How Do You Start Your Day?

Did my alarm really go off already?  Man it's hard to get going in the morning sometimes (OK for some of you maybe all of the time).  I really like the following advice from a personal trainer on 3 things to do each day to start your day out successfully:
1) STRETCH - take a few moments to stretch your body, arms, legs - get your blood flowing and your muscles warmed up
2) BREAKFAST - take the time to eat a healthy breakfast - the most important meal of the day
3) PUNCTUALITY - be ON TIME to your first appointment of the day whatever that may be.

What do you think?  Are you willing to give the big 3 a try?  Let us know if they work for you?

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager

What's In a Name - Part III of III

Part III - Previously in 'what's in a name' we explored the most common customer last names that we have had the pleasure of working for, and we explored the similarities of the employee names we have at our company.

A few months before my son was born in March of this year, I was ready to reveal to my co-workers the NAME my wife and I had chosen for him.  I put the first letter of his name 'A' with 4 spaces following on our erase board in our conference room and asked everyone to write down their guesses on the board.  It was absolutely amazing to see how many legitimate guesses they were actually able to come up with (see attached picture - click on it to enlarge it).  And much to my surprise one of the guesses was actually correct.  ANSON came into the world safely on March 8th, 2010.  Thanks again for playing everyone.  Wow there are thousands and thousands of names out there.

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager

Summer Fun! Grillin' & Chillin' !!SAFELY!!

This time of year the backyard grill really gets a workout! Although these tips are of course GREAT for any season you happen to be grilling. Please enjoy the link, it even has pictures, and have a GREAT and SAFE summer!

http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/SafetyGuide/sg_grilling_w001.asp

Peter Kanavas - Contents Department Manager

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!

Grilling Safety Trivia

1. Do more home fires result from gas or charcoal grills?

The correct answer is gas grills. Although gas grills are used roughly 1.5 times as often as charcoal grills, they are involved in five times as many fires. Fire hazards are greater when a flammable or combustible gas or liquid is involved.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: The lid should always be open when lighting a gas grill.

The correct answer is “TRUE”. Always keep the lid open to prevent a flash-off from gas buildup.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: When lighting a gas grill, you should always start with the burner on high.

Click to read more ...

Grilling Safety Tips

Summer Fire Facts

Barbecue grills caused about 900 home fires and 3,500 outdoor fires in 2002.

Half of all grill-related home fires begin on a balcony or unenclosed porch.

More U.S. fires are reported on the 4th of July than on any other day. Fireworks account for half of those fires.

In 2004, fireworks started about 1,600 structure fires.

The tip of a sparkler burns at more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit-hot enough to cause third-degree burns.

Click to read more ...

Planning For Pet Disaster Needs

Today much emphasis is put on planning ahead for disasters. Many families now have disaster supply kits, escape plans and emergency contacts prepared in case of an emergency. But what about the furry members of our families (or feathered or scaley in some cases)? Do you know what you would do with your pet if a disaster struck your area?

Here are some helpful tips from FEMA...

Identify Shelter:

Click to read more ...

Fire Extinguisher Safety

Being prepared and able to fight small fires can prevent massive fire damage and save you the need for fire and smoke restoration services.

Before considering fighting any fire there are a few things that you should know.

Click to read more ...

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

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

Part I - One of the 'little things' that makes our industry and our jobs intriguing is that our customers are individual homeowners, so we have come across thousands of different first names, last names, and combinations of names. Of course, we all know some of the most common last names. Over the length of more than a decade having assisted thousands of people, these are Champion's most common customer names: Anderson 23 times, Moore 31 times, Brown 33 times, Jones 38 times, Williams 48 times (did you know that one was common?), Johnson 50 times, and the winner is Smith 70 times.

Greg Ahlstrom