Metro Atlanta Events for June 2011

June 3rd - 5th:
Spamalot at the Fox Theatre Atlanta

June 4th:
Miranda Lambert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta

June 4th - August 12th:
Flying High Circus at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain

June 7th:
Katy Perry at The Arena At Gwinnett Center in Duluth

June 12th:
Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown Tour at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville

June 15th - 19th:
The Color Purple at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta

June 17th:
Adele at The Tabernacle in Atlanta

June 18th:
Def Leppard with very special guest Heart at Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta

June 24th:
Steve Miller Band at Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta

Champion Is Now A Member of Certified Restoration Team!

Champion is excited to announce that we are now a member of Certified Restoration Team!

What Is Certified Restoration Team?

Certified Restoration Team is a group of contractors that have all been certified to properly restore properties after a water or fire loss.  Did you know that the vast majority of restoration contractors have never been certified and perform substandard work in homes and businesses around the country?  Unfortunately those property owners don’t realize until too late that they have gotten poor quality service.  This can lead to on-going damage, mold growth, bacterial amplification and a generally unhealthy structure.

You can do a lot to prevent these problems by hiring a certified firm.  All of the firms that are a part of Certified Restoration Team must prove their credentials and maintain their certification through Continuing Education.   You can choose a Certified Restoration Team member with confidence because they have the knowhow to fix your property right.

No Certified Restoration Team member pays to be a part of the team and they don’t pay for referrals.  We work cooperatively for the advancement of our industry and the betterment of our customers.  Please support our efforts by recommending CRT to your insurance agent or adjuster.  

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CERTIFIED RESTORATION TEAM

Are Refurbished Mattresses REALLY a Bargain?

In one word, NO.

CBS Atlanta came to Champion Construction Systems, Inc to help investigate refurbished mattresses. I like to save money but these things are not a bargain! Watch tonight at 11pm. Also check www.championcsi.com for details. Click on the Cleaning column. Champion is an IICRC certified company and one of our many services include mattress cleaning. Of course, as you will see tonight. Some things are not worth cleaning.

Icela Reets - Marketing Coordinator

Springtime Trivia

1. How many earthworms does a young robin eat daily?
A. 2 feet of earthworms a day
B. 7 feet of earthworms a day
C. 14 feet of earthworms a day
D. 21 feet of earthworms a day

Click to read more ...

Should I buy Earthquake Insurance?

This following information is from United Policyholders:

The horrific images and aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami should be a call to action for property owners and public officials, and not just in California. There are known (and unknown) faults in the mid west and throughout the United States Use UP's Earthquake Insurance Shopping Guide to compare policies by what they cover and cost "apples to apples." Read our earthquake insurance buying tips for homeowners, and tips for renters to get a clearer understanding of how the policies work. Yes, typical earthquake coverage is expensive for what you get. Most policies don't pay until the loss is more than 15% of your total coverage.Even so, a 15% deductible is a lot less painful than the 100% you'll have to shoulder if you have no insurance at all. (See recent L.A. Times article, "Are you insured for the Big One?")The decision whether or not to buy earthquake insurance is an individual, financial decision. Key factors to research and consider are:

Click to read more ...

CHAMPION IS NOW ON FACEBOOK!

We've gone social!

'Like' our Facebook Page and read safety tips and see what's going on at Champion.

Hope to see you on Facebook!

Gas Saving Tips

The topic of conversation around the "water cooler" is how expensive is gas going to get. We don't have much control over the price, but here are a few tips to help stretch every penny on the gas you do buy.

1. Don't accelerate quickly
2. Don't brake heavily

Click to read more ...

Be Prepared for Hailstorms

Hailstorms are frequent occurrences across the U.S. Most hailstorms occur during either the spring or fall months, are very localized events, and don't cause extensive property damage. However, occasionally hailstones can reach about 1.5 inches in diameter. When this occurs, they can cause significant property damage to cars, windows and siding. When hailstones reach three inches in diameter, they can cause major roof damage.

How to Stay Safe

• Listen to weather updates about hail activity.


• Seek shelter immediately if you are caught outdoors - preferably not under a tree.


• Close drapes, blinds or window shades for protection

Click to read more ...

Be a Chick-Fil-A Insider...

To my fellow Chick-Fil-A Fans...I noticed a flyer inside the CFA at Thomas Crossroads in Sharpsburg about joining their research panel. It sounded interesting to me and so I thought I would share it with you!

Basically, you can become part of their customer research panel called the Chick-Fil-A Champions.  I like the name, don't you? Now according to the flyer you may be invited to the CFA corporate office to provide feedback on new products and services that they are considering offering. The tests will be throughout the year and you might be paid for your participation.  A lot of  'ifs' but I thought it was worth looking into. When else would you ever have the opportunity to share your brilliant insights, eat free Chick-Fil-A and get paid for it?

Here is the website to see if you qualify to be on their panel. www.cfapanel.com There are a limited number of spaces and not everyone qualifies. Let me know if you make the cut!

Icela Reets - Marketing Coordinator

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