First Onsite Property Restoration : Everything you need to know

About First Onsite Property Restoration

First Onsite is a leading restoration and property reconstruction company serving clients in the US, Canada, and across the globe. The company provides quality remediation, restoration, and reconstruction services for a wide range of industries, from healthcare and education to the commercial and residential sectors. First Onsite works closely with insurance companies through the claims process. The company’s local, dedicated operations are backed by extensive national resources, so that they can be first to arrive and first to make a difference for businesses, homeowners, and communities.

The restoration firm’s US involvement dates back to 2012, when the company opened an office in Nashville, TN to provide its services to the commercial market south of the border. Then in May 2016, First Onsite teamed up with US-based Interstate Restoration, further expanding its resources.

First Onsite Property Restoration in the news

May 2014: Restoration company launches customer-direct mobile app
January 2018: First Onsite Restoration opens new branch in Québec
January 2018: First Onsite Restoration highlights danger zones after bomb cyclone
November 2018: First Onsite expands Ontario team with new appointments
August 2019: First Onsite Restoration enters agreement to purchase JPL Disaster Recovery in Ottawa
September 2019: First Onsite Restoration completes acquisition of JPL Disaster Recovery
September 2019: First Onsite names vice-president of commercial operations
February 2020: First Onsite Restoration to acquire ON-based insurance restoration company
October 2020: First Onsite Restoration opens business in new locations
December 2020: First Onsite Restoration acquires Spectrum Restoration
February 2021: How First Onsite managed the challenges of COVID-19
March 2021: North American disaster restoration companies unite under First Onsite brand

2022 and beyond: First Onsite continues to grow organically and through acquisitions to build its strong local and global presence.

Leadership at First Onsite Property Restoration

Jeff Johnson – Global CEO

Johnson boasts more than 25 years of experience in disaster recovery and management. He now heads First Onsite’s Canada and US leadership teams. He is an expert in strategic planning, operational management, and business development.

Dave Demos – CEO, Canada & Global Clients Solutions

Demos came onboard at First Onsite in July 2009, first as a member of the board of directors. Not long after, he was appointed chief executive officer in August 2010. Prior to the role, he held senior leadership positions in both the property and furniture restoration industries for more than three decades.

He’s also an entrepreneur. In 1989, Demos founded Action Fire Restoration, which later became a subsidiary of InStar Services Group, a US-based disaster restoration company. He held the position of president and chief executive officer of InStar up until his work for First Onsite .

Under the leadership of Demos, and specifically from 2003 to 2009, the business was integrated from four separate entities with 15 branches into a single company with expertise in commercial restoration and large-loss catastrophe work. The company grew from having offices in 12 states to 38 states, an expansion for which Demos was instrumental.

Outside of the office, Demos is active in industry associations. He founded the northeast division of Disaster Kleenup International, the restoration industry’s largest trade association, and served as VP from 1992 to 1995. He has also been a member of the Association of Cleaning and Restoration Specialists and of the National Institute of Disaster Restoration. Today, Demos serves on the board of directors for AAA Pioneer Valley and is a lecturer for the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.

Culture at First Onsite Property Restoration

First Onsite offers resources and tools to its clients to help them prevent major damage to their properties after a disaster. Its experts also offer tips through thought leadership. For example, during the winter of 2019, Jim Mandeville, senior vice-president of Large Loss North America at First Onsite Restoration, recommended that property owners look out for icicles. If a neighbourhood has lots of icicles, there will inevitably be properties suffering from ice damming, he noted.

“It’s important to manage the debris in your gutters, which is a big contributor to ice damming, as well as the insulation in your attic and the amount of heat loss from within your building,” Mandeville told Insurance Business. “When we have a lot of snow like this and we have temperatures that fluctuate between slightly above and below zero, we can get that build-up of ice on the eave – and that’s detected by the presence of large icicles. Those icicles may look pretty, but unfortunately that water might end up in your living room.”

The company has also played an important role in the wildfires in Western Canada. In fact, First Onsite has been on the frontlines of the decade’s largest forest fires, including 2017’s BC wildfires, the catastrophic Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016, and the Slave Lake wildfire in 2011. The firm released some top tips to help property owners mitigate their wildfire exposures.