PuroClean is a national brand of property restoration companies that launched in 2001 and now claims almost 400 franchises across the country. PuroClean Wilton|Ridgefield is one such franchise, co-founded by Alejandro and Jennifer Restrepo in July 2021.
The franchise at 24 Danbury Road in Wilton provides services throughout Fairfield County and northeastern Westchester County that include mold removal, carpet cleaning, fire and smoke damage restoration and water damage restoration ”” with mold removal being especially popular among its clientele.
“We”™re starting kind of to get known as mold remediators, which we don”™t mind” said Alejandro Restrepo, franchise president. “It”™s definitely a very important service and something that people are really concerned about with health consequences.”
The Restrepos directly employ only two other people ”” a lead technician/project manager and a relationship manager. When a job becomes available, the restoration company has a number of skilled laborers it can put to work at a moment”™s notice.
“We”™ve built a network of labor within our area where we have up to 25 people available to us,” Alejandro Restrepo said.
PuroClean Wilton|Ridgefield takes in four or five jobs a week, with clients, including residents, insurance agents and property managers. The Restrepos have forged a strong relationship with the latter group, and currently about 60% of their jobs come from property managers.
“These are commercial and multi-unit property managers, so they”™re managing condo complexes, high rises,” Alejandro Restrepo said. “More recently, we”™ve established a relationship with another property management firm that manages more homes for very wealthy individuals.”
The company has not experienced much trouble in obtaining supplies and having a surplus on hand, according to Jennifer Restrepo, who holds the title of director of media.
“There are certain things that have either been delayed or you have to find another outlet to be able to get,” Jennifer Restrepo said. “Some of it is actually knowing what you need before you need it, so you have time to get it.”
The husband-and-wife duo believe they are uniquely positioned in a number of ways to raise PuroClean Wilton|Ridgefield”™s profile above other similar businesses. Alejandro Restrepo”™s previous position was as a catastrophe adjuster for The Travelers Companies, a role requiring damage assessment and calculation of cost of restoration. At PuroClean Wilton|Ridgefield, he performs these duties, which made for a seamless transition, only now with the added responsibility of a crew of workers performing the restoration. The experience also granted him insight into how the insurance side of restoration operates and what insurance companies require as well as how to effectively communicate with them, giving the PuroClean team an edge over other property restoration teams.
Empathy is a key principle of the team that allows them to guide clients through the restoration process on a step-by-step basis. Jennifer Restrepo”™s background in education is critical in making this approach possible.
“Walking through those steps with them and knowing what”™s going to happen, who”™s going to be there and going through each step with them, that”™s something that definitely differentiates us from other companies that are out there,” Jennifer Restrepo said.
“The science that we follow is, ”˜Hey, how do we dry this? How do we make sure that there”™s no microbial growth?”™” Alejandro Restrepo said of the team”™s methods, adding that they also seek to “minimize the cost to the owner and the insurance carrier.”
