Over the last few years, my passion for email etiquette seems to have ramped up a notch, or five. 

Last year, Paul Davis of Greater St. Paul and Minneapolis worked on a major fire damage restoration project for a senior living (age 55+) condominium association community. In addition to the regular challenges of a large loss fire job – from mitigation through reconstruction - the project presented additional difficulties posed by COVID-19, as the residents were considered high risk.

In my heart, I am a storyteller. Real joy, for me, comes from sharing about others – their stories, successes, lessons learned, and everything in between. One of my very favorite parts of being editor of R&R over the last six years has been meeting contractors – some big, some small, some offering niche services, others being full-service contractors. 

In just the last few weeks, I have witnessed some very creative marketing and employee appreciation ideas from restoration companies across the country, and wanted to share a few.

As I’m writing this, we are nine weeks into 2021, and I have posted a news item regarding an industry acquisition or merger almost every single week. Some of the deals are with industry suppliers and vendors, but largely it’s restoration companies. In most cases, one company purchases another, but in others, a private equity firm has come in and made an investment.

Welcome to 2021! Since most New Year’s resolutions fail, I’ve found that following a special acronym helps me create attainable goals, and see the process through.