Champion's Company Luau 2010

SEE MORE PICNIC PHOTOS!

On June 5th, 2010 Joel & Kathy Reets hosted Champion’s Annual Company Picnic. As always, everyone had a great time. This year we decided to have a luau since so many of us had recently gone to Hawaii and were still pining to be there! The luau was held at Joel & Kathy’s Lake House on Clearwater Lake in Sharpsburg.  The food was great! We had traditional luau favorites including roasted pig (we ordered it from Williams Brothers Bar-B-Q in Douglasville...it was delicious and we didn't even have to dig a hole), tropical rice pilaf, baked plantains, Tropical salad with baby romaine, pineapple, macadamia nuts, bacon and coconut with a delicious tropical vinaigrette dressing & coconut cream and key lime pies for dessert! One thing everyone really enjoyed at the luau was the Hawaiian Shaved Ice! We hired Jump 2 It Party Rentals in Peachtree City and they provided everything we needed for all-you-can-eat shaved ice fun! We're not sure who ate the most but I think a few people tried all 11 flavors!

In addition to swimming, fishing, basketball, and horseshoes, there were plenty of fun games going on throughout the day. These included a Tacky Tourist Relay and Champion’s own version of “Minute To Win It”. Click here to see the photos! We were also treated to pontoon boat rides around the lake which was very relaxing. It really was a great day and can't wait until next year! We are already trying to come up with a theme for next year. If you have any ideas, please share your comments!

Summer Bishop - Marketing Support

Safety Is No Game!

Here at Champion, at the end of the work day we always get a safety tip and a bingo number. The bingo winner gets however much money has accumulated during consecutive accident free work days. Of course the employees who have access to these safety tips via e-mail are those who are exposed to such inner-office dangers as: being near an open doorway at or around 5pm. I once saw 3 employees all enter the time clock room at once, becoming lodged in the doorway. This is known as the 3 stooges effect. Very dangerous, and threatening to accumulated bingo stipends. The biscuit lunge, especially seen at crowded business meetings has accounted for fully one-third of all injuries in the boardroom. (Year end reviews account for the other two-thirds). Staring out the window for long periods of time has been linked to a certain eye condition often times associated with slumber, (which has been linked to unemployment). Leaving popcorn in the microwave unattended has always been a pet peave of mine, and it really compromises the air quality standards as established by Ga Air Safety Protocal (GASP). With all these hazards, maybe we should re-think Safety Bingo, because safety, my friend is no game.

Keith Barnhart - Estimator

My Favorite Vendors

As the Marketing Support person, I have the fun job of ordering all marketing supplies for Champion. This is part of my job that I really enjoy as long as I have good companies to work with. If the company turns out to be no good - that can can really make my job difficult and stressful. Over the past eight years of working at Champion I have tried many different companies and here are a few of my favorites. These are companies that have a simple ordering process, great customer service, great prices, fast turn-around and are quick to handle any issues we have with the product. I hope this list of vendors will help anyone out there to avoid any unscrupulous companies.

My all time favorite printer: http://www.printingforless.com/ This company is AWESOME! I have been using them exclusively for about 3 years for all of Champion's business cards, brochures, folders, etc. They print pretty much anything. They are located in Montana but you would never know it. Their customer service makes you feel like they are right next door. They even send goodies from time to time to thank us for our loyal service. Out of everything they've printed for us over the years, we have only had a couple of issues and they fixed them quickly for no charge.

Best Marketing Giveaways:

Click to read more ...

Meet Champion's New Marketing Rep

SuAnne Evans has joined Champion Construction Services as our newest Marketing Representative. She is a native of Atlanta, and a graduate of The University of Georgia. SuAnne is married to Craig Evans, and has two children, Scott and Shelly. Her background includes real estate sales for Prudential, pharmaceutical sales for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, and Territory Mangager for Revlon, Inc.

SuAnne is very excited about this new opportunity and is looking forward to meeting all of you!

Should I Be Concerned About Lead Poisoning During a Renovation Job?

Should I Be Concerned About Lead Poisoning During a Renovation Job?

