Paul Davis Grows to Meet Increasing Restoration Demand

In 2017, apocalyptic wildfires swept across British Columbia causing devastation to businesses, towns and lives across the province. “The phone literally didn’t stop ringing with calls for help,”says David Porter, president of Paul Davis Fraser Valley. “As soon as areas were declared safe, we dispatched our teams to begin work for affected home and business owners. Some properties experienced scorched walls. Others were filled with ash. Most suffered both smoke and fire damage.”

Then in 2018, Canadians confronted different distress; snowmelt floods and tornadoes. Further, extreme weather is already occurring with frequency this year. Disasters are no longer isolated events striking a few unlucky people: one in three Canadians have experienced a major emergency or disaster that severely disrupted their lives.  

Nature, it seems, has taken it to another level. Nonetheless, Paul Davis is determined to restore order everywhere it finds damage and anytime distressed survivors call for help. To meet rapidly rising demand, the company’s leadership is structuring Paul Davis for growth, aiming to serve more victims, communities and partners with an expanding range of services across more geographies. The multi-faceted expansion is based on a firm foundation of networking, commitment and compassion.

Paul Davis responds rapidly to developing disasters as it simultaneously leverages local advantages – a combination that independent contractors simply can’t equal. Networking is key to that approach. “We’ve built a robust network of partner organizations, experienced experts, seasoned employees, equipment and supplies that enable us to gather resources and rapidly handle damage across large areas and regions,” says Rich Wilson, President of Paul Davis. “Yet we still benefit from local knowledge and community recognition because we have 325 offices across North America. When disaster happens, customers see and work with people they know and trust.”

Paul Davis also bolsters its services and reach with strong backing: it is a subsidiary of FirstService Brands, one of North America’s largest providers of essential property services. FirstService has developed and refined a business model that leverages decentralized platform management while centralizing business planning and sharing of best practices and processes. The parent company also excels at recruiting, training and operating franchises with skilled management and support staff. This broad foundation confirms that Paul Davis is committed for the long-term – a significant asset in an industry infamous for charlatans who descend after disasters to defraud vulnerable home and business owners.

The growth of Paul Davis also feeds off another critical element: compassion for people who are experiencing the worst times of their lives. For employees and leadership, the work is more than a job. It’s a mission that they are passionate about and dedicate long hours to, often including nights, weekends and holidays. It’s a privilege to take extraordinary care of people in need.

To restore homes devastated by fire or flood, Porter and his teams toil around the clock with high efficiency particulate air filters, cleaning solutions and air purifiers, all the while fielding new phone calls from those needing help. “Before you know it,” Porter says, “there’s another disaster coming.” He and his skilled employees along with Paul Davis operations throughout Canada are readier than ever this year.