2020 Restoration Industry Leaders Review: Master Restoration
Jarrett Dixon, owner of Master Restoration in Clearwater, Fla., has been in the industry for 18 years, but what drew him to start his own company 11 years ago wasn’t a desire for profits or independence, it was a call to put serving the community above everything else. “The previous companies I had worked for cared more about the monetary reward than actually helping those impacted by the unexpected,” says Jarrett. “Our mission statement is to be a servant leader to our community.”
Putting service first
Dixon started Master Restoration in 2009 to challenge the status quo and change the industry. Having done missionary work earlier in his life, Jarrett struggled when working for some employers with a business philosophy that valued profits over people. A desire to do things differently drives the business model for Master Restoration. Jarrett says his company is constantly evaluating their practices to improve efficiency and the customer experience. When it comes to the focus on service, Master Restoration puts its money where its mission statement is. “We are the only restoration company I’m aware of that, if the customer’s insurance claim is denied, we don’t charge them anything and will still complete the emergency service at no charge to the property owner,” reports Jarrett.
That kind of customer care sets Master Restoration apart in the industry, and as a result, the company has seen steady growth from the start—at least 35% year over year, with the exception of 2019. Master Restoration operates more than 25 service trucks with more than 50 employees serving the entire state of Florida for daily repairs and the entire Southeastern U.S. (11 states) for large projects and natural disasters. The company offers water, fire, mold, storm, and trauma restoration, reconstruction, and consulting services, as well as temporary repairs and commercial redevelopment. Training is also important to Master Restoration, and the company operates a state-of-the-art education room, known as “Master University,” where Jarrett teaches multiple national training courses to employees and community members.
Jarrett says he has “always been an entrepreneur at heart,” and his passion for marrying entrepreneurship and service was present right from the start. “In elementary school, I started my first business selling candy to raise money for the poor,” he says. Since then, Jarrett has owned and operated several businesses, including a tree service and a tattoo shop. When he made the move into restoration, he first worked for both national brands and small local companies in the industry before starting Master Restoration. Jarrett says he is passionate about the restoration industry because “it is extremely rewarding and a real honor to help those who we serve while pouring into our employees and teaching them the values we stand for.”
Looking ahead
When it comes to the future of the company, Jarrett has plans for growth and plans to be at the forefront of industry technology. Master Restoration is moving toward opening as many as eight satellite offices in the coming years, beginning in Ocala, Fla. The company is also an early adopter of the newest technology in the industry. Jarrett explains, “We are doing some really exciting things with technology that we believe will be game changers for the entire industry as we have cut cycle time down significantly, increased profitability in house, and cut expenses to our referral partners while improving communication and overall customer satisfaction.” One example of “game-changing” technology for Master Restoration is 4D imaging, an all-in-one platform that turns a space into an accurate digital model as a permanent record of the precise scale and scope of damages.
Jarrett says the company’s strategic alliances and extra services also set them apart in the industry. “We have a 24/7 hotline, pre-qualified vendors, disaster response planning, a first-priority response team, a custom client portal, and continued education training,” he explains. In addition to their fleet of service trucks, the company also operates a 30,000 square-foot dispatch command center and climate-controlled contents storage campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Master Restoration, like many businesses, saw a decline in calls for about two months, but thanks to the company’s diversified services, they were able to quickly pivot to perform more bio-cleaning for the commercial market. “We currently get an average of 25-30 COVID cleans a week on top of our other services,” says Jarrett.
Like any business owner, Jarrett has made some mistakes over the years, but he wouldn’t change them because each one provided an opportunity to learn and grow. For those new to the industry, Dixon recommends owners get to know their customers and take the time to learn as much as possible from anyone who is involved in the job, including the named insured, the adjuster, the agent, the CSR, the examiner, the mortgage company, the HOA, the trades company, etc. And Jarrett hopes that more and more new and established industry professionals alike will put service ahead of profits. Jarrett says, “Together we can change the industry, inspire those around us, and make a difference for the better.”
Our annual profiles of three successful restoration companies are in. Learn why they joined the industry, how things have changed over the years, and what advice they have for others in the industry. Check out the other companies featured in our 2020 Restoration Industry Leaders Review:
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