Interview with Al Bradham 11-19-08

[Mikey P]

Welcome!

Thanks for joining are ever growing list of Premium Hot Seat Guest here Al.

Let me get some basic Larry King type questions out of the way.


How old are you?
Wife?
Kids?
Dog?
Cat?
Ferret?
Do they work in the biz with you?

How many employees?
How long do they typically stay with you?
Who has been around the longest?
What benefits do you provide?
When will you sell and retire?

What three Mikey Boarders would you take to The Island with you?

 

[bob vawter]

I'm sleepy already.....
am i in the right place...?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

Welcome!

Thanks for joining are ever growing list of Premium Hot Seat Guest here Al.

Let me get some basic Larry King type questions out of the way.


How old are? 52
Wife? One, that's more than enough.
Kids? One beautiful daughter. She is now working in my office.
Dog? White German Shepard
Cat? Heavens, no
Ferret? Too smelly
Do they work in the biz with you? The dog, cat, ferret...no. Wife, no. Daughter, yes

How many employees? 19

How long do they typically stay with you? Manager has been a friend for 32 years, and has worked for me for 13 years. Shortest time of any employee at this time, is 2 years.

Who has been around the longest? Three employees who have been with me 12 to 13 years.

What benefits do you provide? Does my wonderful personality count? Vacation, plus birthday off with pay, all the overtime they want, and assistance with health insurance.

When will you sell and retire? That's what my wife wants to know. I will only sell, or retire, when it is no longer 'fun'.

What three Mikey Boarders would you take to The Island with you?

Steve T., Ivan T., and Bill Y.

 

["The" Al Bradham]

quote="bob vawter"]I'm sleepy already.....[/quote]

Maybe when I have had 40 years in the business under my belt, I will be sleepy too![

 

[bob vawter]

mostly alzheimer's

Hi Al...what do you do.....?

 

[Mikey P]

Those three?


Whoa!

I guess you could collect puka shells and make custom chokers during the long days,,,


here we go!


Being a “Storm Chaser” how do you go about ensuring that you are going to get paid
for your services?

 

[Mikey P]

btw, you sound like you're 22 on the phone.

 

[bob vawter]

so WHAT does Al ....do?

 

[KevinL]

I believe he cleans carpet and does damage restoration.

 

[Mikey P]

WD guy.



and real slow typist.

 

[KevinL]

did Al fall asleep?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

Being a “Storm Chaser” how do you go about ensuring that you are going to get paid
for your services?

That part can be real 'iffy'. The very first storm we chased, we were set up by Chuck Dewalt on a multi-story hotel. We met with management, the owners, and the insurance agent. All agreed on the scope of work, and we got started. Five days later, when we were just about done, the insurance adjuster showed up and informed us that there was no coverage for this loss...due to wind-driven rain. It took sixteen months to get paid less than three quarters of our bill, but we still walked away with $328,000. It is fun watching Chuck Dewalt locked up in a room for fifteen hours while we fought out our case.

Now we have made friends all over the southeast, and mostly know that we will be paid quickly. Truthfully, you can never really be sure. Just align yourself with good people.

 

[Mikey P]

With all the buzz about Heat Drying, do feel it’s just a passing fad or truly an
advancement?

 

[Larry Cobb]

Hi Al;

We're glad your here taking questions tonight.

I would like to know more about how you compare some of large truck-mounted drying systems.

You told me you had just set up a different TM drying system about a year ago.

What type of system would you buy now, if you were setting up a new truck ?

Thanks,

Larry

 

["The" Al Bradham]

With all the buzz about Heat Drying, do feel it’s just a passing fad or truly an
advancement?

I think heat is here to stay. The mechanism for supplying heat is abundant. The training for this type of drying is very limited. I believe a lot of the people who buy this equipment do not realize the ramifications of too much heat for too long of a time.

 

[Mikey P]

What do foresee in the future for the Restoration industry? More Preferred Vendor
type programs or less?

 

[Bryan Irvin]

What are some of the key decisions or choices you made that helped you go from being a little guy to being a big player in the industry.

