Chuck Violand, Ross Riek, Owen Boak and The Restoration Global Watchdog!

Air Date: 7-20-2018|Episode 511

This past June RIA held its first International restoration conference and trade show on Australia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. The event which will be an annual offering in the region was organized and delivered by RIA’s Australasian Council. The local RIA conference planning committee collaborated with the Australian IAQA chapter leadership and featured several education sessions by local leading IAQ experts. Mold seemed to be a hot topic at the conference with several labs exhibiting at the trade show! The event was also attended by IICRC leadership and several other regional dignitaries from related segments of the cleaning, restoration and remediation industries.

Z-Man’s Blog:

“A Restoration and IAQ International Update: Goings On Down Under!” 

This past June RIA held its first International Restoration Conference and Trade Show on Australia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. The event which will be an annual offering in the region was organized and delivered by RIA’s Australasian Council. The local RIA conference planning committee collaborated with the Australian IAQA chapter leadership and featured several education sessions by local leading IAQ experts. Mold seemed to be a hot topic at the conference with several labs exhibiting at the trade show! The event was also attended by IICRC leadership and several other regional dignitaries from related segments of the cleaning, restoration and remediation industries.

Today’s show was a round table discussion with RIA’s Immediate Past President Chuck Violand, Immediate Past Aussie Council chair Ross Riek who will be chairing the planning committee for the 2019 conference and Owen Boak, CR, WLS, CMP who chaired this year’s planning committee and is now the RIA Aussie Council Chair.

Joining the show’s round table guests was RIA Industry Adviser &Association Historian Pete Consigli, CR. WLS who served as the conference master of ceremonies, education program facilitator and moderator for a “State of the Industry in Aus.” panel presentation.

During part one guests addressed the global state of the industry from varying perspectives and during part 2 recapped some highlights from the conference. During the round-up RIA President Lee King, CR (who will be attending the 2019 conference) and Executive Director Chris Mundschenk (who attended this year’s event) called in to offer their thoughts on the conference and RIA’s role in the international restoration marketplace.

Nuggets mined from today’s episode:

Chuck Violand

Traditionally RIA Presidents have a short list of things that they want to accomplish during their terms. As RIA’s immediate past president what were the key issues you wanted to accomplish and how did you fare in accomplishing them?

  • Chuck was a participant in RIA’s current strategic planning process which began in 2014.
  • As RIA President his Key Initiatives were: Making RIA an international organization, Enriching member benefits, Building a “deep bench” of association leaders and Transitioning to the next generation of organization leadership.
  • Measurement: Wanted to start key initiatives, never expected them to be completed within his tenure as RIA President. Has seen progress made on all the issues: Mark Springer, RIA’s 1st VP is doing a great job heading up RIA education. The inauguralsteering committee has progressedto an Australasian Council status. Is very excited to see the activity among the YPRC group (Young Professional RestorersCommittee).

Ross Riek & OwenBoak Questions  

How old is RIA’s Australian Council and what does it do?

  • RIA has had active members in Australia for over 30 years.
  • Australian suppliers have been bringing American instructors over from the US to conduct IICRC courses in Australia since the 1990s. Both RIA and IAQA have conducted training courses in Australia.
  • Beginning as a voluntary steering committee in 2015, for the purpose of supporting local members, the Australasian Council has progressed to receiving full RIA Council status in 2017. From the steering committee to the Council, the volunteer participants have remained consistent. Following an initiative, the first Council event was held in 2017.

Owen BoakQuestions

Please contrast the differences between the Australasian and North American markets for restoration and IAQ.

  • Differences: Aussies have greater public awareness of hazards such as lead paint and mold. Through regulations and enforcement, the Australian public is better protected.
  • The textiles used for furnishings and flooring are different. Construction methods are different. Traditionally due to the temperate climate Australian homes have been more open.
  • Less frivolous litigation due to a loser pays legal system.

Does Australia have its own water damage restoration and mold remediation standards or do they rely upon British or American standards? 

  • Universally the IICRC courses and standards are the starting points for training and standards. Contractors are also aware of NYC Guidelines, EPA Mold in Schools, etc. A government agency in Western Australia cites these documents. ASTM moisture in concrete standard.

Is mold remediation covered by Australian homeowners’ policies? If so, what is the financial limit?

  • Preexisting conditions are excluded. Mold is covered. Government regulations restrict exclusions in insurance policies. Lowest mold limit is $8K, most policies $25K

What are Australia’s contributions to the restoration and IAQ industry best practices?

