CRA in 2011!!

Collectively we are making a difference in the cleaning and restoration industry. Our Association has many benefits that are being enhanced and defined each day. CRA offers education in the form of webinars, industry related training courses, and networking with fellow professionals to help us gain even more knowledge. We encourage you to take part in your industry through conventions, continuing education, informative webinars, and shared knowledge with others.

"With Education Comes Success"

• CRA will begin holding its Annual Membership Meeting at Connections Convention in Las Vegas each year.

• We have created a Marketing and Business development series that will begin in 2011. Webinars will be presented that are designed to help our members and their staff to make the most of their marketing efforts.

• We are also expanding our Webinars to include not only carpet and upholstery cleaning, sales and marketing training but to the fire and water damage restoration field. The webinars will be presented once every other month and feature topics of interest that you select or are current issues that the industry as a whole are facing.

• We have arranged for our CRA member that have volunteered to establish, organize and facilitate 4 face-to-face meetings per year in each the regions of Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego, Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area. These programs will be educations and will be in half-day or all-day formats.

• Other Outreach training programs that are designed to create business relationships for the membership have been scheduled. We have created strategic alliances with several other organizations that highlight the benefits of using CRA members.

• CRA would like to welcome our 4 new Board Members:

Lynsey Camara from PuroClean Home Rescue

O.P. Almaraz from Allied Restoration Services.

Gabe Matthews from Christian Brothers Cleaning & Restoration, Inc

Don Banister from The Garment Restoration Company

CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING TRAINING COURSES!!

Check out CRA's Upcoming Training Courses & Events! www.crassociation.org


Keep updated with CRA's new Marketing and Business Development series by contacting Brandi at brichardson@crassociation.org.

Surfing with Christian Brothers Cleaning & Restoration

Christian Brothers Cleaning & Restoration

Written by Gabe Matthews

Christian Brother Cleaning & Restoration has been in business for 30 years, Mark Matthews (the owner) surfs more than he works and I am trying to be right there behind him. Mexico is our second home due to all the surf. Hobbies include surfing, surfing and surfing. We finally got caught by our office manager when we were putting in our schedules that we were at a "board meeting", surf board that is.

Dean Miller from the Restoration Cleanup Co

Dean Miller - Restoration Clean Up Co

One of Dean's hobbies is Jr. Drag Racing with his daughter Mychele. Mychele is a member of the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing team in Sacramento. She is currently in 5th place in her age group. The last race of the season was November 21st. Dean is always looking for people who have kids ages 8-17 years old who may be interested in joining.

Here is a link to an article about Mychele's sport from last summer.
http://www.danvilleweekly.com/story.php?story_id=6330

Member Resources: White Paper on Corrosive Drywall

Attention Members:
We have a new technical article available on the Members Only section of the website:

White Paper on Corrosive Drywall
Presented by the American Industrial Hygiene Association®

October 10, 2010

Sponsored by the AIHA® Biosafety and Environmental Microbiology Committee, Construction Committee, and Indoor Environmental Quality Committee


Executive Summary:
Contaminated drywall imported from China has been found to emit sulfide vapors, impacting the air quality in tens of thousands of homes as well as in larger buildings. In this White Paper, AIHA summarizes the available science and identifies critical gaps in the current understanding of the problem that must be addressed...

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If you are a member, please log in to the CRA website to download the full White Paper. To view this and other helpful articles, please log in and then select the "Articles" link on the Members Only page.

If you are not currently a member of CRA, please join us for 2011!

Did you know?!

Rick Schutt from Dri: "Ok, Raise your hand if you have zipped lined? Para-sailed? Ridden a motorcycle over 130 miles per hour? Jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and sky dived? Well, he doesn't seem like a thrill seeker, but apparently behind that image we normally see, Rick Schutt of Dri is just that. BUT he's not alone because to his surprise one of the CRA staff members has driven two wheels even faster. Can you guess who?"

Antimicrobial Pesticide Applicator License required in St. Paul Minnesota

Antimicrobial Pesticide Applicator License

St. Paul, Minnesota

This new license is only applicable to Minnesota but we may want to look for similar legislation to come to the West Coast soon. Given the Federal FIFRA regulation currently in place, this is bound to happen...

According to a recent press release in St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced it has updated the Antimicrobial Pesticide Use category of Commercial and Noncommercial Pesticide Applicator Licenses to include indoor mold mitigation and remediation.

