RIA presents Phoenix Awards for Restoration and Reconstruction

Atlanta, GA – The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has presented its highest honors for innovation in restoration and reconstruction to two member firms. The Phoenix Awards are presented each year to recognize achievement in the areas of restoration and reconstruction. Winning projects exemplify the complement of skills required to return a project to pre-loss condition.

Spotless Carpet Cleaners & Janitorial Services of Johnson City, Tenn., won the Phoenix Award for Innovation in Restoration for its work on a 26,000 square foot private residence that suffered a fire from a lightning strike to the castle’s turret and subsequent water damage when the flames were extinguished.

The fire department used 70,000 gallons of water, which caused extensive damage to the master suite and theatre. European craftsmen and architects had collaborated for 10 years to create a home with soaring ceilings, stained glass, Italian marble floors and hand-cast moldings. The large amount of wood, plaster and other materials required specialized drying. The company also had to restore 15,000 square feet of hard floor surfaces, $200,000 worth of Oriental carpets, priceless works of art and one-of-kind sports memorabilia.

The competition recognized its first international winner when the Australian firm of Johns Lyng, based in Melbourne, won for Innovation in Reconstruction for its work on the Moama Bowling Club.

Located in a remote area of inland Australia, the bowling club serves 40,000 members and is the social hub for the community. A fire damaged the newly completed building and Johns Lyng was given just 10 weeks to complete the job since business interruption costs totaled $50,000 per day. The company used cryogenic ice blasting to clean the roof trusses, saving $4 million, and utilized more than 250 local tradesmen to assist in completing the $17 million project on time. Further assistance and cooperation from Crawford & Company and QBE Insurance helped to expedite the reconstruction process.

“The RIA Phoenix Awards for Restoration and Reconstruction illustrate the exceptional level of expertise found within the restoration industry,” said RIA Director of Communications Patricia Harman. “The fact that we had companies from England and Australia competing this year elevates this competition to an international level, and each company that submitted a project should be extremely proud of their accomplishments.”

The awards were presented at the 65th Annual RIA Convention and Exhibition in Atlanta, Ga. Since its inception in 1996, the competition has recognized only 26 firms with this honor.

The deadline for submission of projects for the 2011 award will be December 15, 2010. For more information on the competition and entry requirements, contact the Restoration Industry Association at 443-878-1000 or visit www.restorationindusty.org.