More Than 60 Attend Foundation Supportworks Training
More than 60 owners, managers, sales representatives, and installers from various FSI dealer offices across North America attended training at the Foundation Supportworks headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska during the week of November 16, 2009. 
Newer dealers received training on the various deep foundation solutions offered by FSI, how to market structural work effectively, and tips on running an efficient foundation repair business. Other dealers in attendance received either hands-on training at actual job sites or classroom-type training on sales techniques, depending on their role. Those attending sales training left equipped to diagnose foundation problems and how to explain to customers the features and benefits of Foundation Supportworks push piers, helical piers, wall anchors, slab piers and crawlspace stabilization systems.
Some comments from those in attendance include:
– “It is incredible how professional and talented the FSI staff is. I’ve learned I really need to work on training my employees better and implementing follow-up procedures.”
– “I have taken so much away this time that I am having a hard time pinpointing something that would improve the value.”
– “The training helped to bring some of the pieces together for me. I’ve seen bits and pieces, but this brought it together.”
Geotechnical Engineer Don Deardorff, P.E. Joins Foundation Supportworks, Inc.
Foundation Supportworks, Inc. (FSI) is pleased to announce that Don Deardorff, P.E., former Senior Engineer for Chance Civil Construction, will join the FSI engineering department as a Senior Application Engineer, effective December 1, 2009. Don’s work will be focused in the areas of product development, product verification testing, preliminary design applications, and the development of technical documents and presentations. 
Jeff Kortan, P.E., Director of Engineering for Foundation Supportworks, welcomes Don to the team. “We are eager to have Don join the FSI team. His product knowledge from past research and testing and his overall experience with the design and installation of helical foundation systems make Don an exciting addition to our growing company. Don’s hire further positions FSI as a leader in the foundation stabilization industry.”
“I am very excited about joining this outstanding, forward-thinking company,” says Deardorff. “Foundation Supportworks has developed a competitive business model with a dedicated focus on their customers. I am honored to be a part of the company’s continued growth.”
Don attended the University of Missouri-Rolla and graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree, he worked as a consulting environmental and geotechnical engineer in Missouri and Wisconsin.
Don was hired by Hubbell Power Systems/Chance Civil Construction in January 2005 as a Senior Engineer. He continued with graduate studies and obtained his Master of Science degree in Engineering in 2007. He is currently in the dissertation phase of the Ph.D. program.
Foundation Supportworks experienced exponential then continued, steady growth since its inception less than two years ago and is already a leading supplier of helical piles, helical tiebacks, and hydraulically-driven push pier systems throughout North America.
Foundation Supportworks of NJ holds business planning meeting in New York
Foundation Supportworks of New Jersey, a division of Quality 1st Basement Systems, held a business planning event at the ESPN Zone on Times Square in New York last week. Members of the Quality 1st management team, along with corporate representatives from Foundation Supportworks and Basement Systems, discussed ways to continue developing their business in the foundation stabilization and basement waterproofing industries. Foundation Supportworks of NJ/Quality 1st Basement Systems is one of the largest basement waterproofing and foundation repair contractors in the Northeastern United States and their team is continually building toward the future.
The meeting at ESPN Zone also served as a place for celebration after a great year in 2009 and allowed owner, Tom Roman, to reward his team and prepare for continued growth in 2010. Another item that was discussed at the meeting was the addition of Mark Caverly to the Foundation Supportworks of NJ team. Mark will focus mainly on the commercial foundation division
where he will work with engineers, architects and general contractors on projects requiring deep foundations and tieback anchors in New Jersey and New York. Mark’s focus will primarily involve helical piles, helical anchors and push (resistance) piers to support foundations in new construction and retrofit applications in areas like Newark, Patterson, New Brunswick, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.
Foundation Supportworks Publishes Article in NAHI Forum Magazine
NAHI Article About Foundation Repair
Jeff Kortan, PE, Director of Engineering for Foundation Supportworks, published the first of four articles in the NAHI Forum Magazine. NAHI, the National Association of Home Inspectors, is a national non-profit organization which develops and promotes home inspectors in the professional home inspection industry. The article, titled “Identifying Conditions for Structural Concerns,” was part one of a four part series of articles. The article series focuses on the causes, symptoms and solutions to common structural problems and serves as an educational tool for home inspectors across the nation.
Foundation Repair Contractors in Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan
Foundation Supportworks recently welcomed several new foundation contractors to their network of dealers that fix foundation problems like bowing basement walls, settling foundations, sagging floor joists and cracks in concrete.
