When disaster strikes, whether on a large, national scale or a closer-to-home repair is needed, these franchises are on standby
By Stefanie Ucci
911 Restoration
Budding entrepreneurs with an empathetic spirit and clear communication skills can find a warm home in the 911 Restoration brand. With a slogan like “The Fresh Start Company,” it’s clear that this franchise always puts its people first.
“We operate with the mentality that ‘we hope we won’t have to work with you’ [due to disaster], but if we do, we strive to treat customers with empathy while providing them a fresh start,” says Idan Shpizear, founder and president of 911 Restoration.
Shpizear’s journey with the brand began in 2003 shortly after moving to the U.S. from Israel. His first job in the restoration industry was at a carpet cleaning business that he took ownership of within just one year. From there, Shpizear founded 911 Restoration, and the rest is history.
911 Restoration began as a single-location water, fire, sewage, and mold restoration and remediation concept in Van Nuys, California. It became a franchise in 2007 and today supports 110 franchise owners across 325 territories in the U.S. and five franchisees in Canada, explains Shpizear. At head office, the corporate team has more than 35 employees and a strong, female-led executive team.
It’s a tight-knit team, but one that puts care above all else. “Our franchisees are more than just a number to us. Recently, our team made the decision to cap our total number of franchisees at 450 over the next five years to ensure we provide each one with personalized, exclusive, and tailored support,” says Shpizear.
The 911 Restoration brand is well positioned in a recession-resistant industry. “We’re living in a period of rapid weather change and natural disasters, which, though unfortunate, will continue to drive a strong demand for restoration services that are not always tied to the state of the economy,” notes Shpizear. “When something breaks or gets damaged—whether by water, fire, or mold—it needs immediate care. That’s where the opportunity lies for prospective franchisees, as demand for jobs will rarely be scarce.”
The 911 Restoration team looks for franchisees who are aligned with the company’s culture of empathy and a human-first approach to service. “It’s hard to teach empathy and care, but it’s easy for us to teach the hard skills that come with an industry like restoration,” says Shpizear. “This mindset, combined with a business development background, helps set franchisees up for success in their communities.”
Learn more about franchising with 911 Restoration
PuroClean
It’s all about customer service at PuroClean, where restoration experts provide an unmatched experience to clients who have experienced property damage. It’s a company that, like others featured in this article and like so many across the country, truly puts caring for its people first.
At a time when restoration services are so imperative and the world is seeing more damage caused by weather and natural disasters, a franchise in this industry is an opportunity to provide a service that many people may not even know exists. “They don’t know how to deal with it. So, if they don’t deal with it properly, they can actually make it worse. Our standards are the highest level of service we can provide,” says Joe Pietras, owner/operator of four PuroClean franchise locations, three of which serve the Calgary market.
Based in Alberta, Pietras owns a location in Lethbridge which he opened in 2010. A few years later in 2016, he had the opportunity to also acquire the Calgary locations, which he co-owns with business partner, Curtis Quinton.
As someone who has grown up around franchising his entire life (Pietras’ family owned several franchises in Manitoba, where he worked in his youth), becoming a franchisee in his adult years just made sense. Thanks to a franchise consultant who helped him investigate a couple of businesses based on his personality traits, Pietras found PuroClean. It was an excellent opportunity to continue what he was already so good at: solving problems and helping people.
“Being part of a franchise network always seems to provide better service levels,” says Pietras. “What makes PuroClean stand out is our DNA: we don’t just cut and tear a client’s property—we are true restorers, and we look at projects in a way that is beneficial to them, both from a time and cost perspective.”
He explains that the ideal PuroClean franchisee is someone who understands that, while their restorations are top-notch, exceptional and relentless customer service is the true benefit that they’re actually selling. “In our industry, everyone has the same style of equipment and is run by industry standards,” he says. “But [someone who understands] that our brand means something and we’re there to provide an exceptional experience is truly the perfect franchise owner for us.”
His advice for success, regardless of company or industry, is to make sure you have a full understanding of your disclosure documents, so you don’t encounter any surprises. And look at the franchise network’s corporate model. “Some are a little less hands-on and can make franchise owners feel more like a number, and others actually make you feel like family,” says Pietras. “I highly recommend going after the ones that make you feel like family.”
SERVPRO
When disaster hits, the pros are always ready. Operating with the tagline “Like it never even happened,” SERVPRO’s size and scale are unmatched.
With more than 2,200 locations in Canada and the U.S., the SERVPRO brand strives to help each and every customer by bringing their tagline to life—making the aftermath of catastrophic events like they never happened.
“It is an unfortunate reality that weather can damage our communities, homes, and businesses, and we feel like we are doing what we can to help people take back that control when they are involved in some type of weather-related disaster,” says Brian Voss, senior vice president and chief franchise operating officer.
Voss joined the SERVPRO team in 2021 as a military veteran and experienced franchise operations executive. He notes that he immediately felt drawn to the mission and purpose of the brand, owning the privilege to be part of the effort to help expand across Canada. Having entered the Canadian market more than 10 years ago, growth has been steady for SERVPRO, and there is an excellent opportunity to expand this growing brand.
When large-scale disasters hit, SERVPRO crews are the folks who hit the ground running when it’s time to clean up the aftermath of devastating events. While millions of people watch from afar on social media, SERVPRO teams are on the scene to help clean up real-life events, like Hurricane Helene that recently destroyed communities across Florida and the southern U.S. “SERVPRO has a national storm network that can be activated after significant events,” explains Voss. “This network allows for the exchange of critical information between our teams and gives any franchisee—no matter where they are based—the opportunity to join the storm effort and begin cleanup.”
Franchisees who invest in SERVPRO have the opportunity to provide very rewarding work that helps serve the communities they live in, adds Voss. Their teams are available 24/7 to respond to both residential and commercial property damage. Franchise owners benefit from comprehensive operating systems, training facilities, and continuous professional development, equipment support, an on-site meteorologist, professional cleaning supplies, and of course, a strong brand name.
“The SERVPRO network works together to ensure that no job is too big or too small. No matter the size of the disaster, commercial or residential, SERVPRO can help bring your property back to its pre-loss condition,” says Voss.