To view the press release on the Cleaning and Maintenance Management Online website follow this link: http://www.cmmonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=76336

Examples of pesticide application stated in the release that require an Antimicrobial Pesticide Applicator License include the for-hire application of antimicrobial pesticides during moisture and mold remediation due to flooding, long-term indoor water leaks or below-ground water infiltration; maintenance and cleaning of HVAC systems to control bacteria and mold; and maintenance and cleaning of cooling towers to control bacteria, fungi, algae and mollusks.

According to the release, the Minnesota Pesticide Control Law required that any person in Minnesota applying a pesticide for-hire must obtain a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License from MDA.

The release also noted, to receive this license, an applicator must complete an application and pass certification examination in both the Antimicrobial Pesticide and Core categories, by passing the exams the applicator shows they have met the minimum qualifications to apply antimicrobial pesticides in a legal, effective, safe and environmentally sound manner. Licenses are issued for the calendar year and must be renewed annually.

For more information follow these links:

• http://www.mda.state.mn.us/
  
  
• http://www.mda.state.mn.us/licensing/licensetypes/pesticideapplicator.aspx
  
  
• https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=18B

CRA Members helping to re-build San Bruno

A few weeks ago, a massive gas explosion erupted in San Bruno, after a neighborhood gas pipe ruptured. CRA Members arrived promptly on the scene to help rebuild after the explosion and fire destroyed nearly 50 homes.

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FRSTeam

"FRSTeam has been a main provider for soft goods restoration in San Bruno since the days immediately following the incident. We have worked with restorers and insurance companies to service the homeowners affected by the disaster. Our home office in Hayward moved into Catastrophe mode and ramped up resources to handle the surge of volume. We handled a large volume of claims and maintained all of the service deliverables that our brand is known for. We were extremely proud of the way our staff responded to the needs of the people of San Bruno – helping to put lives back together in that community."

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Anderson Group International

"Anderson Group International has had the privilege to work side by side with P.G. & E. and assist in the rebuild of the San Bruno community. Due to the tremendous loss with the accident in San Bruno, many families have been displaced and are slowly trying to get back to normalcy before the accident happened. AGI is currently working on several homes in the neighborhood of San Bruno with services ranging from smoke and odor remediation and structure cleaning. AGI's focus in San Bruno was to conduct full interior cleaning, with contents and structural needs, roof inspections, foundation inspections and chimney inspections. With strict EPA policies regarding lead based paint handling, AGI has been working in conjunction with Restoration Consultants to develop a protocol in regards to following the EPA policies on lead based paint removal in that area."

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Restoration Management

"When Restoration Management Company arrived to the scene of the San Bruno explosion we immediately began assisting both the homeowners and PG&E in every way possible. RMC’s initial emergency response consisted of providing snacks, waters and lunches for homeowners and other responding agencies. We worked around the clock to set-up of an on-site office and staging area. A dedicated staff was assigned to assist and handle all inquiries which resulted from the San Bruno Explosion. 130+ residences were inspected and cleaned to various degrees. Damage ranged from exterior soot clean-up to complete pack-outs, fire restoration and asbestos abatement. As we continue to assist the victims through this devastating time, we at Restoration Management Company extend our prayers and well wishes to all those affected and the entire San Bruno community."

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Four Star Cleaning and Restoration

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected by the San Bruno explosion and fire, especially those who lost loved ones or sustained injuries. Four Star has been on site the last two days at the relief center donating time and labor to assist, unload donations, distribute relief supplies to needy families..., toys to children and offering our services with victims and our insurance carrier partners." (Posted 9/12/2010)

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CRA extends its condolences to those affected by the explosion and fire.

CRA Members are ready to respond to any catastrophe in the California, Nevada, and Arizona regions. For information on CRA Members in your area, visit the Member Profiles section of the CRA website.

CRA's Newest Members

CRA would like to introduce our newest members:

JoAnn Copperud with RGA Environmental, Inc.
James Milne with On The Spot Restoration
Rob Johnston with West Coast Restoration Services, Inc.
Dave Dahlin with West Coast Restoration Contractors, Inc.
Warren Hart with High Point Salvage
Jack Corry with Puroclean Restoration Services
William Jones with JJR Restoration Inc. DBA ServPro of Chico & Lake Almanor
Tim Kassen with American Technologies, Inc.
Ivan Funes with Restoration Management
Jim Morris with Aptos Carpet Cleaning & Upholstery
Rick Schutt with DRI, Inc.
Ross Driscoll with Driscoll and Driscoll
Tom Contreras with Bewley's Cleaning
Jim Nicholas with FRSTeam
Anthony Youngblood with Quality Clean, LLC
Richard Hooper with All Seasons Restorations, Inc.
Frank Najafi with Aardvark Property Hazard Analysis, Co.



