"Our competition is clearly frustrated with our ability to produce quality reports with a cost model that cannot be duplicated anywhere."
- Bob Brown
Several months ago, a local engineer filed a complaint against one of Arizona Foundation Solutions’ Engineers, Nestor Brea PE. This complaint was made by an engineer who has allowed himself to be drawn in and used by our competition. The complaint alleged 'rubber stamping', a practice where an engineer seals recommendations where he or the principle engineer does not control the information gathered to make those recommendations. The complaint seemed to rest on the fact the Nestor is part time with us and is physically located out of state. As if in today’s world engineers don’t work all over the world!
Our competition is clearly frustrated with our ability to produce quality reports with a cost model that cannot be duplicated anywhere. They lack insight into how our organization works. Often these competitors have sales people gather some limited data and then forward this information to a 3rd party engineer who then makes an informal verbal recommendations… clearly rubber stamping. Nothing even close to this happens with our engineering processes!
As a licensed engineering company with the state of Arizona since 2016, we have built, trained and developed Engineering Techs, Back Office Techs, and Engineers that all work together using custom software that we have developed specifically for this purpose. This team has at present 13 people and growing, who all work under the direction of our principle engineer. This department operates completely separate from the sales department and in no way influenced by it. This is a dynamic team that communicates up and down the chain and laterally for peer comments. They are a dedicated group that puts the best interests of each Homeowner as the foremost guiding principle of our company.
The problems in the Foundation Repair Industry became evident to me many years ago. Non formally educated sales people descend on a home and many times in one visit, gathers some limited data, makes engineering recommendations, draws up repair plans, and signs the contract all in a few hours. These sales people are paid on a commission basis clearly setting up a conflict of interest for interpreting the limited data they collect.
I realized that this was not right and set out to make a difference. I started by looking in the mirror and making the changes first with ourselves. With considerable time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears, we eventually worked out at system with people and processes to accomplish this.
This recent challenge with the BTR caused me to reflect and introspectively wonder if our model was flawed and too radical for the industry. Now with this vindication, I am sure that more than ever this is the model that will lead the way for the future of the industry. I hope this Engineer will have the introspection to rethink his role and apologize to Nestor for maligning his reputation.
