F E AT U R E
Prevent & Prevail The reliability of a business often depends on the regular maintenance of the systems working behind the scenes. By Randy Krebs
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our teeth. Your vehicle. Your business’s infrastructure. While those three topics might seem unrelated, there are two words that give them important common ground — preventive maintenance. Just as good teeth and smooth-running cars rely on regular appointments with dentists and mechanics, respectively, the infrastructure of every business — think electrical systems, HVAC, roofs, fire suppression, plumbing, etc. — require regular inspections and maintenance from trained professionals to contribute to that business’s success. Without that expertise, both in the form of regular inspections and maintenance when scheduled and when needed, it’s just a matter of time until a business sees system failures that could cost it both short- and long-term success.
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INSPECT THE UNINSPECTED “For commercial buildings, the most common issues we see are roof failures, drains not cleaned, ponding, a lack of insulation and springtime flooding — all of which can be caused by a lack of maintenance,” said Rudy Brambrink, general manager with Royal Renovations, a disaster restoration company based in Clear Lake. Royal Renovations specializes in comprehensive property damage repair for homes and businesses that have had fire, water, sewer, mold or storm damage. “Maintenance costs you time and money,” Brambrink said. “But it’s cheaper than the costs of a disaster.” Royal Renovations recently helped a business with a commercial kitchen that initially experienced water damage due to leaks through a flat roof that lacked an
effective drainage system. Unfortunately, the water had caused unseen mold damage, which forced the kitchen to remain closed until mitigation measures were in place and the kitchen passed required health inspections. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” Brambrink said, noting regular inspections and resulting maintenance by certified professionals may have prevented the leaks and mold. MAINTENANCE MATTERS Jason Fischer, business development manager at Yale Mechanical (formerly Climate Air) in Sauk Rapids, echoed the importance of preventive maintenance, especially given the complexities of today’s equipment. “Inspections and maintenance for your business are very similar to oil changes for your car,” he said. “They increase your efficiency,