ServiceMaster
Restore, one of the largest disaster restoration companies in the
U.S., responded to Hattiesburg, Miss. in full force after catastrophic
tornadoes on January 21 ripped across the Deep South, killing 19 people
and causing widespread destruction. According to reports from the Weather
Channel, “this month is already the deadliest for tornadoes in any
January since 1969. The number of tornado-related deaths in those two
days also exceeds what was seen in all of 2016.”
“I appreciate ServiceMaster and its Pine Belt staff for their quick
response in helping Mississippians begin cleaning up their
neighborhoods,” Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said. “With their generous donation
to recovery efforts and crews from across the country responding to
help, ServiceMaster has shown their commitment to our state and the
Hattiesburg area.”
ServiceMaster Restore of Hattiesburg responded immediately after the
tornadoes hit and mobilized crews from across the country to help aid in
the restoration efforts.
“Sitting in our home, watching the news about a tornado hitting your
hometown is terrifying,” said Darrin Renz, owner of ServiceMaster of
Hattiesburg. “The first thing we thought about was the safety of the
community we serve every day.”
ServiceMaster of Hattiesburg has served Hattiesburg, Laurel and
surrounding areas for more than 20 years. “As soon as it was safe,” said
Renz, “we got out to assess the damage and immediately called in
franchisees in our network. We were able to have crews from across the
country in town that afternoon and have since expanded our efforts to
300 restoration technicians who are working to rebuild our community.”
“The damage to the Hattiesburg community is truly devastating,” said
Mary Kay Wegner, president, ServiceMaster Franchise Services Group which
is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., about 300 miles north of the city.
“Walking through the buildings and talking to home and business owners
about their experience and seeing the loss is truly heartbreaking and
humbling.”
In addition to restoration efforts in more than 40 buildings in the
city, ServiceMaster Restore donated safety supplies to residents and
announced a $10,000 donation to help victims of the Hattiesburg storms.
"I am grateful to ServiceMaster for the $10,000 donation, said
Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree. “This will help us help homeowners in
rebuilding their homes and lives. I'm also especially grateful for all
their restoration efforts with many of the businesses in Hattiesburg.
They are a true example of what our community is about."
A telethon will be held next Wednesday from 5:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. on
WDAM (channels 2 and 4). For additional information, visit facebook.com/CityofHattiesburg.
“It’s important to help in whatever way possible so people can restore
their homes and the community,” Wegner said. “For our franchisees, that
always includes restoration efforts, but that also means going above and
beyond and answering the needs of the community – and right now they
need everyone who is able to pitch in and do what they can to help to
rebuild.”
To follow ServiceMaster restoration efforts, follow the company on Facebook.
For more information on how to prepare for and recover from disasters or
extreme weather conditions, visit ServiceMasterRestore.com.
For immediate assistance and clean up, call a live ServiceMaster Restore
operator 24/7 at 1-800-RESPOND.
How you can help
After a disaster, the American Red Cross provides safe shelter, food,
emergency relief supplies, emotional support and health & mental health
services to people in need. Financial donations are the easiest and
quickest way to help to the people who need it.
Help people affected by disasters like the Mississippi tornadoes and
countless other crises by volunteering or making a gift to Red Cross
Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond
to and help people recover from disasters big and small.
People who are interested in volunteering can drop by the Red Cross
Hattiesburg office between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to sign up. For anyone who
was affected by the recent tornado, they can request assistance by
calling the office (601) 583-8151. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org,
call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make
a $10 donation.
How you can prepare
Those in communities prone to natural disasters are also encouraged to
download the free Red Cross Emergency App—supported in part by national
partnership with ServiceMaster. The app contains info about shelters as
well as safety information and resources. The app also provides expert
advice on what to do in case of a tornado and other disasters.
About ServiceMaster Restore
With approximately 2,000 franchised and licensed locations around the
world, ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM)
serve customers through a global network of franchises
available 24/7/365 to provide residential and commercial restoration
services resulting from damage caused by water, fire or smoke. SRM is
the large scale commercial catastrophic disaster restoration unit of
ServiceMaster Restore. ServiceMaster Restore and SRM have operations and
consulting experience on countless disasters, including clean-up after
Hurricane Katrina and the Pentagon after September 11, 2001.
ServiceMaster Restore is a business unit of the Memphis-based ServiceMaster
Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential
residential and commercial services. More information can be found at www.servicemasterrestore.com
and http://www.srmcat.com/.
About ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner’s dilemma. Every day, we
visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive
service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted
experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive
services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands
includes American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home
inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids
(residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential
floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and
Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster,
linkedin.com/ServiceMaster,
twitter.com/ServiceMaster,
or servicemaster.com.
ServiceMaster
Alison Bishop, 901-827-6956
alison.bishop@servicemaster.com
or
Nicole Ritchie, 901-871-1990
Nicole.ritchie@servicemaster.com