Paragon Certified Restoration

Recovering from a devastating loss should never feel as traumatic as the loss itself, which is exactly why Steve Stodnick and Randy Wild founded Paragon Certified Restoration (Paragon) in 2003. Paragon combines the latest techniques with the efficiency of a dedicated, experienced staff to bring a sense of comfort and confidence in quality workmanship back to every client. True to its name, the company aims to conduct business on sound ethical grounds. With transparency and certification, Paragon ensures every restoration project complies with the insurance carrier’s specifications and the industry’s most stringent standards for a healthy home.

The Missouri-based full-service fire and water restoration company’s Chesterfield headquarters allow the team to respond to emergencies at any hour within the St. Louis metropolitan area, surrounding counties, and into Illinois. The team will mobilize crews to board up and tarp homes, mitigate water and sewer damage, as well as inventory the damaged and recoverable contents. The Paragon team then deodorizes and stores the contents while conducting the reconstruction of the home. From the first day of arrival to the delivery of the recovered contents at the newly restored home, Paragon completes the entire restoration process with the least amount of disruption to each client’s life.

The well-respected team boasts a portfolio of completed projects, each reflecting uncompromising standards. Paragon was nominated for the 2008 Phoenix Award for the restoration of a historical 1924 Italian Renaissance home devastated by fire; only 10 companies are nominated in the country for this elite award. The Paragon team has built a reputation for craftsmanship and compassion from day one, and this commitment to keeping the long-term success of the clients in mind continues through to every project. The company has grown from a team of just three employees to a multimillion dollar operation with a staff of over 50 employees; and its progress has been recognized. Paragon ranked as the No.14 fastest growing privately owned St. Louis businesses by St. Louis Business Journal in 2009.

Helping the company achieve this level of success is its upper management, which leads by example. “Stodnick and I started the company in 2003 when he was working in high-end remodeling, and the restoration company I had been working for fell on hard times,” expands Randy Wild, owner and co-founder of Paragon. Wild got into the industry in 1991 and has spent his career amassing expertise in fire, water and storm restoration with an emphasis on emergency response, content cleaning and storage as well as reconstruction.

Likewise, Stodnick has been in the construction industry since 1989. Stodnick’s career has provided him the opportunity to focus on large-scale commercial projects in multiple states, which has helped the company establish a foothold in the commercial restoration market as well. Paragon’s team brings over 100 years of combined experience in the insurance restoration industry to every project.

Technology and Training

Paragon uses the latest techniques to provide services that also include fragile surface restoration, smoke odor removal and document recovery. In addition, with Paragon’s EPA certification, the team is able to perform lead-based paint abatement, which is a common issue in homes built prior to 1979.

Paragon was the first company in the area to use the method of dry ice blasting instead of sand blasting to safely remove soot, mold and debris from surfaces. The team utilized the green method to restore the locally famous Piasa Bird, a Native American mural on the bluffs on the Mississippi River, when vandals had defaced it.

Paragon employees are certified through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. In addition, Paragon is a member of the Indoor Air Quality Association, the National Institute of Disaster Restoration, the Water Loss Institute and Restoration Industry Association, which is the oldest and largest non-profit professional trade organization in the restoration industry.

Paragon maintains stringent requirements, which has allowed the company to become a preferred contractor for several insurance and independent claim processing companies’ direct repair programs. Paragon also serves as the first response company for several property management companies as well as for the largest water district in the area. The company is also a member of related industry organizations BOMA, IFMA and SLAA, as well as the BBB.

Experienced and Ethical Excellence

Paragon’s combined membership is contingent upon the company’s ability to conduct business ethically and according to the industry’s best practices. In fact it is the company’s policy to never begin the mold remediation or removal process until an independent third-party agency of good standing can confirm its findings and provide the necessary documentation. Paragon protects the homeowners’ best interests by insisting the very same third-party testing agency return to collect visual, air and tape lift samples to be tested and confirm the mold removal is complete.

“We hope to be known for the quality of our work of course, but it’s also about being able to get the job done under any circumstances,” adds Wild. “Even if we can’t complete part of the work ourselves, we will find someone who is qualified to do so and make sure the work is done as expediently and efficiently as possible.”

It isn’t often that Paragon has to call in extra help, but the company has a short list of contacts in the industry that have previously been called in for highly specialized work like art work restoration and the cleaning and restoration of antiques and taxidermy displays.

More often, however, the Paragon team is called in for high-priority projects requiring quick turnarounds. One of the team’s largest projects in recent years involved the restoration and reconstruction of a multifamily condominium building in the St Louis area, a project totaling over $2.5 million.

“One of the tenants fell asleep while smoking and the fire spread to three units,” explains Wild. “On top of the fire, the water used by the fire department to extinguish the fire affected 11 more units, but we had the whole building back in just over eight months.”

This level of quality is why Paragon has found continued success. The company will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2013, and while plans of expansion are being laid out for the company, Wild hopes to position Paragon to find steady growth by focusing on delivering quality work on every project. “We’re not looking to be the biggest restoration company, just one of the best,” says Wild.

No matter where the team is drawn to for work, Paragon Certified Restoration’s sound business practices, its experience and compassion will ensure the company continues to live up to its name.