Jim Kowalski is owner and vice president of Kowalski Construction Inc. He is also president of the Restoration Affiliates board. In this interview, Kowalski shares secrets to success and lessons learned in purposefully growing his third-generation, family-run property restoration and repair company in Arizona, which was founded in 1967. He also explains what exactly Restoration Affiliates – a national network of cleaning and restoration firms – is.

R&R Editor Valerie King announces the call for 2022 Ladder Award nominations in this special message. She shares the importance of the award, now in its third year, as well as eligibility requirements and judging criteria. Click here to submit nominations or learn more about the 2022 Ladder Award and to submit a nomination by Monday, May 30, 2022.

PSA by Canam Systems provides integrated restoration management software designed to help restoration companies increase efficiency, accountability and, ultimately, profits. In this Ask the Expert episode, Sales Manager Ryan Pritchard shares practical steps restoration contractors can take to ensure the software they invest in delivers value, including integration and scaling solutions with the growth of their business. He also discusses a PSA rebrand introduced at the start of 2022.

The American Policyholder Association is a nonprofit watchdog organization that promotes integrity, honesty and best practices in the property loss adjustment sector of the insurance industry. In this episode of Ask the Expert, Executive Director Doug Quinn talks about the APA’s work advocating for policyholder benefits and promoting solutions in insurance coverage, the insurance claim process, and the repair and rebuilding process for policyholders across the U.S.

Barry Rice, a Certified Safety Professional with over 20 years of experience, is the Environmental, Health and Safety director for Signal Restoration Services’ family of companies that includes Signal, US Roofing and PuroClean. In this episode of Ask the Expert, Rice discusses the importance of safety, as well as best practices for employee health and safety, in this particularly high-risk field of restoration.

In this special episode, Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, president of ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba serving Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, shares her story and insights. She is the winner of R&R’s seventh annual Women in Restoration Award and rose to the top of an impressive list of 46 nominees. All nominations were reviewed by a panel of judges based on journey and experience in the industry, job growth and future reach, industry and community involvement, and awards and certifications.

Brett Lawton is CEO of Lawton Construction & Restoration, located in Newcastle, Calif. The family-owned, second generation business has grown substantially since Lawton became CEO in 2006. In this interview, Lawton talks about scaling, growing as a leader and finding the company’s niche as a mid-sized service provider in a competitive, increasingly consolidated market. He also discusses offering general construction and restoration services, and the value of an executive team.