You all do not need me to reiterate what a tumultuous year it has been. From coordinating the office staff to working remotely through the precipitous drop in volume, I have suffered through many a sleepless night. I am also sure that many of you have been suffering the same fate.
On that note, I sought out inspiration to carry myself and Innovative through to next year. We made it a priority to seek out new clients to expand our volume of properties. Thanks to a stellar reputation throughout the industry, boosted by some of the finest employees I have had the pleasure of working with, we have been successful in increasing our property count from the low experienced shortly after the start of the pandemic. Our reputation is not only based on our staff, but by the tremendous efforts brought forth by our vendors. Winning the “Best Quality” award for the second year in a row is a testament to the pride you all take in caring for these properties.
I had determined a few weeks ago that some of our team members would benefit from a field trip. They need to experience what you do and see the difficulties you are faced with. So, last week, I was joined by Lenny Iodice, Corey Aversano, Gary Busto, Paul Hopkins and Joe Milito as we visited Buffalo, Schenectady, Troy and Albany. The trip was an overwhelming success and gave them all an appreciation of each and every one of you. Next week, we will be making a second trip with Matt Camaratta, Jimmy Schreck, Dan vanSteen, Paul Hopkins and Joe Milito. We will be contacting the contractors in those areas to arrange to meet at a property where you have work so they can witness you and your crews in action. We will be calling you on Thursday and/or Friday so that we can work around your schedule.
We met with a few vendors last week, as well. Watching them in action made me proud to be associated with them. The diligence, knowledge, and drive to do their very best was, at a minimum, awe inspiring. It gave me renewed vigor to see us all through to the next wave of delinquencies, and subsequent foreclosures.
It has been a tough year. Many of you have suffered to maintain your businesses and for that, I have no easy answers for you. However, for a cyclical business, we have been fortunate to only have to suffer through this decline for a relatively short period. So, let’s remember to count our blessings for our previous success, while maintaining our diligence in preparing for the future uptick. You are our lifeblood, and anything I can do to help, I will.
I look forward to seeing some of you.
Bill Garrecht
President
Innovative Field Services.
