What You Learn By Sitting By Brett...

Working in a common office with several cubicles is a rich pasture ground for any companies greatest resource: people. I sit next to Brett. Y'all may know Brett, but I'm the only one who sits next to his least favored left. Larry is down the hall to his right, and it's a very appropriate yelling distance. Anyway, sitting next to Brett these last 10 years, uh months, has provided opportunity for:
1) Introspection
2) Reevaluation
3) An occasional funny smell
Among other life shaping things learned:
a) Each and every phone conversation must start with "Hey" (This is southern posturing)
b) It's OK to tell your computer "I hate you" but only several times a day.
c) Xactimate has only 2 syllables (who knew?)
d) It's best if Larry locks his office door before going on vacation
e) If Itel samples are kept long enough, eventually another job will have the same floor covering
f) If he asks you if you've seen the pictures from one of his basement sewage mitigations...you might want to decline
g) All on call schedules are written in stone until the next revision
h) Never go an entire day without at least 1 "Dumb and Dumber" reference

All of this notwithstanding...he may have the most demanding job in this company-responding to emergency 24/7, and doing so in such a way homeowners still want us to do the reconstruction work. I get to follow up Brett and his crew and see the positive results when they help people out of a distressful situation. Maybe his personality makes him perfect for his job.

Actually I wondered how many acronyms on could get from the word B R E T T. Then I remembered I have to blog next month...let me get back to you with that.

Keith Barnhart - Estimator

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is in Savannah, Georgia...and Champion's Helping!

That's right! Extreme Makeover is in Georgia and we are on the scene.

On Friday, November 12, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition surprised Jim and Carmen Simpson of  Savannah with the news that they had been chosen as the recipients of a full home makeover! Carmen and Jim give back to their Savannah community as they raise three children,  Zoe, Katelyn and Isaac.  Zoe, the youngest, is their “miracle baby,” having beaten the odds after being born with a life-threatening disease.

Champion sent 5 volunteers to Savannah to help with the drying and clean-up. Brett Bishop and Jeremy Reets went down Sunday night and worked from Monday at 11 am until 5 am Tuesday. They set air-movers and Tes units to help speed the drying of the paint and drywall. They were worn out when it was all done but they had a great time and got to meet Paul DiMeo, Ed Sanders and Tracy Hutson! On Tuesday evening, Chloe Hudson, Icela Reets and Zach Reets headed to Savannah to assist in the cleanup of the home so that furniture and decorating could go in. They had the privilege of meeting Paula Deen and her husband. They are still cleaning right now so hopefully they can get it all done because...the big reveal is today!

SEE PHOTOS OF THE BUILD

FOLLOW THE BUILD

We've got lots of photos to share with you but we have to get them approved by ABC first so as soon as we do we will be excited to share them!

Hiking the famous Kalalau Trail

If you have ever been to Kauai and are a hiker there's a good chance that you didn't pass up hiking at least some part of the Kalalau Trail. There was no way I was going to miss it. Why fly 4,600 miles and pass it up? But pass it up is what we almost did. We saved the hike for the last day of our trip. We woke up early that day and it was raining like every other morning but you could tell this rain was set in and it sounded like it could rain all day. (The other mornings it would stop by sunrise and didn't do much harm to our plans.) I was thinking I should have listened to my wife who said "You shouldn't wait until the last day, what if it rains?" We went back and forth and ultimately decided to just go for it. The trail in its whole length is 11 miles. We had decided to do the first two miles to Hanakapi`ai beach and then take a two mile spur trail to Hanakapi`ai falls, 8 miles round trip. It was sprinkling as we started on the trail but the it soon stopped as we gained elevation. The start of the trail is very rocky and gradually goes up and then you reach the dirt or in our case the muddy part of the trail. The trail hugs the cliffs for awhile offering views of the coastline and the cliffs ahead. After a few slips and falls and crossing the river for the first time of many, we made it to the beach. The ocean at the beach is very dangerous to swim in and there was actually a sign that was notched every time someone drowned. We took a break and then hit the trail to the falls. Pretty quickly the trail became narrow and muddy.

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What Water Damage Is Covered By Insurance?

Many people often ask "What kind of water damages are covered by insurance?" and I came across the helpful article. It also includes information on how to clean up after a flood to prevent mold...

Many people have no clue as to what types of water damage is covered under their home or business insurance policy. Homeowners and business owners are becoming confused, hearing about mold insurance claims getting denied, and lots of questions arise about water damage to their homes. This article will go on to explain what types of damage is covered by your home insurance or your business policy and what you should do if your house has damage.

What Water Damage will your Home Insurance Policy cover?

Homeowners policies don't cover damages from a flood, you would need to purchase flood insurance if you want to be specifically covered for water damage caused by a flood. Your home insurance policy would pay for damage from rain coming through a hole or a window if the hole had been caused by strong storm winds. But if you have a pipe leaking inside your house that created water damage over time, that wouldn't be covered. It simply comes down to if your water damage was caused by a covered event such as a storm or if the water damage happened because you failed to keep your house repaired which would not be covered. If you are unsure as to what kind of water damage is covered, carefully read through your home insurance policy or call your the company.

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Photography: You can do it, but here are a few tips to remember....

I was recently contacted by an online travel guide company.  They had found a photo that I had taken that I posted online and they wanted to use it in there newest travel guide. Of course I did not get paid for it but I was honored that they chose it and gave me credit for it. I by no means consider myself a "professional" photographer. I have never owned a fancy camera with all the accessories or taken any course on photography. I try to the best with what hardware I have  but I let my passion for the art do the rest.  I have learned many things about photography on my own and sadly there are many thing that I have learned the hard way. I would like to share them and some other tips with you that may help you wether you are take it up as a hobby or to use in your business. (Again, I am not a professional)

1. Take advantage of opportunities -Photography is 24/7, it really is all about timing. I can't count the times that I have said or my wife has said " I/You should have had the camera" No matter what field of work you are in or what recreational activities you enjoy when a opportunity for a good photos presents itself have a camera and start shooting. Look for opportunities that might repeat themselves the next day or at a certain time of the year if you missed it the first time , like a sunset or a winter shot. Keep it in your mind or write it down and catch it the next go round.

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From Jersey Boy to Miami Beach Bum to Georgia Redneck

Champion is proud to announce the arrival of Eddie Resto, our newest water damage technician.  Eddie comes from Jersey originally but moved  to Georgia from Miami (he has along way to go to be a redneck). Eddie comes to us with experience working in the restoration field. He likes to cook and spend time with his family.  He also enjoys baseball, but too bad he's a Yankees fan.

Brett Bishop - Mitigation Supervisor

Spotlight on Brett

This is the first of edition of our Champion Spotlight and this week we are going to take a closer look at Brett Bishop.

Brett is our Mitigation Crew Leader.  He has been with Champion since 1999.  He is probably the one you will talk to if you ever have a water damage in the middle of the night because he handles all of the water emergencies and dispatches crews 24/7.

Now, let's get to know Brett...

What is your favorite snack?  Peanuts 

What is your favorite piece of clothing?  Blue Jeans

 

 What is your favorite word?   Yes - its what I tell my wife all the time

 

 If you had a million dollars how would you spend it?  A house in the mountains in the middle of nowhere

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