ARS Restoration Specialists: Always Ready to Serve

Rich and Stan Piltch started a small painting and cleaning business out of a basement in 1987. Initially the two brothers were the only two employees, embarking on an endeavor that would later become ARS Restoration Specialists (ARS).

“We’ve slowly evolved over the last 25 years,” says Rich, president of ARS. “Eventually we started doing some construction.” Though a small operation, ARS was called to take care of a not-so-insignificant property fire and soot damage in 1993. “That’s when we started to get into the disaster restoration business,” beams Rich.

The brothers recognized a niche in which they could excel and do well by others as well. ARS has since evolved into an emergency restoration business with seven locations and 125 employees. “We take care of commercial and residential properties,” says Rich. “We’re diverse. We can take on a 400,000-square foot office building or a small basement project.”

The duo was sure to embrace all possible endeavors. ARS has provided restoration services to schools, offices, manufacturing facilities, apartment buildings and single family houses, amongst other projects. “It’s about 50-50 between commercial and residential,” Rich explains. ARS locations are distributed throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut, allowing the team to serve most of New England.

Standout Service

Many ARS customers are business and homeowners that recently experienced personal and financial loss. Rich and the team at ARS strive to make the process as hassle-free as possible, eager to turn buildings around to the point where they look better than before the detrimental fire or flood. “I believe what truly sets us apart is our people,” explains Rich. “We’re conscientious, caring, and we’re good with our systems and procedures. Our goal is to wow our clients.”

That is just what the team at ARS does, and will continue to do. Due to the team’s extensive skill and care, ARS performs many of its projects using in-house labor. However, some of the larger projects do require the use of subcontractors. “We have quality subs established,” explains Rich. “They’re ready to go with us 24/7. Our guys are all committed to this business.”

The company’s partners are upheld to the same standards of operation that ARS observes, and these vital core values include: accountability, citizenship, communication, continuous learning, stability, empowerment, environmental protection and safety, passion, teamwork and collaboration, win-win partnerships and “wow” customer service.

Additionally, the team at ARS manages projects along three key agenda items: follow up, follow through and execution. Offering an open line of communication among clients, subs and employees ensures each customer receives the services they not only needed, but also wanted, and nothing less. “We do what we say we’re going to do, when we’re going to do it,” Rich says.

Major Restorations

Rich and his pristine team at ARS have been involved in some large projects that often stem from odd mishaps. “About six months ago we worked on a high-end condominium building in downtown Boston,” says Rich. “A gentleman had tied a mattress on top of his car and it hit a sprinkler. Well, the sprinkler exploded and 11 stories with 46 units were ruined. The loss exceeded $1 million, all because the guy didn’t want to hire a mover.” As expected, the team at ARS was well-prepared to deal with the damage, despite any setbacks. According to Rich, the drying process took a week and additional restoration work brought the project to about a full month.

Another successful ARS recovery project involved a college dormitory, which tends to be a popular setting for unusual activities and resulting complications. “The dorm sprinklers at a local university went off,” explains Rich. The cause was determined to be an ambitious indoor gardener. “There were excessive heat lights where a young guy was growing marijuana in his closet,” he elaborates. “The temperatures set off the sprinkler system. It caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.”

By far the stickiest situation Rich and his team have found themselves in was in a confectioner’s candy-making facility. “A tube that held molasses exploded,” says Rich. “They had thousands of gallons of molasses on the floor. You can’t use sanded systems to take it out because it would clog up the extraction equipment.” The ARS team had to get creative. “We considered getting a couple-hundred kindergarten kids to come lick it off,” he jokes. “But we ended up using a heating system to get rid of it.” The team applied hot water to the sticky mess and stored the extracted molasses in heated water tanks. “That was a really challenging project,” says Rich. “It took us about three days.”

No matter the sticky or stinky situation, ARS is dedicated to improving buildings and communities alike. “We get very involved in charitable organizations,” says Rich. The business participates in fundraising efforts for two breast cancer research and awareness foundations. In addition, several times a year team members host and attend events and drives for the Gloria Gemma Foundation and Susan G. Komen for a Cure. In 2011 the company raised over $200,000 for Gloria Gemma, and ARS matched all donations made toward Susan G. Komen raised by employee participants during drives and sponsored walks.

Rich and the team at ARS have been providing quality restoration services around New England for over 25 years. Though Rich has no major plans for expansion, the company definitely is not slowing down. “I think we’ll continue to have controlled growth over the next few years,” says Rich with a smile. ARS Restoration Specialists is ready to go, picking up new clients while serving a loyal customer base and contributing to the industry and the community whole-heartedly.