ServiceMaster is cleaning up
Mother Lode Internet, the first Internet provider in Tuolumne County, is still a family-owned-and-operated business that plans to keep its focus on the Mother Lode.
Although Dennis and Brenda Dahlin have incorporated the business, they remain the only stockholders.
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ServiceMaster Sierras serves Tuolumne and Calaveras counties as part of a world-wide company specializing in restoring fire or water damaged possessions and commercial and residential cleaning.
Two of their bigger projects in 1997 were fire restoration, at Twain Harte School in March and Sullivan Creek School in August.
"It was amazing to see the way the community pitched in and to work alongside the community," said Genice Wickum, co-owner of the franchise with her husband Garvin. "It was an awful tragedy, but helping them was very rewarding.
It was also an opportunity work with the ServiceMaster catastrophic loss team, a division that has worked with such big tragedies as the World Trade Center bombing in New York.
The team came to help the Wickums with the massive clean-up.
"It was interesting, because they focused on the computers and all of the electronics," she said. "It was great teamwork all the way around."
Some of the Wickums' more interesting residential water damage restoration projects this year were in Bear Valley, where the only access was by snowmobile.
ServiceMaster celebrated its 50th year as a franchise business in 1997. The regional office the Wickums work with is in Santa Barbara. National headquarters are in Downer's Grove, Ill., and Memphis, Tenn.
After five years in operation, Twain Harte's Genice and Garvin Wickum have established ServiceMaster as one of Tuolumne County's fastest growing companies.
They have been officially acknowledged by ServiceMaster as the growth leader among Central California franchises. Growth is the reason the Wickums decided to move to a larger, better-equipped location in the Crystal Falls Business Park on Longeway Road last year.
ServiceMaster Sierras provides residential and commercial heavy duty cleaning services as well as fire, water and vandalism damage clean-up.
They offer satisfaction-guaranteed carpet and upholstery cleaning, window washing, blind cleaning and cleaning and care of hard surface floors.
The company is also a certified "Quality Restoration Vendor," which means it is recognized by many insurance companies as a preferred provider for fire and water damage restoration.
"ServiceMaster continues to develop more relationships with insurance companies on a national level," said Genice, "which is great, because it provides a local quality restoration provider for rural areas like ours."
"We're here to help 24 hours a day," she said. "We use trained people, the right equipment, the correct procedures and have a response time unmatched in the industry. Speed is essential."
The source of water damage can be anything from a broken pipe to an overflowing washing machine. Whatever the water source, a quick response is the key to minimizing damage, said Garvin Wickum.
Fire damage also calls for a timely response because of damaging acidic residues. A fast response can save possessions that would otherwise be lost.
ServiceMaster Sierras' restoration services include structural drying and dehumidification, odor removal, contents and structure cleaning, pack out and storage.
"Emergency Tips" brochures outlining practical tips that could prevent costly mistakes in the event of fire or water damage will be available in the firm's booth in the John Muir building during the Home and Garden Show.
ServiceMaster Sierras
Crystal Falls Business Park
21109 Longeway, Suite A, Sonora
586-1700, 800-586-1701