  • Aussies are actively involved on peer review of standards and some sit on standards committees includingClaire Bird,Brad Prezant and Mehmet Ucar

Owen Boak and Ross Riek

Is Europe a major provider of research, products and technology to Australasia? If so can you name the influential individuals and/or firms?

  • Commonality, both Europe and Australia use 240 volt electric. Wood flooring is popular. European heat drying systems for drying wet wood floors are a proven solution. Both direct and indirect heat drying equipment is growing in popularity. Meters for measuring moisture in concrete. Desiccant dehumidifiers.

Pete Consigli

Pete, so your role was to be the conference facilitator and you also worked with a North American industry expert team to do a “Road Show” before the conference, how did that go?

  • Owen chaired the 2018 convention planning committee. Event planning and delivery was handled by the Novoss staff, Ashley Easterby and his daughterTash and Tameeka Thompson.
  • To reduce costs of bringing over North American trainers (Chris Schumacher building scienceand Gary Loiben fire restoration & odor removal) to present at the conference; the instructors presented to groups (of , insurance adjusters, builders, IEPs, public adjusters and other stakeholders.) Chris and Gary werealso utilized to teach a pre and post conference course on building science and odor control respectively. It was a Win/Win all around.

Follow-up:  We understand the IICRC leadership and other industry dignitaries were in attendance and had some role in the event, can you comment on that for our audience?

  • A wide range of support was provided by the IAQA, IICRC and ISSA and the local media were in attendance too, demonstrating a great example of how various organizations can work together for the common good.

Which panel discussions struck a chord with the audience?

  • Industry Perspectives,IAQA Panel, and Catastrophic Flood Response.
  • Many of the same issues are in play in Australasia as North America and Europe: TPAs, standards, certification, pricing, maintaining margins, mold sampling methods, positioning (offering full service or separation between builders and restorers), and challenges of emergency response.

In the US, RIA has rules regarding antitrust, was their more freedom to speak openly in Australia?

  • As the convention was under the auspices of the RIA, the RIA rules for antitrust and decorum is enforced globally. Although anti-trust laws vary from country to country applying sound policies on decorum universally benefit all conference delegates!

Chuck Violand

Help our listeners’ tune-up their businesses, by giving them some tips and important takeaways from your business presentation?

  • The Aussies are always a receptive and fun group with which to engage.
  • My presentation covered the 5 Steps of growing a business from startup to multimillion. At the beginning of a business technical skills dominate.As the business technical skills become less important while management and leadership become most important. There are predictable challenges at each stage of business development.

Special request from RadioJoe, to review the Venn diagram. (A Venn uses overlapping circles or other shapes to illustrate the logical relationships between two or more sets of items. Often, they serve to graphically organize things, highlighting how the items are similar and different.)

  • Chuck’s example has 3 overlapping circles:Business Dynamic, People Dynamic, and Executive Dynamic.
  • The 3 components are always in flux and self-leveling. The takeaway is the business only grows at the rate the owner grows.

Ross Riek

How did your event tie-in to the international stage?

  • The event relied on the International Family. Organically growing reliance on imported products due to high labor costs. Asian manufacturers.

What were the convention highlights?

  • Seeing the old boys come back. Owners of mature companies, who in years past traveled internationally to events and now send employees, came to our event!

What was the attendance at the show and convention?

  • 200 attendees with the majority coming from Australia and New Zealand.
  • Growing attendee interest in mold labs and productivity software, including exhibitors from the US & Canada

Owen Boak:

What steps are being taken to make the 2019 bigger and better?

  • This was the first attempt at a large scale event. Next event will expand IAQA content to a full day.

Pete Consigli:

Industry service is important to organizations. Pete, please tell us about the special award presentation made at the event?

  • Following RIA tradition; members completing advance designations were officially recognized.
  • Duncan Bennett was the first recipient of the Australasian Lifetime Achievement Award. The award and award ceremony were modeled after the Martin L. King award.

Round-up

Chuck Violand

  • International participation provides a broader perspective on restoration science.
  • I appreciate IAQradio spotlighting the RIA Australasian conference. That was an enormous undertaking by the Australasian council and they did an outstanding job with it. As Pete mentioned in his Round-up comments, special props go out to Tash and Tameeka. The work those two ladies did with the show do more to demonstrate the talents of the next generation of leaders within the restoration industry than all my words ever could.

Chris Mundschenk (RIA Executive Director)

  • The Australian Council took ownership and demonstrated that RIA can be trusted on the International stage!

Lee King, (RIA President)

  • Acknowledged and thanked Chris, Owen, Ashley, Ross, and all the council volunteers for the great work done on the event. He is planning to attend the 2019 event. Join RIA and learn by association how to convert information into $.

