Disaster Kleenup/Better Floors & Restorations

Placentia, Calif.

Insurance restoration, floor replacement, and full-service remodeling

28 years in business

2002 volume: $5 million

Staff: 12 office, 26 field

Dennis Blake (far right) felt his background as an insurance adjuster made him the perfect candidate for running, and finally owning, an insurance restoration business that also does remodeling. In the 28 years he's owned the company, Disaster Kleenup/Better Floors & Restorations has done more than 50,000 jobs, with an average size of $2,900.

"I write my estimates so that anyone in my industry could do the job," Blake says.

He finds himself in court quite a bit, too. The company president/CEO is often called on to serve as an expert witness in suits.

Photo: David Moyle

Like many insurance restorers, Disaster Kleenup currently has its hands full taking on mold cases. It dispatches these with a machine that ice-blasts the mold off of surfaces. This year, the Orange County, Calif., company plans to open a branch in San Diego. In 10 years, Blake predicts sales of $10 million from three operations