In a recent episode of The Restoration Success Show from Restoration Marketing Group, I walked through how DRYmedic Restoration grew from a single location into a franchise network of 60+ locations. I pulled lessons from my work in construction, franchising, and restoration and shared actionable strategies for marketing, referral relationships, training, and the right time to add reconstruction services.
How DRYmedic got started
My path into restoration began after the 2008–2009 crash when I moved back to Michigan and explored new business ideas. A visit to a successful restoration franchise in Toronto opened my eyes to the industry: the combination of insurance, construction, and customer service made it a natural fit.
We launched DRYmedic in January 2014 with a focus on white-glove service and disciplined processes. Early wins came from digital advertising, lead generators, and strong networking. But two events in that first year really accelerated our growth:
- A catastrophic sewer pump failure in Southeast Michigan that filled roughly 15–20,000 basements with sewage — a massive need for emergency response.
- The polar vortex in January 2015, which caused pipes to burst across the region.
Those events stretched equipment and crews, so we rented what we needed, bought vehicles and tools, and put processes in place. Rather than panic, we used the demand to scale and invest — and that discipline paid off.
Capitalize on events, but plan ahead
When weather or utility failures strike, the work is urgent and emotional. The temptation is to scramble, but there’s also an opportunity: if you can respond well and scale responsibly, you’ll build momentum and reputation.
My advice: accept that these events are taxing, plan for rentals and short-term hires if needed, and reinvest profits into equipment and systems so you’re ready next time. In our case, those events helped us accelerate vehicle and equipment purchases while expanding staff and processes.
The “never take your foot off the gas” marketing mindset
A cornerstone of our growth strategy is persistent marketing. When leads slow, most competitors cut budgets. We doubled down instead. That discipline yields compounding returns over 3–12 months and prevents revenue swings from forcing drastic cuts.
“When things slow down, all those same contractors are now fishing in a pond. If you stay and keep the right bait, you’re going to catch fish.”
Practical takeaways:
- Maintain digital and grassroots marketing even during slow weeks.
- Think long-term — marketing ROI often shows up months later.
- Adjust and optimize, don’t stop; track funnels, conversion, and where leads come from.
How to build referral and relationship marketing that works
Referral relationships are core to restoration. Plumbers, roofers, property managers, adjusters, and even construction workers in your community are all potential referral sources. But it’s not enough to hand out cards and expect calls.
Here’s our playbook:
- Meet and map your network. Talk to folks everywhere — job sites, gas stations, suppliers. Everyone knows someone.
- Train referral partners. Show plumbers and roofers what to look for (mold, hidden water damage, types of leaks) and how to represent your company to the homeowner.
- Prioritize follow-up and speed of payment. If you pay referral fees, pay promptly — even on the spot when possible.
- Treat every referred client like a five-star customer. Don’t make the referrer look bad.
- Focus on relationships first, money second. People want trust and reliability more than just fees.
“The worst thing you can do is make somebody look bad when they refer a job over to you. That is like business suicide.”
When (and how) to add reconstruction services
We intentionally focused on mitigation and emergency response for our first 4–5 years. Mastering mitigation, contents, and emergency workflows prepared us for reconstruction.
Key guidance if you’re considering adding rebuild/reconstruction:
- Wait at least 1–2 years to build stable emergency operations before flipping the recon switch.
- Start small: drywall, paint, carpet, basic LVT flooring. Avoid complex kitchens and bathrooms initially.
- Learn billing, estimating, and how to write in Xactimate (or your chosen platform).
- Expect lower margins but much higher topline revenue — reconstruction often doubles or more the total job value.
- Be mindful of fixed costs and complexity; scale reconstruction carefully with experienced project managers.
“You will lose potential large jobs if you’re unable to provide rebuilds. It’s a necessary evil once you have the capacity.”
Training, systems, and creating muscle memory
One of our competitive advantages is our training facility and adjoining operating location. New franchisees learn in a classroom and then apply those lessons on live calls next door. That blend of theory + field practice creates the muscle memory teams need to execute under pressure.
How our training works:
- State-of-the-art training center with cameras, CRM demos, and recorded sessions.
- Hands-on field training at a functioning job site next door — trainees see the systems in action.
- Recorded lessons and a library of videos (Success Academy) for ongoing reference and continuing education.
- Real-time online access so location teams across the country can join live training pods and ask questions.
- Emphasis on systems: “the system is there for a reason” — follow processes to scale reliably.
“Repetition is the mother of skill. You’ve got to create muscle memory so teams do the right thing automatically.”
Industry trends & TPA/claim volume realities
Since the post-COVID boom years (2022–2023), claim volume has normalized and for many providers declined from that peak. We saw claim volume drop with TPA partners and more broadly. That’s not necessarily permanent — it’s simply a return to normal after an unusual spike.
What to do now:
- Accept reality and pivot — don’t hope for the golden years to return immediately.
- Double-down on diversified lead channels (digital, referral, property managers, TBAs where appropriate).
- Control what you can: marketing discipline, training, expense management, and strong relationships.
“Your job is to look at reality and figure it out. Learn how to make it during normal times, bad times, and great times.”
Final thoughts: discipline, relationships, and long-term thinking
Scaling a restoration business is not a sprint. It’s about systems, relationships, consistent marketing, and training. Some practical parting advice:
- Keep your foot on the gas — don’t cut marketing when things slow.
- Invest in training and field-based learning to reduce costly mistakes on jobs.
- Build referral relationships by adding value and delivering five-star experiences.
- Add reconstruction when your operations are mature enough to handle the complexity.
- Measure results, iterate, and be patient — ROI compounds over time.
If you want to learn more about franchising with DRYmedic, visit drymedicfranchise.com to request information and next steps.
Best of luck — keep building systems, training your teams, and treating every client like a chance to earn another referral.