The Making it in Big Sky series is sponsored by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and written by the Explore Big Sky staff.
Buffalo Restoration was founded in 1991 from an observation of need in the community. What started as a paint company by founders Ben and Gail Yanker today is a full-service restoration company, tackling mold, water, and fire damage to commercial and residential properties, as well as extensive cleaning and pest removal. Explore Big Sky talked to Director of Marketing Calvin Wescom, who views Buffalo the company—much like the animal it is named for—as a long-standing symbol of resilience and community in the West.
This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.
Explore Big Sky: Tell me about Buffalo Restoration—do you know any of the history as to how Buffalo Restoration came to be?
Calvin Wescom: Buffalo Restoration was founded in 1991 by Ben and Gail Yanker. Ben and Gail had a local painting company (Buffalo Painting), but saw a community need for restoration in Gallatin County and thus, Buffalo Restoration came to be. We see the Buffalo as a long-standing symbol of resilience and community in the West.
EBS: When did you guys open in the region and specifically start serving the Big Sky area?
CW: Buffalo Restoration has serviced the Big Sky community for the last 25 years and we acquired the restoration side of Anderson Enterprises in 2016.
EBS: Tell me about the different services you offer:
CW: Absolutely, some of our services include water and mold mitigation. We also have a full-service cleaning center that allows us to clean contents from fire and smoke damage. Our specialty cleaning services are duct/drier vents, carpet and upholstery, forensic cleaning services, cigarette smoke deodorization, insulation extraction, crawl space encapsulation and bed bug removal. In terms of the restoration Industry, we are one of the few restoration companies that offer such a wide range of services.
EBS: What kind of work do you do most in Big Sky?
CW: As a full service, 24/7, 365-day restoration firm, a lot of our work in Big Sky is emergency services such as responding to water and fire damage.
EBS: With about three decades of experience, you have probably seen a lot of change in the valley—how has Buffalo Restoration adapted to serve a growing community?
CW: That is a great question, the herd has grown significantly, not just in size but also in professional development. We understand and know that not everything is clear, cut, and dry when serving others and making it feel like home again. We provide custom solutions because we know that not everything is the same, and that our customers have different factors in their life that drive their decision making. Our team is motivated to continue to grow with the Big Sky community and continually bring value for our customers through how we speak and act while delivering industry best practices.
EBS: I thought it was interesting you have a donation program on your site—is this a way Buffalo Restoration often gives back to the community?
CW: Yes, it is a way to give back to the many charitable organizations within the community that we serve.
EBS: What else should we know about your business and your team?
CW: We value the importance of having fun while getting things done!
EBS: What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?
CW: Build consistency through clearly communicating repeatable business processes.