Having been in the restoration business since 1980, Gordon Gamble can count on two things to ensure that a claim is processed smoothly.
“Communication and documentation,” says Gamble, the homegrown entrepreneur who recently acquired PuroClean Canada from its original U.S. owners to create the first Canadian-based and wholly Canadian-owned company. “Those are the two things that rise above all else in importance. You can’t over-communicate, and it is pretty hard to over-document. If you get really good and disciplined in both of those areas, your chances of having a signoff are much, much better.”
Gamble, who had left the restoration industry in 2007 to recharge the batteries, decided to join U.S. franchisor parent company PuroSystems, Inc. in 2008 as the Director of Franchise Development in Canada, opening his first three PuroClean franchises in June, 2009 in Georgetown, Oakville and Markham, Ont. By the end of 2009 it was evident that due to the rapid growth, forming a separate Canadian company was necessary.
On January 1, 2010, a Canadian corporation under the trade name ‘PuroClean Canada,’ began to manage and support all Canadian franchise operations and additional franchises were opened throughout the country. As the President of PuroClean Canada, Gamble helped grow the brand to 31 franchise locations throughout five of the 10 provinces in Canada.
“Coming out of retirement to build a Canadian presence for PuroClean and now to own the company in Canada is very rewarding,” Gamble told Insurance Business. “The acquisition provides PuroClean Canada with a greater ability to be nimble and react to market and industry situations that are unique to Canada, allowing potential for stronger growth.”
With the master franchise license of the PuroClean brand in Canada, the company will maintain day-to-day operations and set strategic direction for the Canadian Market; while at the same time enjoy the sharing of fellowship, best practices and mutual support with the U.S. company, says Gamble.
“Gordon’s incredible passion and belief in the PuroClean brand has brought him to the well-deserved position he’s in today,” says Steve White, president and COO of PuroClean in the United States. “Nobody is more trustworthy or better equipped to lead that growth than Gordon.”
But for Gordon, who has decades of experience in the restoration field, it is the personal relationships between the men and women in the field and the clients standing hip-deep in water that can make or break a company. (continued.)
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“It is amazing how fast our guys develop a relationship with the insured when they walk into a disaster, and there is a lot of vulnerability there,” says Gamble. “If they can show very high levels of respect and care, they will be a long way down the road. What we find is that people just want to know that you care and respect their dwelling and their possessions and their private lives.”
Like other industries, there is the coming exodus of Baby Boomers from the industry, and an active search among Millennials to fill those ranks.
But for Gamble, it isn’t necessarily those with a technical or trades background that makes for a good restoration employee.
“It’s a young man’s game; which may sound strange for a guy who is 60 and is getting back into the game,” laughs Gamble. “And when we are looking to hire, I’m looking for skilled leaders to develop from outside the industry. The restoration business is a great way to develop your relationship and leadership skills. When you are in the middle of a serious CAT, you want those qualities.”
The company currently has a network of 31 franchise offices throughout Canada, but that number is expected to grow in the next five years to 45 or 50, says Gamble. And that growth will include the same mix of mitigation and construction skills that are the hallmark of Canadian restoration companies – as opposed to their American cousins.
“There is a difference between the U.S. and Canadian markets,” says Gamble. “You will have roughly 10 banner groups that operate coasts to coast, with only six in the U.S. We are very homogenized, whereas the U.S. is very decentralized. You won’t see some companies operating out of Florida, for example. And for the most part in the U.S., you will see companies just do mitigation or construction, not both. You have to wear many hats here.”
PuroClean offers fire and water cleanup and restoration services, mold mitigation and remediation, and biohazard cleanup and removal.