Owen Boak and Ross Riek

  • Expressed their love for their RIA family.

Z-Man signing off

Trivia question:Who designed the Sydney Opera House?

Answer: Joern Utzon

Full Description:

Today’s show will be a round table format with RIA’s Immediate Past President Chuck Violand who delivered a high powered “keynote style” management presentation, Immediate Past Aussie Council chair Ross Riek who will be chairing the planning committee for the 2019 conference and Owen Boak, CR, WLS, CMP who chaired this year’s planning committee if is now the RIA Aussie Council Chair. Joining the show’s round table guests will be RIA Industry Adviser Pete Consigli, CR. WLS who served as the conference master of ceremonies, education program facilitator and moderator for a “State of the Industry in Aus” panel presentation.

Part one of this week’s show will have the guest panel address the global state of the industry from varying perspectives and after half time part 2 will recap some highlights from the conference. During the round-up RIA President Lee King, CR (who will be attending the 2019 conference) and Executive Director Chris Mundschenk (who attended this year’s event) have been asked to call-in if they are available to offer their thoughts on the show’s theme.

Chuck Violand

Chuck is President and CEO of Violand Management Associates (VMA). Mr. Violand founded Violand Management Associates in 1988 with the objective of helping owners of restoration and cleaning companies build profitable businesses for their long-term business and personal success. Having owned his own companies for 27 years, Chuck brings firsthand knowledge and experience on how to run a business. He also has over 25 years experience consulting to small business owners and their management teams. As a history major at the University of Akron, Chuck learned that a leader’s actions today produce consequences people will live with for years to come, whether it involves nations or businesses. Chuck is a regular contributor of articles to several newsletters and trade publications on the subject of growing and managing small businesses and he is a popular keynote speaker at conventions and trade shows. He also is a Past President and multi year member of the board of directors of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA).

Ross Riek

Ross is Immediate Past Chairperson RIA Australasian Council, Chairperson of the Australasian Conference organizing committee 18 plus years Owner and Operator of Carpet Care Services, Carpet Care Floorcoverings and Complete Care Restoration based in Sydney Australia. Ross enjoys working in the front line of his business with enthusiasm and a passion for continuous learning and professional development. A true believer in the value of associations and the importance of businesses banding together to form strong Industry representation, Ross works with the RIA Australasian Council members and Australian Local Restoration businesses to help build a higher profile for restoration professionals in both Australia and NZ.

Owen Boak, CR, WLS, CMP

Owen Boak (right) with Restoration Global Watchdog, Pete Consigli
2018 RIA Australasian Conference on the Sunshine Coast

Owen is the Founder and Managing Director of Elements Specialty Cleaning and Restoration in Melbourne Australia. He has 25 years of experience across all kinds of restoration and has provided a wealth of experience in the business of solving problems across the spectrum of both large domestic and commercial losses. Owen is a proud advocate of the benefits of education across the restoration industry and honoured to be part of the founding team (steering committee) that led to the foundation of RIA’s Australasian Council. He chaired the planning committee for RIA’s inaugural Australasian annual Restoration Conference and Trade Show in June of 2018. Owen is RIA’s Australasian Council Chair.

Pete Consigli, CR, WLS

Pete Consigli is a Restoration Industry Association (RIA) Certified Restorer (CR) and Water Loss Specialist (WLS) and has been a member of the Restoration Industry Association (formerly ASCR, International) since 1977. Over the years he has been an active volunteer and filled various association leadership roles. Pete is widely recognized as RIA’s “Resident” Historian and an archival resource to the industry.

In 2008, Pete received RIA’s most prestigious honor for excellence in restoration, the Martin L. King award. In 2012 RIA made Pete the second honorary member to its association, only the third such honor in RIA’s 70+ years.

In 2015 in Dallas Texas the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) inducted Pete into the IAQA Hall of Fame. Pete served as an advisor to RIA for the MOU agreement on the ANSI Fire Standards development in collaboration with IAQA/ASHRAE. Pete has represented RIA in support of collaboration with the IICRC and Purdue University’s Disaster Restoration and Reconstruction Management (DRRM) program. Pete has advocated for RIA at IICRC meetings and events. He has provided guest lectures to the DRRM students assisting with internships & employment in the industry. Pete chairs Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) magazine’s editorial advisory committee and is RIA’s Adviser for the Water Loss Specialist (WLS) advanced certification program.

Pete chairs Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) magazine’s editorial advisory committee and is RIA’s Adviser for the Water Loss Specialist (WLS) advanced certification program.