Newman Restoration and Cleaning is a restoration company that specializes in fire and water damage, mold removal and other cleaning services. It is a family business that is owned and operated by Andrew Newman. Andrew and his team take pride in quality over quantity in their work and to maintain their personal approach to their services. They are professionals that are detail oriented, courteous and deliver on their promise of 100% customer satisfaction.

 

Explore Big Sky got a chance to speak with Andrew Newman, to learn more about his passion for his business and team. 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: First off, tell me about yourself. What brought you to Montana?

Andrew Newman: My wife Rebecca and I moved to Billings, Montana, in 2014 from Sheridan, Wyoming, where we both grew up. I was working in Public Relations for Montana-Dakota Utilities and Rebecca is a graduate from Montana State University and taught science at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. We have four beautiful children: two boys and two girls. Our children are very busy with school, sports and lots of other extracurricular activities. We enjoy staying active and consider ourselves very blessed. Sometimes we try and slow down to smell the roses!

 

EBS: Can you share the story behind Newman Restoration and Cleaning? What inspired you to start this business?

AN: At the beginning of 2016 I resigned with Montana-Dakota Utilities and pursued my dreams of being an entrepreneur. Now the good part … sharing my plan with my wife and my parents didn’t quite go over as easy as I’d hoped. Apparently resigning from a career with growth opportunities and good benefits to chase a dream in a volatile industry doesn’t provide much stability for a spouse who thrived in a stable environment. So that’s when I decided to appease my family and start Newman Restoration. I knew people were always going to be insured and disasters would happen no matter what state the economy was in. Again, Newman Restoration grew quickly, and I had to decide between building homes or restoring them. In 2020 we took a leap of faith and expanded our operations to Big Sky. We have since purchased a shop and a condo for employee housing so we could provide quick, local services to the community.

 

EBS: What specific restoration and cleaning services do you specialize in?

AN: We have two sides to the business, scheduled cleaning services and disaster restoration. Our scheduled cleaning services vary a bit depending on location. In Big Sky, we specialize in textiles, chimneys, dryer vents, rodent infestation, heat treatment for bed bugs and basically anything that your house cleaner refuses to clean, we will clean that too! Our disaster restoration services include all types of water damage, sewage, mold, fire and smoke damage, and trauma and biohazard. Our certified techs live in Big Sky, our equipment is located in Big Sky, which allows us to have incredibly fast emergency response times. It also means that a good portion of the money we earn is re-invested in the Big Sky community through restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, resorts and so much more. 

 

EBS: Can you walk us through your process when responding to a water or fire damage emergency?

AN: We have learned that being consistent, and following our proven process, will make for an exceptional customer journey. We follow the same steps on every project no matter how tired or how busy we get. We have learned that when we fall short it’s because we missed a step. The process holds us accountable to the quality of service we thrive to provide. We feel the most important factor we can provide when we first respond to a loss is compassion and empathy. We want to know what is most important to our client at that moment. That changes for the client as the project progresses and we constantly ask the question to understand their needs. We are there to serve and build a partnership.

 

EBS: How do you approach customer service, especially when clients are dealing with stressful situations?

AN: Serving people in a time of need is very rewarding and we take great pride in doing so. The experience with people who need us when they have a flood or fire is much more intimate than the experience of someone who wants us when building a home. When a disaster strikes unexpectedly, property owners must make quick decisions and act fast. You are opening your personal space to complete strangers, not because you want to, but because you must. This can be terrifying. We understand that, which is why we are a client-focused company. Everything we do is based on what we named “the customer journey.”  Our first core value is to “lead with love.” Our leadership team leads the company with love, our entire team leads our clients and community with love and in return we build lifelong relationships.

 

EBS: Do you offer any preventative services to help homeowners and businesses avoid major restoration needs?

AN: Our marketing team is doing a great job with our social media platforms, weekly blog and monthly newsletters. We work hard to educate the community on ways to prevent avoidable disasters from happening. We don’t hope that disaster strikes, but we do hope you choose Team Newman in your time of need.

 

EBS: How does your company contribute to the Big Sky community and why is this important?

AN: We have always believed in philanthropy and being involved heavily in the communities we serve. We get our team and family involved in the community as much as we can. Serving others builds character that aligns with our core values, it gives our team something to be proud of personally and a company they are proud to represent. In Big Sky we get involved with fundraisers, sponsor community events, sponsor the ice skating rink and we are supporters of the Big Sky Chamber and Big Sky Housing Authority.

 

EBS: What is the biggest challenge in this industry?

AN: Overall, the industry is very challenging, especially in a specialized market like Big Sky. We work in homes where it’s common to see building materials that are rare and irreplaceable. This level of service and attention to detail takes committed team members that care and thrive in outside-the-box thinking. It’s hard to find those individuals and even more of a challenge to keep them. We take pride in providing a level of service that is changing the industry standards. All restoration companies aren’t equal or provide the same customer care that we strive for. We are seeing big franchise companies moving into smaller markets that focus on quantity, not quality. Insurance companies are motivated to work with these franchise companies because of their pre-negotiated rates nationwide, which saves insurance companies lots of money. Insurance companies are trying to standardize all pricing, no matter the level of care or customer service you provide. This makes it difficult to get paid by insurance for the service you provided. Often, it leaves homeowners with an outstanding balance owed to their restoration company. At Newman Restoration, we embrace constant improvement and are dedicated to delivering top quality service—anything less leads to mediocrity, unfulfilled teams and unhappy clients.

 

EBS: Is there anything else you would like to add?

AN: My wife joined the company in 2017 and earned a 50/50 ownership in 2020. She has brought so much value to areas that I didn’t even realize we were missing. Because of her, we have brought on invaluable team members that have helped write a playbook to build something incredible.  Our team is very passionate about our work and life. We are constantly challenging each other to learn and grow. We hope that you give us the opportunity to serve you if you find yourself in need of our services. Your customer journey is our life’s work.