Bryan

 

["The" Al Bradham]

Hi Al;

We're glad your here taking questions tonight.

I would like to know more about how you compare some of large truck-mounted drying systems.

You told me you had just set up a different TM drying system about a year ago.

What type of system would you buy now, if you were setting up a new truck ?

Thanks,

Larry

Hi Larry....glad you are here.

I am still a very firm believer in desiccant drying. It is the only source of drying that can be performed in hot, or cold, conditions..... Meaning that in some cases, with large buildings, people have to work inside, and you must control not only the humidity, but also the temperature. I talk frequently with Ernie Storer on these conditions. Here in the south, we use a lot of air conditioning along with our desiccant. Heat will dry a building, but at what cost?

 

[Larry B]

How early before a big storm do you start moving?


Whats the longest time you were away from home doing WD work?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

What are some of the key decisions or choices you made that helped you go from being a little guy to being a big player in the industry.

Bryan

Hey, Bryan....

You should know this answer! I am a firm believer in being a friend, and being there when someone needs you. I have always felt that whatever you give out, you will receive back many times over. And I have been very blessed. We do spend many hours at different conventions, buying a few drinks, and making friends. 90% of our out of town comes from the friends we have made. Also, having a very understanding wife really helps!

 

[Mikey P]

With the control that Preferred Vendor programs have over those on them, do you
think such programs are in the best interest of the insured?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

How early before a big storm do you start moving?


Whats the longest time you were away from home doing WD work?

We start packing when we hear a storm is coming, and we normally leave the day of the storm. First come, first served.

The longest time we have been away from home was four months. That was the year that hurricanes just kept hitting Florida. We would finish up from one storm, and another would move in...more work! There was a lot of eating out of tin cans that year.

 

[Larry B]

What do you see as some of the down sides to heat drying?

 

[Mikey P]

Do you feel the Restoration market is shrinking as major insurers sign nationwide
agreements with many Franchises?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

With the control that Preferred Vendor programs have over those on them, do you
think such programs are in the best interest of the insured?

My thoughts are...very little effect. We were on the preferred vendor program with State Farm, and dropped it. They would not allow us to treat our customers the way we felt they should be treated. It had nothing to do with money, and everything to do with service.

We market to our customer base, which is about 5000 every month. We send out cards to our customers, informing them that it is their choice who performs their drying. And, wouldn't you rather have someone you know and trust in your home?

 

[Mikey P]

The longest time we have been away from home was four months. That was the year that hurricanes just kept hitting Florida. We would finish up from one storm, and another would move in...more work! There was a lot of eating out of tin cans that year.

Four months? :shock:

Do you leave staff and equipment at home for local work then?

Any good stories about Motel life?

 

[kmdineen]

What is your opinion of Reets TES.

What is the practical application of the 200,000 or 250,000 TES vs the e-TES?
Will insurance companies pay to monitor this system more than once a day?

Using the exhaust fan to purge the heat and humidity in the ambient air makes sense. What about the ever increasing heat when using dehumidifiers and TES in a closed environment, do you see any problems?

 

["The" Al Bradham]

What do you see as some of the down sides to heat drying?

Damage to home owners contents, if trying to dry the entire house, is one example. In some cases, actually trying to dry too fast is a problem. Working conditions inside the building may not be tolerable. There are many more answers to this question, but I feel these are the main points. And, I am sure there are those who will disagree.

 

["The" Al Bradham]

Do you feel the Restoration market is shrinking as major insurers sign nationwide
agreements with many Franchises?

The smaller drying job, to some degree, have 'dried up'. We used to do the three to five hundred jobs two or three times a week. They are now gone. We have built our reputation on larger, and more complicated, drying tasks. I think that is where we shine. We have just finished drying a four story, 24,000 sq. ft. home. This is the type of work where we show up the franchises, at least here in the Charleston area.

 

[Mikey P]

Offering a services that people don’t have an immediate need for, must create some
difficulty in marketing. How do you do it?