http://www.amer-tech.com/rss_articles.sd?catid=7 American Technologies, Inc. American Restoration en-us http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-297/LargeLossAdministratorPosition Specialty contractor seeks a traveling Large Loss Administrator to be responsible for all aspects of project administration and for supporting project operations for large construction projects. This is an on‐call position based upon project need. Hours are variable. The position requires 95% travel to various project sites throughout the contiguous United States. 1:00 PM July 28, 2010 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-296/NationalRegionalProjectManagerPosition Are you looking for an exciting career opportunity with a proven leader in the restoration business? We are seeking a National/Regional Project Manager to join our team at American Technologies, Inc. (ATI), one of the largest and fastest-growing family-owned and operated restoration, environmental and reconstruction companies in the U.S. 4:00 PM July 26, 2010 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-287/NotSoHot It’s not shutdown time yet, but a loud warning alarm has sounds on the biggest U.S. hospital building spree in a half a century. The surge in expansion and replacement projects that began in earnest in 2000 had, until very recently been given good odds of steaming on into the next decade. Just a year ago, the annual survey by Health Facilities Management and the American Society for Health care Engineering found no letup in hospital construction, and as Hospitals & Health Networks noted, “nobody expects the boom to end soon.” 10:00 AM December 08, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-284/FloodDamageintheHeartland This year's spring thaws had many river communities in the upper Midwest holding their collective breath, desperately hoping not to see a repeat the historic flooding experienced in 2008. Communities along the Cedar and Iowa rivers in Eastern Iowa were especially hard hit, swallowed by flood waters reaching nearly 20 feet beyond flood stages in some areas. The waters did not discriminate. Homes, city infrastructure, universities and business alike were infiltrated by polluted river water. In some areas, structures outside of the 500-year floodplain were not spared. 1:00 PM December 01, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-285/DisasterRestorationandReconstructionManagementMovesAheadAtPurdue During the past three years, Purdue's Building Construction Management program has been a hot topic among restoration industry professionals. Much of the excitement stemmed from the idea of the opportunities being developed for future leaders of the restoration industry to actually receive a bachelor's degree with a specialization in disaster restoration and reconstruction. In the recent months we have been fortunate to see these opportunities materialize into something real. Purdue building Construction Management is proud to announce that the first official college level courses have been offered in the Disaster Restoration and Reconstruction Management (DDR) concentration. 1:00 PM December 01, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-283/ATISupportsNationalBreastCancerAwarenessMonth American Technologies, Inc. Corporate Office showed their support for National Breast Cancer Awareness month by proudly wearing their pink ATI t-shirts today. 11:00 AM October 23, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-258/Fall2009ATINewsletterFromthePresident In the world of economics, everyone would agree that the last couple of years have been a pretty bumpy ride. The economic downturn has directly impacted families and businesses and has caused us all to re-think the way we handle our personal and business affairs. When times get tough, the first reaction may be to retreat and wait for better days to come. At ATI, we've taken a different path. 12:00 AM September 04, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-259/Recoveringcontentstakesskillandcommitment When disaster strikes a private residence or commercial operation, one of the most devastating effects is the damage or loss of personal belongings and business items. In addition to the emotional toll these losses can take, damaged or lost contents for a business owner can result in critical downtime or even closure of the business. 12:00 AM September 04, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-265/DontGetSoakedWatchoutforcommonmisstepsinwaterdamagebilling The invoice for a large, commercial restoration job can run hundreds of pages long and warrant a 5-inch thick binder. Weeding through stacks of Xactimate spreadsheets, crew sign-in sheets, moisture logs and equipment records can be an overwhelming and arduous task. Become familiar with key billing components - and aware of some potential red flags - to simplify the auditing process and ensure fairness. 12:00 AM September 04, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-279/RebuildingwithTLC Last winter in the Pacific Northwest was a season that won't be soon forgotten. In Spokane, Washington, residents braved the snowiest winter on record, battling over 90 inches of the white stuff along with freezing temperatures that didn't let up for weeks. The severe weather wrought significant damage to a full-service retirement community consisting of condominium-style homes, assisted living apartments, a memory care center for patients with Alzheimer's and a skilled nursing facility. 12:00 AM September 02, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-272/FilterItOut “Filter It Out” is the fourth in my series of punchy articles with short punchy titles. The previous three are “ Soak it Out” ( November, 1991), “Bake it Out” ( October, 1992), and “ Paint it Out” ( December,1992). My 1994 offering presents new information about improved vacuum cleaning and heating, ventilating, air condition ( HVAC/air duct cleaning, as well as an excellent business idea based on this material. Professionals in the carpet and upholstery cleaning industry as well as restoration and air duct cleaning professional will find this article interesting. At the end, I’ll not a new profit making idea, with sources to put it right to work for your firm. 11:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-273/CarpetCharacteristics Unexpected characteristics may appear in carpet it has been installed. Consumers should not be alarmed or dismayed. The following characteristics are common and can be remedied with very little effort. 11:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-275/Safehandlingofchemicals Previous articles in Cleaning and Restoration have emphasized the importance of have a safety information and training program in our business. We still feel strongly about the value of such a program not only for the obvious benefit to you and your employees, but also because it is required by law (Hazard Communication Standard). For these reasons I’s like to discuss the safe handling of some chemicals commonly used by cleaners and restorers as well as by the ASCR laboratory personnel when solving problems sent to the lab. 11:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-270/AllegationsofCarpetCausingMysteriousIllness Indoor air quality has become an issue of great concern to consumers. Consumer awareness is intensifying through news media reports, government agencies investigations and a questioning public. 10:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-271/CarpetSickBuildingSyndrome What does this have to do with the Carpet Industry? I knew I was in trouble when I received a box full of official-looking manuals with “Environmental Protection Agency” on them. While I was waiting for Morley Safer and the rest of the “60 Minutes” team to show up, I decided its better glance through the 2,000 or so pages of material to see what I was in trouble for. 10:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-274/VacuumingandFiltration I am becoming increasingly interested in vacuums- their performance, design, filtration as to particle or soil capture, odor control, and other features. Let me raise some issues and pose questions this month about filtering media in vacuuming and also in air filters on furnaces, air products etc. 12:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-276/RestorationIndustryAssociation Of all the carpet cleaning methods available, the dry extraction method seems to be the most mysterious. Perhaps the mystery is that the authors have not had the opportunity to actually use a dry method and to rely on sources rather than firsthand experience. As an instructor and trainer of professional cleaners and contractors around the world, I have used dry extraction (and other cleaning methods) for 25 years, so I hope you will allow me to unravel the mystery. 12:00 AM August 28, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-246/CalmerwindsgivefirefightersabreakinSantaBarbara Officials expanded mandatory evacuation orders late Thursday to encompass about 6,000 additional people, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. That brings the total number of evacuated residents to about 18,000. 9:00 AM May 19, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-237/ADeadlyStrain Hospitals fight a drug-resistant bug that leaves some patients sick for months - and kills others within days 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-238/BadBugsontheRise The topic of food contamination is a top news story these days. The consolidation of the food production system and the rapid distribution methods currently available have exposed our food supply to greater opportunities for potential contamination. In 2007, the news headlines were dominated by recalls of spinach, lettuce, peanut butter and pet food. It appears that the trend will continue in 2008. Recently, in what has been billed as the largest beef recall in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef. Publicized recalls have raised public awareness of food liability issues, and have increased the likelihood that a food contamination claim may cross your desk. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-239/BecomingIrreplaceable During the last several years, fabric and textile restoration cleaners have adapted and tailored their services to meet the needs of the insurance industry. As claims professionals have come to rely more heavily on the services of these specialty cleaners after incidents of fire and floods, the companies that offer these cleaning services have become more adept at working closely with adjusters after a catastrophe. The capabilities for saving time and money for the insurers while also exceeding the expectations of policy holders have made restorers indispensable to many carriers. For claims in which clothing and other fabrics and textiles are affected, adjusters now tend to call on the services of restoration specialists immediately. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-240/ConcernsThatCanArisefromWaterInducedLosses Both large-scale catastrophe-induced losses and small-scale single event losses have the potential to impact employees, individuals, insurance personnel, general contracting restoration firms and associated property loss. In addition to the actual water-loss event, secondary losses can become equally as devastating depending on pre-existing and/or event-related building conditions, and the role the insureds take as part of required catastrophe restoration activities. During the water loss event, all project-related information and environmental data generated is an integral part of the decision making process that may be disclosed at various stages to inform all the various parties involved with the project. All in all, a well-executed restoration project can minimize the common delays and expenses of an ill-conceived and ill-managed project. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-241/EstimatesUnveiled A credible estimate is critical in determining the proper amount to pay on a claim. If you start with a bad estimate, the indemnity and expense of the claim can be higher than necessary. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-242/InvestigatingNegligentHiringClaims Negligent hiring claims can make anyone feel like he or she has fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in Alice's Wonderland. At first, they appear nonsensical. For example, when a customer was attacked in her home by a fired employee of an electronics service company, she did not sue her assailant. Instead, she sued the assailant's former employer. The assailant gained access to the home by holding himself out as a current employee of the electronics service company. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-243/UnderstandingMold Moisture intrusion and mold are important issues facing an adjuster. Since mold investigation reports frequently result in conflicting details and in massive payouts, an adjuster must make sense of evidence which may be difficult to understand in detail. In part one of this article we discussed general concepts about mold, explained the chaotic state of mold certifications, defined the term Mold Assessment, and detailed some of the procedures used in moisture and mold detection. Here, we will cover other important issues such as mold remediation, legislation, and health effects. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-244/UsingStructuredSettlements When resolving personal injury and workers' compensation claims, structured settlements offer claimants a sense of financial security through the use of a customized benefit plan tailored to meet their individual needs. But beyond providing claimants with peace of mind, structured settlements also act as a valuable tool for claim professionals. By employing a structured settlement service to resolve personal injury and non-injury cases, claim professionals can reduce administrative and legal costs, cut the time it takes to settle claims, and avoid the risks associated with going to trial. 11:00 AM May 18, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-236/WSHBMoldLitigationUpdateMultiMillionDollarVerdictsInArizonaandCalifornia Largest Reported Award To Single Plaintiff Signlas That Mold Exposure Remains A Problem For Landlords, Builders And Owners Of Commercial Property. 4:00 PM May 12, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-223/IkeEconomicLossesCouldReach40Billion Hurricane Ike could have caused an estimated $9.8 billion in insured losses, according to the Insurance Information Institute. 2:00 PM January 20, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-222/2008istheThirdCostliestYearonRecordforCATLosses Property casualty insurers are expected to report lower-investment income in the fourth quarter and will be hurt by additional catastrophe losses from worse-than-expected hurricane activity earlier in 2008, Wachovia said on Thursday. 4:00 PM January 16, 2009 http://www.amer-tech.com/articles1-220/ATINewsletterFromthePresident This past year was filled with many challenging jobs for our restoration and remediation teams. Natural disasters rolled in one after the other this summer and fall, keeping our CAT team and crews on the move. 12:00 PM January 15, 2009