LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — For 40 years, SERVPRO of St. Mary’s and Calvert has grown into the region’s most trusted name in Cleaning, Restoration, and Construction — Far beyond its origin as “just a carpet cleaning company.”
Founded in 1984 by Vince Whittles, the family-owned and operated franchise has become a local institution in Southern Maryland, serving both residential and commercial clients with everything from fire and water damage restoration to full-scale rebuilds, mold remediation, duct cleaning, carpet cleaning and storm response.
“We are well known for handling fire, water, mold and trauma scene emergencies, but most people aren’t aware that we aren’t just an emergency service company. We have a full-service construction division that can handle everything from small kitchen and bath remodels all the way to full-scale reconstruction projects. We also provide cleaning services to include carpet, area rug, upholstery and air duct cleaning. When it comes to cleaning, no one in the area has more experience than our team.
Vince Whittles’ journey to St. Mary’s County wasn’t part of the plan. Originally from Montgomery County, I started working with the local SERVPRO offices in high school and college. After graduating from the University of Maryland with no real game plan, my oldest brother, a SERVPRO regional trainer, convinced me to buy my own SERVPRO business in St. Mary’s. Not knowing anyone and with a total of two traffic lights for the whole county, I figured on three years tops, sell the business and head to the Eastern Shore and open another one.”
Whittles’ tune quickly changed when he met his future wife, Sherry, on a marketing call. When asked about his current opinion of St. Mary’s County, Whittles’ response is, “Moving to St. Mary’s is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. What we’ve been able to accomplish — not just from a business perspective, but from a family and quality-of-life standpoint — is beyond my wildest dreams.”
The strong sense of family has remained central to the SERVPRO of St. Mary’s and Calvert business model. “I now have three of my four sons and my daughter-in-law involved in the business. Chad manages daily operations, Dustin handles the marketing, Dylan runs the construction division, and Kara works with accounting.”
As the business has grown over its 40-year history, Whittles’ inherent focus on “treating people the way you want to be treated” applies not only to customers but also to the SERVPRO family. “Our SERVPRO family is amazing. We have team members with more than 30 years of experience with just our company, and the average tenure with all of our crew chiefs is 12 years. These are the guys that are showing up in the truck every day. You just can’t find that type of experience from any other company in our industry.”
“For example, the gentleman that handles all our duct cleaning, Eddie Farrell, just celebrated his 30th year with our company,” said General Manager Chad Day. “Frank Turner, production manager, celebrated his 32nd year.”
That longevity has translated into long-term customer trust. “The very first job I did back in 1984 was a carpet cleaning for Bob and Sue Smith. They remained my customers for 34 years until they moved to North Carolina,” said Whittles. “We still keep in touch.”
That experience also translates into the size and complexity of jobs SERVPRO of St. Mary’s and Calvert can handle — from small residential carpet cleaning all the way to large, emergency commercial projects. “Just last year, we got a phone call from a local middle school just a few days before the kids were supposed to come back from summer break,” Day recalled. “They had discovered a pretty large mold issue. We had all of the remediation and reconstruction done in time for them to be back to school by the middle of September.”
The team also emphasized the importance of local expertise when compared to “out-of-town” contractors. “There’s really nobody in Southern Maryland who can handle projects the size that we can,” said Day. “We’ve done huge jobs for the Navy, St. Mary’s College and the College of Southern Maryland.”
In addition to serving their neighbors, SERVPRO of St. Mary’s and Calvert is part of a nationwide network of storm responders. They’ve assisted with disaster recovery across the country, from Texas to Connecticut. “People know, as long as they see that green SERVPRO truck pull up, they’re going to be taken care of,” said Whittles.
Along with being experts in cleanup and restoration, SERVPRO of St. Mary’s and Calvert is also a go-to partner for insurance carriers. “We’re a preferred vendor for all major insurance companies and we help people navigate the claims process,” said Marketing Manager Dustin Whittles.
Whether it’s a soaked basement, a scorched kitchen or a school with mold the day before students return, the team said their philosophy remains consistent. “Every job matters,” said Day. “We’re equally proud of helping a family get back into their home as we are restoring a major commercial facility.”
“Not a lot of people can say they enjoy what they do,” said Vince. “We love what we do. We love helping people.”
To learn more or request service, visit www.servpro.com/locations/md/servpro-of-st-marys-county or call 301-880-9803.
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