Tech-Forward, People Driven: How Paul Davis Champions Its People

Paul Davis Restoration recently opened a second Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-approved training center in Salt Lake City to serve franchisees in western North America better. The new facility expands the company’s national restoration training program and supports standardized, industry-certified education for restoration professionals across the Western region.

The new facility was inspired by Paul Davis Restoration’s late CEO, Rich Wilson, who believed that education defines people’s career paths, explained Leslie Anderson, Paul Davis Restoration’s senior vice president of training and launch and the IICRC’s immediate past chair. The company built its first training center in 2009, but realized franchisees and partners in western North America had to travel far to reach Jacksonville, Florida. The second facility enables Paul Davis to serve these teams better, ensuring they understand how to follow IICRC standards correctly.

“We invest in their careers in our industry,” Anderson said. “We are big proponents of pouring into people, giving them growth opportunities, so that they have a career with Paul Davis, that they stay a long time, and that they know their value and the value that they bring to the owners.”

Anderson, who has over 26 years of experience in the restoration industry and has been with Paul Davis Restoration for 15 years, has seen firsthand how the industry is changing dramatically, with technology leading the way. New tools are constantly being developed that guide how the industry responds to claims, communicates, and undergoes documentation processes, she explained. Insurance partners in North America also have specific expectations about how their customers should be treated and how homes should be dried or mitigated.

“We have to be able to do it the right way, efficiently, with speed so that we take care of the homeowner,” Anderson explained. “Without education, you are going to fall behind in our industry if you don’t know the latest technology or meters to use to be efficient in the job.”

Moving forward, Paul Davis is focused on combining technology with education to deliver an unparalleled customer experience. What distinguishes a business is how they make customers feel through care, comfort, and professionalism, Anderson explained.

“You will see for us, the customer, regardless of the environment that we are in, they come first,” she added. “We take technology only to expedite that process through education.”

Overall, Anderson expects increased collaboration among carriers, TPAs, restoration contractors, and technology companies to drive significant shifts.

“I would say to all, educate yourselves on the technology coming your way,” she said. “It will only make you and your company better.”