Dan Violante marks 40 years as SERVPRO of the Farmington Valley franchisee

This June marks 40 years since Dan Violante bought his first franchise, SERVPRO of the Farmington Valley. At the time, he ran the business out of his home garage in Canton and was a one-man band. But before long he hired staff and acquired the Bristol franchise of SERVPRO, a fire and water cleanup and restoration company.

After relocating his operation several times through the years to sites including Avon, Violante has now purchased his own building in the Unionville section of Farmington, and this move was a short one, from
one New Britain Avenue address to another.

“Our business is growing and we needed to expand,” the Farmington resident said. “We now have room for all our equipment and for storage of customers’ belongings in climate-controlled units.”

The 15,000-square-foot building at 525 New Britain Ave. includes administrative offices and a large warehouse. Space has been retrofitted for the work done by the two SERVPRO franchises Violante owns. There are 15 employees on staff, including office and technical.

The franchises serve a total of 10 towns in their licensed territories, but they can go elsewhere if requested. The Valley towns are Avon, Canton, Farmington and Simsbury; the Bristol franchise serves
Bristol, Plainville, Terryville, Burlington, New Hartford and Barkhamsted.

A native of Buffalo, New York with a master’s degree in industrial engineering, Violante came to Connecticut for a job at Stanley Works. But after a few years there, he decided he wanted to be self-employed.

“I looked at a variety of business models and liked hardware, but decided that a service profession would be better for me,” he said.

Impressed by the family-owned SERVPRO, based in Gallatin, Tennessee, Violante bought the Farmington Valley franchise when there were just under 50 franchises. He’s seen the company grow – there are now more
than 1,700 franchises nationwide and in Canada.

His business is now a family operation as well, Violante is proud to say. Son Eric Violante of Canton is director of operations and a part owner, and son-in-law Stephen Cote of Canton recently came on board
after 20 years in the construction industry to head up the restoration division. Wife Terry Violante is sales and marketing manager and her son, Jordan Peck of Farmington, is sales representative.

“You could say I’ve been in the business my whole life because I grew up riding in my father’s truck,” Eric Violante said. “I find it satisfying helping people during what can be the most catastrophic time in their lives.”

Major fires and floods are the worst-case scenarios SERVPRO works on. But even cleaning up from a furnace back-up, which spreads layers of soot throughout a home or business, can be stressful for property owners
since everything inside must be remediated.

In addition to the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property from smoke or water damage, SERVPRO can also mitigate mold and mildew, and their highly-trained technicians provide
24-hour emergency service.

“We’re dedicated to responding faster to any size disaster with the training, equipment, and experience needed to respond to your restoration or cleaning needs,” Violante said. “We pride ourselves on our reputation.”

It helps being part of a large network, which enables them to respond quicker with more resources, he said. For major storms and disasters, they can call upon special Disaster Recovery Teams strategically located
throughout the country.

“Bio-hazard losses are done on a regular basis and handled discreetly,” Terry Violante said. “In addition, we handle all types of emergency services and are affiliated with the Red Cross.”

Technicians undergo training for certification both online and on-the-job, and project managers go to job sites to inspect damages and estimate the costs, which are preset by the insurance industry.

“Most of our jobs come from property managers or insurance companies, and we work with insurance agents to help manage the process and paperwork,” Terry Violante said.

Commercial jobs have included remediation of water damage at New Hartford Town Hall and fire damage at a large car dealership. They have also taken care of fire or water issues at a regional hospital, local
restaurants and churches.

Cote recently restored a 3,000-square-foot doctor’s office that was under two inches of water.

“They were back in business within five days,” he said.

“Getting lives and companies back up and running as soon as possible is what I find the most rewarding,” Terry Violante said.

For information, Farmington Valley residents and businesses should call 860-675-4500 or request help online via http://www.servprothefarmingtonvalley.com/. Bristol area customers should call 860-582-3330 or visit http://www.servprobristol.com/.

Photo:

Standing
outside their headquarters at 525 New Britain Ave., Unionville, are the five family members who operate SERVPRO of The Farmington Valley and SERVPRO of Bristol. From left: Eric Violante, Jordan Peck, Terry Violante, Dan Violante, owner, and Stephen Cote.