Restoration service launches in Spokane

Nate Brown has started a Paul Davis Emergency Services franchise here. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based company specializes in rebuilding and repairing property damage suffered by homeowners and businesses.

Brown previously spent 11 years as an executive with the National Basketball Association’s Portland Trail Blazers franchise.

Brown primarily works remotely and leases 2,000 square feet of space near 4019 S. Cheney Spokane Road, in southwest Spokane, which serves as the business’ mailing address.

Darin Davies, the company’s vice president of franchise development, says Brown represents Paul Davis’ first foray into the Spokane area. He’s hired two full-time employees.

For 50 years, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company has restored residential and commercial properties damaged by fire, water, mold, storms and disasters. Paul Davis has more than 365 independently owned franchises in the U.S. and Canada. Franchisees are certified in emergency restoration, reconstruction, and remodeling.

“Residential and commercial restoration is a $70 billion industry, and only 8 percent to 12 percent of that is related to natural disasters,” Davies says.

Brown, a Washington State University graduate, returned to Spokane with his wife Jessica and two children late last summer. Brown is a Spokane native, and Jessica is from Clarkston, and they wanted to be closer to family.

“I’d met one Paul Davis restoration franchisee while working with the Trail Blazers, and learned more about the Paul Davis branch and emergency service industry overall. But as we neared selecting a franchise, I worried about my lack of experience in the industry,” Brown says.

His early apprehension dissipated after he completed his training at the company’s headquarters.

Paul Davis franchees use thermal imaging cameras enabling technicians to check for water damage without cutting through drywall or tearing carpet, and thermal meters that detect failing electrical circuit breakers and foundation leaks.

“It became clear that my values lined up very well with this company, and I like the idea that I can own a business that ultimately helps people in their time of need,” Brown says.

—Kevin Blocker

 

Security franchise eyes Spokane area

Omaha, Neb.-based security franchise company Signal 88 is hoping to identify franchisees for its first Spokane locations later this month. 

Founded in 2003, Signal 88 Security offers customized services to commercial, retail, and institutional customers. The company’s main service involves sending a security vehicle to a designated site up to four times a night to monitor the property and act as a crime deterrent. 

Company CEO Reed Nyffeler says the company has had its eye on Spokane for some time. 

“We feel that Washington has a good market for security services currently,” he says. “With the government investing less into policing, and the regular police occupied by more significant crimes, that gives companies like ours the opportunity to help prevent some of these security issues.”

Signal 88 launched its franchise opportunity in 2008 and currently has more than 170 locations nationwide.

While the company doesn’t have any franchisees chosen here yet, Nyffeler says it does have two candidates and hopes to confirm both of them, as well as office locations, within the coming weeks. 

“Our franchisees tend to already have private security or military backgrounds,” Nyffeler says. “When someone is interested in opening a franchise with us, we provide them one week of training, and then provide them with representatives who will help them open, prospect for clients, and add employees.” 

According to Nyffeler, the company’s training includes customer service, business ownership, and sales skills. He says each of the company’s franchise outlets typically includes 20 to 30 employees. 

“Right now we have more clients in Washington in need of our services than we do potential franchisees,” he says. “It’s just a matter of finding them.” 

—LeAnn Bjerken 

 

Franchisee to open automotive shop

Christian Brothers Automotive franchisee Kris Kramer plans to open a full-service automotive repair business in a 5,000-square-foot, newly constructed building at 23819 E. Appleway, in Liberty Lake.

Kramer says the business is scheduled to open on Jan. 30. When finished, the service shop will have nine service bays, he says.

“This has been a long journey for me. I’ve always desired to own and operate my own business,” Kramer says.

Kramer plans to hire four employees initially, including three master technicians and a service manager. 

The Christian Brothers chain includes more than 155 service shops in 22 states. Kramer’s service shop will be the first Christian Brothers outlet in Washington state, says Andy Sroka, a Chicago-based account executive with No Limit Agency, which handles public relations for Christian Brothers.

Mark Carr, Christian Brothers’ president and CEO, opened the first shop in Houston in 1982. The store’s goal was to run an automotive repair facility based on honesty, integrity, reliability, and high quality customer service.

Christian Brothers began selling franchises in 1996 and says it’s growing at a pace of 15 to 20 stores per year. The company claims a 100 percent success rate, with its store operators never having closed a location, Sroka says.

—Kevin Blocker

Falling River Soap to debut products

Falling River Manufacturing LLC, an organic soap and skin-care company that launched here last June, will debut its products this weekend at the Kendall Yards Welcome Center at 1335 W. Summit Parkway. 

Falling River owner Beverly Hill-Kleinstein, who for now is operating the business from her home, says she will be on hand to meet with customers and to introduce them to her products, which she markets under the Falling River Soap brand name. 

Hill-Kleinstein started Falling River Manufacturing to market her products and sells them online and through local trade shows, fairs, and markets.

She says creating do-it-yourself herbal products runs in her family, and as someone who suffers from allergies, she has worked hard to develop and refine formulas used in her products. 

“I see this as a natural flowering of a lifetime of participation in health and wellness,” she says. 

Falling River’s products include organic soaps, body wash scrubs, facial oil, and moisturizers. 

—LeAnn Bjerken