Don't forget, you can search for a cleaning and restoration professional in your area on the Member Profile section of the CRA website.






Thank you to all of our members. We're happy to have you as part of our team!

CRA's Hospitality Event & Connections Convention

The Cleaning and Restoration Association attended the Connections Convention & Trade show at the Las Vegas Hilton from September 29th through October 1st and it was a huge success! We were able to meet with many of our members. The event gave us a chance to talk about improving our industry and to learn more about what our members are passionate about changing in the industry. CRA also held a hospitality event on Thursday, September 30th, where we were able to get together with almost 40 of our members and guests. As a result of Connections Convention, CRA has added 11 new members to the membership list so far. CRA is looking forward to hosting another hospitality event next year.

We want to thank all of you who stopped by the CRA booth. You are an essential part of our association and without you we wouldn't be where we are today.

Hope to see all of you again soon!

CRA Hospitality Event at Connections Convention!

CRA is hosting a hospitality event for our CRA Members who will be attending the Connection Convention. The hospitality event will be held on Thursday evening, please stop by the CRA booth (#301) for more information! We hope to see you there!

Come see us at Connections!

CRA will be exhibiting at Connections Convention & Tradeshow September 29th, 30th & October 1st at Las Vegas Hilton. We will be located at booth #301. We look forward to seeing all of our CRA members at this event!

CRA President on KFBK Talk radio

Leo Grover the President of CRA and the Owner of Pinnacle Emergency Management was interviewed by KFBK Talk Radio regarding the clean-up activities as a result of the gas line explosion in San Bruno, California. When asked about the availability of qualified restoration firms Leo made reference to the Cleaning and Restoration Association and recommended that those property owners that were searching for restoration companies go to CRA's website to locate member firms in their area.

As a result of Leo's reference to the CRA website, one of our members received a call from an investment company and was immediately called out to San Bruno for a major project.

We would like to thank Leo Grover for his continued leadership as the President of CRA.

Students Get Hands-On

CRA training instructor, Steve Marsh, taught an Advanced Upholstery course in Sacramento last month.

Students learned how to professionally clean a variety of fabrics, including silk, natural velvet, crushed velvet, Haitian cotton, rayon, chenille, raw silk, synthetic velvet, wool, linen, mohair, & chintz. With over 14 hours of hands-on practice, students had the opportunity to clean a greater variety of fabrics during this three-day class than most cleaners do in a lifetime.






Check out the Training & Events page of the CRA website for more in-depth classes like this one.

Better Business Bureau investigates air duct cleaning in Northern California

Six air duct cleaning companies in Northern California were investigated by the Better Business Bureau after several complaints were filed against air duct companies for below-average services and high-pressure, misleading sales tactics. Air max III, 1st American Air, DCS Duct Cleaning Services, Elite Aircare, Maximum Aircare, and Pure Air were investigated.

The BBB set up seven investigative appointments for air duct cleanings with these companies. The results of the year-long investigation were that the cleanings performed by these firms were superficial, and the companies did indeed use aggressive tactics to sell unnecessary services and/or equipment.

Read the Sacramento Bee article here: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/01/2926895/beware-of-air-duct-cleaning-offers.html#ixzz0wJUj0aar

CRA Welcomes Four New Members!

Four new members have joined CRA! CRA would like to welcome its most recent new members:

1. Tom Vegter with Mold Away USA (See website)
   
2. Steve Riley with Madsen Kneppers and Associates (See website)
   
3. Timothy McFall with McFall Restoration/Servpro of Medford/Ashland (See website)
   
4. Daniel McFall with Rainbow International of Southern Oregon and Northern California (See website)

Welcome, and please enjoy your membership with CRA!

CRA Members Save $200 per student on CDS class!

CRA members save $200 per student registered for the IICRC Commercial Drying Specialist (CDS) course in Sacramento!

This five-day course will be offered on August 2-6, and will be taught by Jim Holland at Restoration Consultants in Sacramento.

CRA member price: $1,299 per student
Non-member price: $1,499 per student

The Commercial Drying Specialist course teaches damage inspection and evaluation, work flow management, process administration and technical methods of effective and timely drying of commercial, industrial, institutional and complex residential water-damaged structures, systems, and furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE).

Resources for this course include: the current ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration, reference media, scientific, technical and industry resources.

> Click here to download a registration form for this course.

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If you are not a member of CRA yet, join now before the end of the year for its semi-annual price of just $180 (plus a one-time $40 application fee)!
> Find out more about CRA membership here.

Meet the Experts webinar on Monday 7/26!

