Betting Big on Survival: How One Restoration Leader Risked It All

When opportunity knocks in the restoration industry, it doesn’t often wait for careful planning or a comfortable cushion. Sometimes, it arrives in the form of disaster, and the choice is stark: Stay safe, or go all in.

For Randy Mount, president of Ram Restoration and several sister companies, that choice came in 2022 after Hurricane Ian devastated Florida.

Mount had built his business on a steady, modest scale. Headquartered near Dayton, Ohio, Ram Restoration typically handled projects within a 50-mile radius at an average of US$10,000—with an occasional “big” job at $50,000.

“We never worked outside our region,” Mount recalled. “I was focused on one job at a time.”

That changed overnight when a friend’s fiancée, unable to find contractors, asked for help repairing her storm-ravaged home on a private island in Florida.

A million-dollar gamble

Mount didn’t hesitate. He loaded three trucks, gathered 12 workers, and headed south. But during the 20-hour drive, he began to think bigger. Phone calls led to unexpected contracts worth millions. By the time he arrived, he had committed to far more than one house.

“I emptied the bank accounts,” he admitted. “We had a healthy savings we were setting aside for retirement—and I spent $1.2 million in six hours.”

His wife, who managed the payroll and finances, noticed the withdrawals immediately.

“She called me and said, ‘I love you, but I sure hope you know what you’re doing.’ She didn’t say stop, just, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’”

That leap of faith quickly escalated. Within days, Mount and his crew weren’t just tackling one property; they were repairing 76 luxury homes, 280 condos, and multiple shopping centers. To keep up, he scaled from 15 employees to 180 in 72 hours. The only way onto the island was by barge, and the conditions were grueling: no running water, long drives to find gas or groceries, and 18-hour days—seven days a week.

Six months with no paycheck

Mount’s company worked for six months without receiving a single payment. Credit cards maxed out, banks refusing loans, he borrowed $3 million in costly private financing just to stay afloat.

“Everything that could hit you, hit you,” he said. “We were working on faith we’d get paid.”

Finally, after half a year of relentless work, the first checks arrived—large enough to pay off debts, replenish accounts, and even put his company on a new trajectory. What had once been a $2 million annual operation ballooned into $36 million.

“People say I got lucky,” Mount said. “There was no luck. It was risk, resilience, and refusal to quit.”

Building resilience through innovation

Mount’s gamble didn’t just reshape his business; it expanded his vision. Today, Ram Restoration has a permanent presence in Florida, alongside his other ventures, including plumbing, construction, and Extreme Microbial Technologies. With over 17 patents, Mount has spent the last decade advancing mold remediation and microbial reduction technologies for sensitized individuals.

“I’ve never accepted ‘this is how it’s done’ as an answer,” he said. “Just because something’s been done the same way since 1942 doesn’t mean it can’t be done better.”

That mindset, born of necessity and sharpened by innovation, continues to drive his companies forward.

No quit, no regrets

Looking back, Mount admits the experience tested him physically, financially, and emotionally.

“It took sacrifices from my family, and there were plenty of nights I asked myself, ‘What am I doing?’” But he also knows the gamble was worth it. “I never quit anything,” he said. “That’s my driving force. Refuse to quit, and you’ll find a way through.”

If given the chance to do it all over again, would he make the same decision? Mount doesn’t hesitate: “Yes.”