NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FIRM LVI SERVICES OPENS FT. LAUDERDALE OFFICE
4/25/2005
Office to focus on disaster response, mold remediation, drying, demolition
and other environmental specialties
NEW YORK - LVI Services, one of the nation's largest environmental services and restoration firms with a large and growing presence in the southeast, announced today that it has opened an office in Ft. Lauderdale to serve south/central Florida. LVI also has an office in Tampa that serves the north/central Florida, along with a satellite branch in Jacksonville.
The 2004 hurricane season, when four hurricanes in six weeks ravaged Florida, drove demand for an increased presence in the state. Through its Tampa office, LVI quickly mobilized more than 900 trained workers and established fixed and mobile command centers to aid government agencies, healthcare facilities, schools, resorts and other businesses with large-scale environmental projects, including drying, demolition, mold remediation and more.
Darrin DeWitt, former vice president of LVI's Pittsburgh office, will serve as vice president of the Ft. Lauderdale office and will oversee operations. DeWitt has been with LVI since 1999 and was intimately involved in last year's post-hurricane recovery efforts. He will work closely with Jeff Haas, president of LVI Environmental Services Inc. Florida Operations in Tampa that has been serving the state for four years.
"Florida residents and property owners suffered horrible damage from last year's storms," said Burton T. Fried, president of New York City-based LVI Services. "We anticipate that our experience and expertise in emergency preparedness and response will help the state's government agencies, healthcare facilities, schools and businesses in the event of another active hurricane season. Fast response is critical, especially in Florida's warm, humid climate, to enable us to help clients restore needed services and address mold problems before they become severe."
Public- and private-sector organizations that need help with large-scale cleanup and recovery from emergencies or disasters can call LVI's 24-hour response line at 1-800-283-2933.