Steve Marsh of Be Competition Free hosts this upcoming Meet the Experts webinar on Monday, July 26th, from 7:00pm–8:15pm (Pacific time), with special guest Jeff Cross, senior editor of Cleanfax magazine.

This month's topic: The State of the Industry
Jeff Cross will discuss challenges that cleaners are facing through this tough economic climate, where the industry is heading, and statistical information and key marketing advice to help owners and managers build their businesses.

CRA and Be Competition Free members can register for this webinar here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/894378953. Pre-registration is required to participate in this program.

Look forward to the next upcoming Meet the Experts webinars on these dates:

September 13
October 25
December 6

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For questions, please contact Stephanie Pan at span@crassociation.org or (916) 736-1100, ext. 302.

New CRA Website Launched!

The newly redesigned CRA website launched on Tuesday, July 13! Click here to see the new CRA website.

The homepage of the new website features CRA members on a rotating basis. To be included in the featured members section, please send the following to acluck@restcon.com:

1. Company logo (at least 150x150 pixels at 72 dpi)
2. A paragraph about your company (100 word maximum)
3. Photo of your company, building, owner, or something representative of your company.

Take your time looking around, and enjoy the new CRA website and all of its features!

CRA Newsletters Mailed July 2nd!

CRA mailed out our July–August newsletter to members last Friday to update you all on the latest CRA happenings! Contents in the newsletter included:

Featured Articles
"Profit is Not a Sure Thing" by Steve Marsh
"Wind driven rain and Category 3" by Jim Holland

Featured Members on CRA Website
On the soon-to-be launched new CRA website, CRA members will be featured on a rotating basis in a section on the homepage. Send us your information to be included!

WFCA Trade Scholarship Program
Join the WFCA Trade Scholarship Program as a CRA member for $175.00 to receive up to $500 in reimbursements for 50% of any industry-related course fee or convention fee!
> Download the WFCA Trade Scholarship Program application.

Register for Upcoming Courses
Upcoming courses include: Trauma Scene Clean-Up, Commercial Drying Specialist (CDS), Water Restoration Technician (WRT), Advanced Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning (AUC), Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT).
> See course information on the CRA website.

IICRC Standards Special Discount
The IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation is now available to CRA members for just $80 (a $130 retail value). PLUS get a FREE copy of the IICRC S300 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Upholstery Cleaning ($35 value) with your purchase of the S520.
> Download the S520 Special order form.

CRA Member Insurance Program
Warren G. Bender Co. offers CRA members a specialized liability insurance policy that includes pollution coverage. The program is designed exclusively for qualified CRA Members and offers competitive rates and additional discounts for CRA Select Member Program participants.
> Read more about the CRA member insurance program.

The CRA July–August newsletter was created with the help of CRA Associate Member, Chemical Technologies International Inc.

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Visit the CRA website, or contact Stephanie Pan at span@crassociation.org for more information on topics included in the July–August CRA newsletter.

Welcome new CRA members!

CRA welcomes our most recent members:

Sarah McNelly with Rainbow International of Sacramento
Rainbow International specializes in water mitigation, fire restoration, mold remediation, and carpet, upholstery, drapery and hard surface (tile and grout) cleaning services. See more about Rainbow International of Sacramento here.

Gary Taylor with Taylor Renovations
Taylor Renovation & Construction is a three-generation, family owned and operated insurance restoration company. See more about Taylor Renovations here.

Tim Jeter with First General Fire & Flood
First General Fire & Flood Restoration Inc. is a corporation specializing in providing full emergency and repair services for fire & flood damaged structures, residential and small commercial buildings. See more about First General Fire & Flood Restoration here.

Welcome to all of you, and enjoy your membership with CRA!

Upcoming Course (July 13-16): Trauma Scene Clean-Up

Today is the last day for an early-registration discount for the Trauma Scene Clean-Up course coming up on July 13-16! Prices are going up to $1,495 for regular non-member registration.

However, CRA members can still register for the exclusive CRA price of just $1,195!

Trauma Scene Clean-Up
July 13-16
Abatix Corp, Los Angeles, CA
Instructor: Kent Burg

This 4-day course starts with an introduction to microbiology and pathogens. Instructor, Mr. Kent Berg, will take you through every aspect of decontaminating a crime, accident and decomposition scene. The hands-on portion of this course includes simulated house scenarios that are contaminated with animal blood, tissue, odors, maggots and police chemicals. Between the technical classroom material and the realistic hands-on training, you will get the experience you need to confidently handle most any scene.

