New Image Construction owner Jeff Sasseville made a promise to reconstruct a home damaged by fire in less than three months. I got a call from a news reporter today who wanted to interview the family and Jeff this day. We set it up and it aired tonight, Christmas Eve.

Contractor New Image Construction Rebuilds Wales Family Home Destroyed By Fire In Time For Christmas.

On May 30, 2012 a child accidently ignited a fire that destroyed the family home in Wales, Massachusetts. Thankfully mom, dad and their three young children miraculously got out in time. But the home and everything they owned were destroyed. Mom was a stay at home parent and dad can no longer work due to a medical disability. With three children under 8 their whole world was turned upside down. They did not know where they were going to go or how they could rebuild their lives. 

The Mass Office of Consumer Affairs contacted me this week to let me know about a contractor from Framingham who is being prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. OCABR has received complaints from several consumers leading to action by the AG. This contractor has had several different company names and has allegedly bilked consumers out of thousands.

In a recent article from Small Business Trends contractors again have the lowest survival rate of all business sectors. In our 25 years in the construction industry it seems that contractors are usually at the top of the "going out of business" list.    

OSHA's enforcement map identifies companies who have been visited by OSHA Compliance Officers. This shows the company, the location, the alleged violation and fine amounts. If you click on the pins it brings up a company. Then by clicking the highlighted link it shows the dates of the OSHA site visits and the standards that were violated. Many of the contractors I found had Fall Protection violations. The Stamford, Connecticut home improvement company below was cited for a ladder violation, eye and face protection and respirators. His initial fines were $7700.00 and they were settled for $5390.00. OSHA visited their site in August.

Contractors in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are in high demand after the devastation caused by hurricane Sandy. To a lesser extent Massachusetts and Rhode Island saw some damaging winds and rains. Contractors seeking to do insurance repair work should learn about the nuances before taking on this kind of work. This work can be profitable and the money from a claim can lead to additional opportunities. There are a few things to consider before taking on insurance work:

I am teaching an Fall Protection Workshop at the JLC Live Northwest Trade Show in Portland Oregon on 12/5/2012.