Basement Wall Repair
These contractors are experienced in foundation repair and have all been recognized by their communities for outstanding customer service and a great reputation in the foundation repair industry. Insta-Dry Foundation Repair offers their services in the Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, and Saginaw, Michigan areas and is a great addition to the Foundation Supportworks team because of their years of experience installing helical pier and wall anchor systems throughout Michigan. Dry-Pro Systems also has years of experience in Charlotte, North Carolina and we are excited to have them on the FSI team. In the Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown, Ohio markets, Ohio Basement Systems offers quality foundation repair systems for customers who are in need of basement wall, foundation settlement, or crawlspace repair.
Sagging Floor Joist Repair
All of these companies also have experience working with commercial contractors on new construction helical pile systems, helical anchor systems and foundation peiring systems in retrofit applications. If you would like to contact one of these companies, visit www.foundationsupportworks.com or call 866-375-9990.
Foundation Supportworks of New Jersey Presents to Engineers
Foundation Supportworks of New Jersey, a Quality 1st Company, coordinated presentations to two groups of engineers in early June. Jeff Kortan, P.E., from Foundation Supportworks Inc., spoke to one engineering office over lunch on the topic, “An Introduction to Helical Foundation Systems and Push Piers.”
Foundation Supportworks of New Jersey also coordinated another, similar presentation where several different engineering firms were invited to a hotel conference room to learn about helical foundation systems, push piers, and other structural solutions from FSI.
In addition, Foundation Supportworks was the featured speaker at the New Jersey Association of Licensed Professional Home Inspector’s monthly meeting. Jeff spoke for two hours on the Causes, Symptoms and Solutions for Common Foundation Problems. Approximately 60-70 local home inspectors were in attendance.
Foundation Supportworks of New Jersey is a great resource for homeowners in need of Foundation Repair, or specifiers looking for a qualified helical pile installation for a new construction application.
Foundation Supportworks Dealer Trainings
Training workshops have been in full swing at the Foundation Supportworks’ headquarters in Omaha, NE. Installation Training in April filled to capacity and had a waiting list, resulting in an added session in May.
Five new FSI dealers joined us for our May Sales Training, along with more than 25 additional attendees. Our newest training offering, Commercial Marketing and Sales Training, offered July 8-10 filled to capacity with over 40 attendees! Our most recent trainings in September included Installation Training and Commercial Markting and Sales Training, both of which filled to capacity.
The Foundation Supportworks network of foundation repair contractors is growing and they are busier than ever!
2009 Convention
The Foundation Supportworks annual dealer convention took place on August 13-15th with over 500 dealers and their employees in attendance. The theme of this year’s convention was Believe! and those who were able to be there with us can most certainly believe that Foundation Supportworks and our dealer network are making a difference in the structural industry.
As always, the convention gave dealers the opportunity to see new products, receive comprehensive training that will help their business grow, and network with other dealers from around the world. This year’s convention was especially moving with our guest speaker, Nick Vujicic who inspired everyone in attendance.
FSI Celebrates Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
On June 4, 2009, Foundation Supportworks celebrated the grand opening of its new warehouse and distribution facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Over 100 visitors from throughout the Omaha area were present to celebrate with us. While the warehouse has been in operation since January, we scheduled the grand opening for June so that all the landscaping could be completed in time for the event. This grand opening celebration reminded all of us at Foundation Supportworks of all the success we have been blessed with over the past year; none of which would have been possible without the commitment and dedication of our dealer network.
To the right is a photo of the ribbon cutting followed by a photo of owners, Greg Thrasher and Larry Janesky, holding the first wall anchor plate that was manufactured using a new press.
Foundation Supportworks conducts training for Chicago’s Perma-Seal Basement Systems
The Foundation Supportworks training and development team recently traveled to Chicago, IL to conduct a product orientation and sales training for the sales staff at Perma-Seal Basement Systems. Perma-Seal has been in business since 1979 and is one of the largest waterproofing and foundation repair contractors in the world. With over 189 employees and 3 offices throughout the Chicagoland area, Perma-Seal has the workforce and experience to handle almost any residential or commercial foundation problem.
Last week, Perma-Seal’s sales 
team of more than 45 System Design Specialists participated in continuing education in the areas of foundation underpinning, basement wall repair, and crawlspace stabilization in the Chicago area. The Chicago foundation repair company’s sales team was trained on product design and application as well as in the area of diagnosis of structural problems.
Foundation Supportworks is excited to have Chicago-area-based Perma-Seal Basement Systems as a part of their network of the best foundation repair contractors in North America.