In 2016, Benjamin Surdi, founder and CEO of PureDry Restoration, purchased a business that was in major debt and all-around bad shape. Since then, the company has quadrupled in size and revenue, and it is a recognized market leader in Washington State. In this episode of Real Stories in Restoration, Surdi shares hardships, triumphs and secrets to his success.  

“Why even do business if you’re going to be mediocre?” Surdi said. “Business is a sport and you don’t play a sport to lose. You play to win... But I think to win you’ve got to have a very specific mindset. You have to want to win and dominate. Otherwise, you’re just taking part; you’re just participating. I’ve always just had a mindset for winning.” 

This episode covers:

  • How Surdi got to where he is today, from a troubled past to a high-end carpet cleaning business, to a fast-growing restoration company
  • Taking PureDry Restoration from horror story to success story
  • Business building based on research – identifying the biggest pain points of customers 
  • Establishing separate brands for Pure Clean Carpet Cleaning and PureDry Restoration, from websites to procedures
  • Managing clean financials across multiple profit centers
  • Surdi’s formula for growth
  • How PureDry Restoration manages to hire two to three people per week in a tight labor market
  • Providing experiences that “wow” and go beyond customer satisfaction to the creation of raving fans
  • From a one-man orchestra working in the business, to working on the business 
  • Becoming a student of the game, dedicated to studying – not just reading
  • Purposefully gearing up for new layers of growth
  • Thoroughly documenting business systems and procedures to enable scale and consistency
  • Creating a company culture that is measurably energetic
  • Connecting employees to the company mission, vision and their role in both 
  • The importance of understanding gross profit versus net profit in running a strong business
  • Branding with flavor and excitement, from employee attire to customer gift boxes
  • Leveraging referral partners to generate leads
  • Embracing outside consultants  

Check out this episode of Ask the Expert to learn more. You can watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation here. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Just search for Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert, then hit Follow.