A little help goes a long way

Advanced Restoration recently had the opportunity to donate to a charity of their choice. We felt Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City was the perfect place to do so because, this little hospital at the top of the hill, gives in a big way.

From Left to Right: Katie, Advanced Restoration LLC; Mike Babcock, Shriners Hospital; Deon, Advanced Restoration LLC

Shriners Hospital restores health and hope for children; a priceless gift. They are equipped to handle nearly all orthopaedic problems, excluding trauma cases, and each surgery performed is designed to improve quality of life. Whether it’s specialized care or financial assistance, these children and their families, get the attention they desperately seek.

Next to the talented health care professionals, they have hundreds of volunteers who help keep the hospital running. We arrived shortly after an Olympic athlete, who came just to spend his time with the children.

In addition to the standard hospital facilities, Shriners Hospital offers a large recreation area, a school and tutoring center, and on-site therapists and technicians who build prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs for the patients. We were able to speak with the wheelchair therapists about the need they see and the care they are able to provide. The therapists tailor every chair to the specific requirements of each child: manual or automatic, shape and size. On average, a new wheelchair with power-steering can cost as much as $20,000! But, last year, Shriners Hospital was able to provide over 200 wheelchairs at no cost to the families in need.

With little room for storage, wheelchairs are placed in the hall-way to accommodate their growth.

The hospital is run from an endowment created by the Shriners fraternity. Because of generous donations to the hospital, Shriners is able to provide quality pediatric care. Shriners need is on-going because health care, as we all know, is extremely expensive.

From Left to Right: Mike Babcock, Shriners Hospital; Kristin and Deon, Advanced Restoration LLC

Upon arrival to the hospital, one of the representatives for Shriners warned, “we’ll really get in your blood!” She was right.

For more information about Shriners Hospital for Children or, details on how you can become a donor, please visit their website.

It's all about who you know

There is power in networking. Advanced Restoration has seen the benefits of this concept through an association they belong to called Business Networks. Deon and Wayne, Advanced Restoration’s two owners, assemble with the owners of 11 other restoration companies around the nation, every 6 months, to critique their peer’s business methods. This ensures each business is analyzed once every 6 years.

Two weeks ago, they flew to San Antonio, Texas for a networking conference. The focus this time was not on an individual company but about two main aspects of any business, finance and marketing. They were able to learn new and more efficient ways to tackle these areas by sharing experiences and gaining knowledge from third party experts.

The red dots on the map represent the diversity of the group

Great friendships have been created within the group and everyone is willing to help share in the success of the industry. With an average of 20 years experience per company, how could they go wrong?

Business networks have several different chapters. They arrange the groups based on certain criteria including, type of industry, overall size, and whether or not you are in direct competition.

Out of several hundred companies in the business networks program, Advanced Restoration has consistently been ranked in the top 15. This year they are in the 13th position. These ranks are based on many circumstances including, finance, knowledge, and how well they follow through with the goals set.

Advanced Restoration sees the value in having an open mind about the aspects of their business. They take away the best practices from the group and implement them directly to be the best company they can be.

To learn more or, if you are interested in participating in a networking group of this kind, please visit their website.