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PuroClean, a national restoration and remediation franchise, has appointed Darren Hudema as its new director of training and technical services. The move will bolster the company’s already robust training efforts and expand its ongoing growth, affording new franchise owners access to the very best training programs. Hudema will lead the PuroClean Academy, training and mentoring franchise owners, technicians, support staff, and industry professionals in best industry practices.
“We are dedicated to offering PuroClean franchise owners world-class support from the very beginning of their journey, starting with our state-of-the-art training facility and expert training team. As our new director of training and technical services, Darren will play a crucial role in establishing a structural foundation for new franchise owners and their team members that sets them up for success in every way imaginable,” said Steve White, President and COO. “Darren brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge of the restoration industry to our team and we are proud to have him as part of the PuroClean family.”
Hudema has been involved in the restoration and cleaning industry for more than 40 years, handling residential, commercial, trauma, and large loss events. He holds a Water Loss Specialist certification from Restoration Industry Association, and is a Certified IICRC Master Textile Cleaner, Master Fire and Smoke Restorer, Master Water Restorer, and an approved IICRC instructor. He has published numerous articles in trade journals and has trained more than 4,500 water damage restoration professionals. In his new role, he will further develop PuroClean’s training efforts, providing franchise owners, their team members, and industry professionals with real-life instruction in property damage restoration to achieve certification by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). This includes education programs at the company’s premier Applied Structural Drying (ASD) facility familiarly known as the “flood house,” which forms the foundation for franchise owners and technicians to perform high-quality property damage restoration services for their customers.
Joining Hudema at PuroClean are Joshua Flores and Gabriel Lugo, who have been hired as regional directors. As part of their new role, Flores and Lugo will help onboard new franchise owners and advise them on their business, as well as provide ongoing support in the field to ensure individual success for new and existing franchise owners in their assigned territories.
“Our regional directors are a direct line of communication to PuroClean franchise owners for support and guidance along the way. They are an integral part of the PuroClean culture, and help ensure our franchise owners are set up to service their local communities with superior property restoration services,” said White. “Both possessing valuable leadership and training experience, we are confident that Joshua and Gabriel will be great additions to the PuroClean team.”
Based in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Flores has more than nine years of experience in the restoration and remediation industry, ranging from educating customers on emergency preparedness, to specializing in fire, water, mold, and biohazard mitigation and restoration projects throughout Florida. Most recently, he served as contents division manager at WrightWay Emergency Services, overseeing and managing the company’s day-to-day operations of the contents, fire, and biohazard mitigation division.
With in-depth knowledge of business practices and a deep understanding of restoration franchises, Lugo joins PuroClean with extensive industry experience and expertise, most recently managing a territory of 90 franchisees and recruiting, selling, and training new franchise owners for Coverall, Inc. Lugo is based in Saugus, California.