Irene left Begal Enterprises with a revenue bump equal to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said William Begal, president and founder of the Rockville, Md., disaster cleanup company.
The small firm, which typically has 20 employees, clears away debris from fires and floods across the country. Because of Irene, Begal Enterprises has expanded to 40 and 50 employees, said Begal.
"The weather has created opportunities," said Begal. And that isn't the first time. When Washington D.C. flooded in 2006, Begal had 80 people working for him in 24 hours. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Begal went to New Orleans and within a week had 100 people working for him.
The crews pick up shattered glass, dehumidify the air, pump excess water out of flooded basements and remove wet carpeting and padding.
Begal Enterprises has large corporate clients, but, so far, most of its calls are coming from individual homeowners. "It is basements that have turned into swimming pools," said Begal. "When the power went off, the sump pumps no longer worked."
Be polite and professional when giving an employee the boot. And if the person getting fired starts to lose it, duck.
