Serving Central Washington: 4 Ways We Are Shaping the Local Restoration Market

Most people prefer to work with and support a local business over a corporate giant. While every business has a place in our society, something about supporting a local company feels better. Why would you pick a mom and pop burger shop over a fast food franchise? The answer is community. The name, the brand and the people involved aim their skills and service at the people around them because they are invested in them. Investing in the community can be done in any line of work, whether you are flipping burgers, selling office supplies or doing insurance restoration work. It is the heart, the mindset, the character and the values a person brings to the table.

What distinguishes a local restoration company?

The difference between a local restoration company and a large corporation is social proximity to the community and the value of a name. One company is known for a Super Bowl ad. Another may be known because it painted your neighbor's home as an act of community service. Physical location is not the difference. The difference is the shift in focus from profit to people. We focus our attention on our work so we can improve and connect to the community around us, which lets us do what we do best and shape your project into your vision.

How we became Central Washington's local restoration contractor

Brice Baxter grew up in the construction industry with his father. From day one he was learning to frame walls, install roofing and everything in between. After working for another local company, he decided to start his own handyman service. In June of 1995, Baxter Construction was born as a one man handyman service. The crew slowly grew from one to ten people on staff, and alongside building additions and remodeling kitchens the Baxter name gained a reputation for excellent work and genuine customer service.

Adding our mitigation unit about 15 years ago was a game changer. Baxter Construction was not just Remodeler of the Year, it became the name people throughout Central Washington called when the worst happened in their home. None of that could have happened without a highly trained and people-oriented crew. We became a local restoration crew that does not just take care of your project but treats you like family.

Reputation and standards

For almost 30 years, Baxter Construction has been associated with speed, efficiency, trustworthiness, quality, integrity and honesty. There is no way to buy that reputation. Rebuilding a home is easy, but rebuilding a damaged reputation is much harder. The only way to keep it is high standards and top tier customer service, even when it is difficult. It takes time to find the right people to keep that quality consistent, but quality work can come from anyone. It takes a special crew to provide the service and composure that let you feel secure in an intense and often terrifying situation.

Communication

Our crew is trained to put your needs and your safety first, and we do that by showing you what we find in a fully transparent way. When we find something that may change the course of the project, we tell you so you can make fully informed decisions. One customer told us, we had another company out here and they set equipment, but we have not heard from them in a week.

Our emergency crew is IICRC certified. That means when we handle a potential insurance claim, we can talk with your insurance provider and find the solutions that are best for you. When we isolate the issues, we are ready to act swiftly and stop the damage. Most importantly, we do not leave you in the dark about the details and schedule of your project. As long as we are on your project, you can expect constant updates, scheduling details and any other information related to it.

Customer service

There is a common belief that attaches words like dirty, uneducated, grimy and greedy to blue collar work, whether it is plumbers, electricians, framers or restoration companies. Unfortunately, some businesses prove those stereotypes true, so the burden of proof is on us to show the stigma is wrong. We do that by caring about your home. Whether a flood has soaked your old junk drawer or a fire has scorched your grand piano, your property matters to us. When we enter your home or move your possessions, we treat them as our own, because that is how we want to be treated.

One night an emergency call came in: come quick, my ceiling is caving in. The caller sounded scared and had no idea where to go. Streams of water were soaking just about everything in her home office, including old newspapers, a computer, a rocking chair, about 300 puzzles on some bookshelves and a small coffee table with a half-finished puzzle. The crew got to work immediately. After some time, the customer had to be told that not everything would be salvageable, but the coffee table and the puzzle she was working on were saved. Her tears started welling up. When the crew member started to apologize she stopped him: my husband passed away last year, and that was the only puzzle he did not get to finish. Thank you.

Serving the community

Anyone can say they invest in the community, but actions speak louder than words. Our Community Out Reach Experience, or C.O.R.E., is a task force powered by Baxter Construction that combines the skills, experience, time and capital of our team and other volunteers around the Yakima Valley to complete a project that benefits the community. The first C.O.R.E. project in 2021 fixed the landscape and repainted a home in Downtown Yakima. The home was openly voted on by the community, and one family was chosen by their neighbors to have the work done at no cost to them.

Baxter Construction has always believed in supporting law enforcement and first responders. We often work hand in hand with them, and that relationship lets us take on projects many local restoration companies could not. One of the biggest examples is cleaning and sanitizing state patrol, sheriff and police cruisers when needed. During the Covid pandemic we sanitized vehicles, offices, fire stations and their equipment. The Baxter family has no shortage of veterans, law enforcement and other first responder connections, and the best thank you we can give is a sanitary workspace in an environment that can be extremely unsanitary.

The Baxter First Response Invitational is a fundraiser that brings in businesses from all over to participate, with all proceeds going to programs that benefit first responders in our community. The proceeds from the first event were given to the K9 Foundation based in Yakima.

Choose local when the worst happens

Local is not just a location. To us it is a mindset, an attitude and a motivation. We do our best to serve you because we are your neighbor. We aim for perfection because we are proud of our name and our work, and we accept excellence because in your home you should accept nothing less. When you have an issue with wind, fire, water or mold damage, call Baxter Construction Restoration and Cleaning at (509) 452-2464. From puzzles to homes, we want to restore what you have lost.