A certificate and wallet card are awarded to graduates, and Continuing Education Units (or CEU's) are awarded from the IICRC and the Restoration Industry Association (RIA). NIDS training meets and exceeds the requirements of the American BioRecovery Association (ABRA), therefore, students who pass the final exam will also be awarded a “BioRecovery Technician” certification from ABRA - the Nationally-recognized standard in crime and trauma scene decontamination.

If you are going to invest in training, choose the course that is the most comprehensive AND awards you ABRA certification! This course includes a 200-page full-color training manual for you to keep.

Download the registration form here: http://www.crassociation.org/CRA-tsc2010LA.pdf

Reminder - Combined Claims Conference April 5-7

Are you planning on attending the 22nd Annual Combined Claims Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center April 5th-7th, 2010? this is a unique opportunity to network with hundreds of insurance professionals and insurance service experts. There will also be top notch educational sessions throughout the conference. For more information, please visit their website ar www.combinedclaims.com or give them a call at 888-811-6930

See you there!

New CRA Membership Services Coordinator

Stephanie Pan Joins CRA as the Membership Services Coordinator

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The Cleaning and Restoration Association (CRA) announced that they have come to an agreement that will allow CRA to continue its membership growth and to promote the CRA sponsored educational programs and seminars. Stephanie Pan will become CRA’s Business Development and Membership Services Coordinator. She will be responsible for membership development and communication; CRA Select Member program promotion; educational program marketing and industry communication. Stephanie has a B.A. in Graphic Design and a B.A. in Communication from the University of California, Davis. Prior to accepting this position she was the Commuication and Public Outreach intern for The California Museum.

According to CRA’s Executive Director, Jim Holland, this will allow CRA to continue its current rate of growth and provide additional resources to the membership. CRA began one year ago and now has almost 100 members in the California, Nevada and Arizona region.

Connections Conference - Clearwater Beach, Florida

A Program Specifically Designed to Help Your Company Strive, Succeed and Specialize in Sectors of the Market That Will Set You Apart From Your Competition!

The economy may be down, but competition is UP! In today's market it is more important than ever to stay up-to-date with the very best tools and information available to the cleaning, restoration and remediation professional. Connections has geared this year's program to help companies just like yours grow and thrive during these current difficult economic times, with the industry's best technical education program and the industry's leading exhibition featuring today's hottest companies, products and services.

If you're part of the cleaning and restoration industry the Connections Conference and Exhibition is one technical event you can't afford to miss. This conference is specifically designed for cleaners, restorers and remediators who are looking for that competitive edge ... seeking new research and useful tools to help distance their company from the competition.

The Connections Conference sets itself apart from all the others by bringing the industry together in a technical educational format that covers - in detail - cleaning, restoration, remediation, management, marketing, and more. The information you leave this conference with will allow you to know, in advance, what lies ahead for our industry. We'll give you the education and skills you need to change the way you currently do business and to prepare your company to thrive in any economy.

2010 is the start of a new decade and a great opportunity to grow your business. Start this decade the right way - Get CONNECTED!

Featured speakers for this year’s event include:
• KEYNOTE: Gary Ryan Blair, Everything Counts!
• KEYNOTE: Steve Ashkin, The Ashkin Group, LLC
• Gene Cole, MPhd, Brigham Young University
• Mickey Lee, Munters
• Jim Holland, Restoration Consultants
• Howard Partridge, Phenomenal Products
• Kent Berg, Institute of Decontamination Specialist
• Eugene Peterson, Advise and Consult, Inc.
• Bill Yeadon, JonDon
• Mark Warner, Enviro-Solution
• Larry Carlson, Phoenix Restoration
• Sam DeAth, Benefect ... And many more!

For more information: http://www.connectionsconvention.org/cnx_confer.html

Upcoming specialty courses

Just to let ever one know.

We have just scheduled the new IICRC Commercial Drying Specialist course for this summer. We will also have the ABRA Trauma Scene Cleanup course scheduled as well.

Stay tuned for more CRA Insights

E-Waste Disposal

I had a caller that asked me a very interesting question. Is it appropriate for restorers to charge for E-waste disposal of total loss electronics? I know that in some areas there are firms that pick up E-waste at no cost to the company. In other areas that might not be the case. I would assume that as long as you get a receipt from the disposal company that you could pass on the cost. Regardless, we should be environmentally responsible when considering disposal.

Welcome to the CRA Insights Blog

We have developed this blog to provide our membership and other interested industry participants with some insight into what goes on in the CRA office on a daily basis. Also, we intend to use the Blog to provide you with industry tidbits. There will be several authors including Jennifer, John Banta and myself. Occasionally we will have comments from the Officers of CRA and we will try to highlight our members as time permits.

Jim Holland