If your home was built before 1978 there is a good chance that the paint on the walls has lead in it. Lead is a toxic metal that was commonly used in paints manufactured before that date. In fact, the older a home is, the chances that lead is in the paint are even greater. The EPA has a saying, "Lead paint comes with a lifetime guarantee. It'll do damage for generations.""What's on your walls?" That's the EPA slogan. If you have a newer home, you have no worries. But if your home was built prior to 1978, and you have remodeling to be done, your paint should be tested for lead. This is especially important if there are children living in the home. Children under 6 years of age are highly susceptible to lead-based poisoning. In fact, some pediatricians routinely test the children under their care for lead in their system. It is a serious matter since lead-poisoning can cause brain damage.

Click to read more ...

Champion Cleaning Systems on Facebook

Exciting News!- Champion Cleaning Systems is now on Facebook!
Please visit us and become a fan. Don't forget about spring cleaning-
Our new Area rug cleaning videos are now on our site- Please visit and let us know how you like them.

Linda Minardi - Inside Sales

Spring Cleaning

Spring is in the air! Trees are starting to bloom.....the sun is shining...and oh my! I need to do a spring cleaning! Right now is a good time to think about cleaning your area rugs, they need to be freshened up just like the rest of the house. Did you know that Champion has a special Area Rug Bath that is designed to professionally clean Area rugs?

We have recently added a new series of videos explaining the special process of cleaning area rugs. Please visit our site at www.championcleaningsystems.com
You can watch how the experts will take special care of your area rugs.

Linda Minardi - Cleaning Department Manager

Insurance Restoration: Green Remodeling

Most of us with existing homes are probably not working on plans to sell our homes and build an award-winning Green home. I'm just saying! However, many of us will experience some type of loss at our home that will require remodeling repairs. Others may be planning a remodel of an existing room. In either case you can still THINK GREEN!

What many people fail to understand about Green building is that it is an environmental effort, both within the home and outside. The effort is to lessen the impact on energy & the environment while increasing the quality of life inside the home. Some efforts include better insulation, use of products with recycled content, use of items which do not give off volatile organic compounds, energy efficient appliances & lighting, etc. I encourage you to research the many options available to you to improve the quality of life within your home, one room at a time.

And, lest I forget, you may want to check with your insurance agent in the near future. Some (i.e. Chubb, Travelers, Fireman's Fund, etc.) are now offering Green Upgrade policies which will allow you to upgrade to Green products if you experience a insurance loss to your home.

Jerry Quarles - Estimator

Superbowl 44 - Congrats New Orleans Saints

If you are a New Orleans Saints fan, elation doesn't quite sum up your feelings after last night's game. We've got a couple of Who Dat's here at Champion and their feet don't seem to be touching the ground today. I'm happy for them, though I was cheering for the Colts to win. Regardless of who you were rooting for, there are definite actions which were keys to last night's victory.

1. Preparation: Both teams were well-prepared. They studied films from their opponents previous games and looked for weakness to exploit and tendencies that might reveal what plays might be called in various situations. Then they developed their own plan designed to take advantage of what they observed.

2. Practice: There is no substitute for practicing your art, whether it be playing a musical instrument, driving a race car or playing a team sport. Practice makes perfect. The goal is to execute your art without even thinking about the multitude of processes that make up each action.

3. Execution: Everything boils down to execution. Although preparation and practice are vital, making it happen when it counts is all that matters. This is where all the hard work pays off. The "thrill of victory" or the "agony of defeat".

I watched the game with a group of friends last night, a mix of fans for both teams. There was trash talk to be sure, but, in the end, the Colts fell short. The Saints proved to be the superior team, having executed their game plan perfectly. All of their hard work culminating in a Superbowl win, the ultimate goal of every kid who ever played the game of football. I hope the city of New Orleans survives the celebration!

I, personally, now look forward to Superbowl 45, in which I hope a certain team named the Atlanta Falcons will have the opportunity to enjoy the sweet taste of victory that the Saints are currently experiencing.

Jerry Quarles - Estimator

Water Damage Restoration - What's In a Name - Part II

Part II - Yesterday in 'What's In a Name' we explored the most common customer last names that Champion has had the privilege to work for over the last decade, and SMITH took the prize. On the flip side, our customers communicate with a number of Champion employees throughout their project, and keeping all of us straight can no doubt be a challenge especially considering we have a Gary, a Jerry, a Larry, a Mary, and a Jeremy. Not to mention an M. Brown and M. Smith.

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager