Episode 672| August 19, 2022 | 12:00 PM EST
Joining Forces
Tom Peter, MS, CIH, Senior Vice President – Regulatory Business Practice
Trent Darden, Senior Vice President – Operations, US East at FIRST ONSITE
Joining Forces
This week we welcomed Tom Peter and Trent Darden for a show we titled Joining Forces. Trent and Tom are part of the management team at First Onsite. Both have unique skills and experience that our audience benefited hearing about.
Nuggets mined from today’s episode:
Coincidentally, both Trent Darden and Tom Peter each have 20 years of disaster restoration experience.
Tom’s office is currently receiving 5-8 calls per day for COVID disinfection services. His firm performs this work according to New Jersey State protocols. The protocol specifies that areas be isolated, cleaned and disinfected prior to re-occupancy.
COVID raised awareness of indoor environmental quality in schools.
Tom, relies on the TOMI SteraMist for sensitive environments such as pharmaceutical and opines that SteraMist is overkill for mold or COVID.
ATP is used by some First Onsite offices for internal quality control purposes. Tom is critical of mold removal clearance based solely upon air sampling. Tom is an advocate for using 3rd party IHs or IEPs to do clearance.
Post Remediation Clearance is a temporary condition.
According to Tom, the COVID relief funding aimed at improving HVAC systems in schools was spent on other things.
While CO² monitoring and portable air cleaners are being used in Canada to measure and improve IEQ in schools, Tom hasn’t encountered this among his clients. Tom is aware of one college that is using a UV Robot to disinfect rooms.
Tom is an advocate of source removal HVAC system cleaning.
Consolidation of the industry:
Why is the cleaning and restoration industry consolidating? Drivers include: opportunity to join forces with like-mined others, provide greater growth opportunities for staff, expand customer service, expand spheres of business influence nationally and internationally, allow owners to take chips off the table.
Disaster restoration is a reactive business.
Opportunities for cross training occur when different offices work jointly on projects. For employee training First Onsite relies upon both inhouse and contracted subject matter experts.
Change Management
“Change management is defined as the methods and manners in which a company describes and implements change within both its internal and external processes. This includes preparing and supporting employees, establishing the necessary steps for change, and monitoring pre- and post-change activities to ensure successful implementation.
Significant organizational change can be challenging. It often requires many levels of cooperation and may involve different independent entities within an organization. Developing a structured approach to change is critical to help ensure a beneficial transition while mitigating disruption.
Changes usually fail for human reasons: the promoters of the change did not attend to the healthy, real and predictable reactions of normal people to disturbance of their routines. Effective communication is one of the most important success factors for effective change management. All involved individuals must understand the progress through the various stages and see results as the change cascades.” Source
https://asq.org/quality-resources/change-management
Infection Control Risk Assessment. Rolyn was a pioneer in providing a variety specialty services to healthcare facilities.
According to Trent, ICRA 2.0 is focused on reducing airborne particulate.
https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/43 ... ment-guide
Most of First Onsite's wildfire work is commercial, institutional or industrial.
Logistics-
First Onsite has many offices along the gulf coast. A reactionary business which needs to mobilize to the storm. Adjust and refocus assets. Try to proactively manage as much as possible. Learn from each storm. Limited equipment available for purchase and rental. Having more people on the bench, is a huge asset for First Onsite.
First Onsite's Promise: Be the only partner you’ll ever need.
Armor Process is the combination of deep cleaning and disinfection with a residual antimicrobial aftertreatment.
Facility Hygiene is a concept of a health indoor environment. Considering the interior of facility from a cleanliness perspective holistically.
Roundup-
For contractors who are interested in becoming part of something bigger, Trent Darden advises to take a deep dive into your financials. Don’t make the employees nervous by prematurely revealing your intentions. It is better to talk to the staff in general terms about industry happenings.
Tom Peter’s company was 35 years old, financially strong, with a strong client base. The review and acquisition process is grueling,
With Global Restoration Watchdog, Pete Consigli.
• Reminiscent of the FRAM oil filter commercial, “pay me now or pay me later”. Mike Guinness, a New Jersey based safety and indoor environmental quality consultant whose business peaks late every summer due to mold blooms in schools. When will schools ever learn? These mold problems in schools are preventable by operating the HVAC systems to run all summer.
• Rollups are a sign of a maturing industry. Many RIA members have profited from rollups. Rollups are good for the industry: provide exit mechanism for industry veterans who run successful businesses, growth opportunities for employees, etc. Strong competition keeps the players on their toes.
• Pete sees the Coke and Pepsi challenge to be between First Onsite and Belfor the Global Leader.
• Its hard for little guys to go it alone.
Z-Man signing off
Trivia:
Name the term for the business strategy of acquiring and merging multiple smaller companies within the same industry and combining them into a large company?
Answer:
Rollup Answered by: Don Weekes, 1073 Borden Side Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2C 3P3