.

 The deadline for submissions for the 2015 Phoenix Awards is Friday, February 27, 2015. For more information, visit www.restorationindustry.org.