The months seem to have passed quickly as we close the books on Q1 and are well into Q2 of 2013. A few updates: we're in the midst of starting a new business, Jenkins Environmental Services (JES), our phones have changed to the technologically-advanced VoIP system, we've welcomed some new folks to the family, Raleigh has officially been opened by the mayor, and we had our spring Strategy meeting! All things pointing to the fact that we don't fear change and continue to look for ways to improve.

Speaking of improving: Twenty-three of us that attended the Strategy meeting spent an intense, and some say grueling (the schedule had our days beginning at 6:30 am, going straight through to 9:30 pm), two-and-a-half days focusing on our core strategy and how it impacts our business decisions. I am confident that while there may be differences of opinion on many details of our business, the mission and values are agreed on by all, and will continue to provide the foundational structure of our company as it grows.

Our Mission: Restoring Property and Lives with a Servant's Heart

Our Values: Honesty, Trustworthiness, Servant Attitude, Teamwork, Excellence, Expertise, Genuine Care for Others, and a Commitment to Family.

We recently installed a brand new VoIP phone system from ShoreTel in all of our Branch offices. The primary advantage this brings is an internal call center which will help us streamline our incoming calls, especially when a storm hits and the call volume spikes. One of our Administrative employees in Rockville, MD, for example, can answer calls for a Branch office in North Carolina. We now have access to reports and analytics to increase our customer service by monitoring what the average hold time is for our clients, how often a call is dropped, etc. We are very excited about this system and the efficiency it will help provide for Jenkins!