Providing top drawer water remediation across the country requires a multi-layered team approach. Each layer performing in perfect coordination with other layers and each player performing their role to perfection.
Please read this in-depth and frank interview of one of those perfect role players, the technician for Rytech of Pee Dee South Carolina, Mr. Norman Smith.
This Dry Log Q&A interview of Norman Smith is word for word. Thanks Norman for granting the Dry Log this up close and personal interview.
DRY LOG: So, Norm...let’s start with a little background on how you came to work at Rytech
NS: I began working for Rytech of the Pee Dee on August 17, 2020. I am about a year and a half with the company. Previous to working for Rytech, I was working in the collections department of a local repo company. That job consisted of contacting companies that used repo services to pick up vehicles. To appreciate the irony, I was trying to collect on past due bills from companies that utilized repo services to pick up vehicles because those owners were past due on their loan payments.
DRY LOG: How about previous employment?
NS: Sometimes I am amazed at the variety of jobs I have done over the previous decades. I have worked for 2 different Italian restaurants, Citibank in their credit card department, part time substitute teacher, a movie theater, and a carpet cleaning company. Although they vary wildly from one another, they have all had some common elements. Each one involved interacting with people in some form, whether it was customers, clients, co-workers, employees of another company, or children. Thus with Rytech I’ve learned it often deals with all the above. Also living in two different and distinctive cities (Florence, SC and Jacksonville, FL) has given an appreciation of the environments that can potentially be encountered.
DRY LOG: Rytech is a family organization and values the quality of family in its workers. Can you tell our readership about your family background and your current family and any challenges you’ve faced?
NS: I was born and raised in Florence, SC to parents who came from small towns in North Carolina. I have a younger sister who drives tractor trailers in Montana. I met my wife, Nicole, in Florence through a mutual friend. At the time we were attending Francis Marion University (then Francis Marion College).
DRY LOG: How ‘bout children?
NS: We have 4 children (2 daughters and 2 sons) ranging in age from 31 to 11. The two oldest are daughters aged 31 and 23, who are married. The 2 younger ones are sons aged 17 and 11. My oldest daughter Caitlin has a stepson 3 yrs. old and had a daughter who passed away from a freak accident. She was 4 months old when it happened, and I still have difficulty thinking about it.
My second daughter Sidney is married to a Marine and had been, until recently, living in California. Her husband had recently been able to transfer to Jacksonville, North Carolina. My eldest son Gabriel completed his GED since he does not care for school that much, although he is thinking about attending Florence-Darlington Tech to study IT systems. Josiah is the youngest and probably the nerdiest. I know the older ones are a bit envious of his success in school so far. In addition, we currently have 4 dogs: a Labrador-mastiff, a Boxer, a Dachshund-with-something-else, and a Jack Russell.
DRY LOG: What are the biggest challenges you’re facing right now, if you’re willing to share?
NS: Nickie and I live with her parents and are in the process of buying their home. It is a bit of a challenge since she has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The diagnosis came approximately a month after her dad was diagnosed with liver cancer, also stage 4. She has been periodically traveling to Houston, Texas to meet with doctors at MD Anderson, who have literally world class equipment and facilities specifically for dealing with cancer and routinely run trials. The cancer diagnosis’ and the passing of my granddaughter all happened last year making 2021 the toughest year my family has ever experienced.
DRY LOG: What role has Rytech played in the challenges you and your family are facing?
NS: Rytech has truly been an extended family of sorts. Everyone, from owners Brian Larmon and Anthony Curtis to operation managers and project managers to fellow employees have expressed well wishes and even prayers for my family. I have never experienced this type of solidarity from any of the previous jobs I have had. They have been a blessing beyond words.
DRY LOG: What are some unusual job sites you’ve had to deal with? Or the most challenging?
In this business, you can find yourself in some crazy situations. I was only 3 months with Rytech and was working in Columbia assisting the Midlands office. I went to the job site to do demo work as the loss involved a bathroom, closet, and bedroom. It had been heavily flooded and thus damaged the vanity in the bathroom, which meant the vanity needed to come out. I had a helper with me to assist in the work and the first thing to do was to disconnect the water leads to the faucets. I shut the valves off and proceeded to disconnect the lines. Trying to be as careful as possible, used the adjustable wrench to loosen the connection. Unknown to me, the PVC pipe was extremely old and with very little pressure it snapped. At that moment, I had what amounted to a fire hose spraying directly into my face.
While doing my best to keep my thumb on the now open pipe, I called to the helper to shut the main line. Since the homeowner was not home, he asked the homeowner’s son where the main line valve was. The son had no clue what or where it was. Meanwhile I was completely drenched, and the only silver lining was the pipe that broke was from the hot water heater. The helper came back to me informing that son did not know where the main was at. At this point the bathroom is flooded again and already migrating into the bedroom. I grabbed a channel-lock plier (I did not have a water key) and ran outside to find the main valve. This particular day was extremely cold. I found the main and pulled the cover off, however it had rained the previous night. The meter box was full of ice cold water. The water was dirty and thus could not see the valve. I had both hands feeling around for the valve, then Dom from the Columbia office drove up. He had already planned on coming by the job site to lend assistance. He stated later that his initial visage was me on my knees, soaking wet, both hands in the meter box on a day that was around 40 degrees. When relaying what happened to the homeowner, the homeowner said that was how it flooded in the first place.
He was trying to disconnect the water line to the toilet and the pipe snapped with minimal pressure. Needless to say, I was picked on for a while after that.
DRY LOG: So, what do you do for relaxation and how do you spend your time off?
NS: In the off time I do not necessarily have a hobby however, I do play Star Trek online when I can since I am a bit of a Star Trek fan. Sometimes I will play some games on the Xbox with Gabriel. Before Nickie was diagnosed with cancer, we did sessions of Dungeons and Dragons with Gabriel, Sidney, and Nickie’s 2 younger brothers. She was the Dungeon Master for those sessions. Unfortunately after the chemotherapy began, she had little energy or stamina to do it any longer.
DRY LOG: Do you enjoy music? Are you a musician?
When I was in 6th grade, I started playing trumpet for which I can still pick up and play. By the time I got to 8th grade, I was in the high school marching band and participated until graduation. My last 2 years at South Florence High School, I played tuba. I looked a bit out of place as the usual idea of a tuba player is a big, burly person. I on the other hand was a skinny kid who was 125 lbs. at my heaviest.
But I love music. I primarily listen to hard rock/heavy metal. As a musical style, it really appealed to me because of the raw energy it portrayed, especially metal. For the longest time I did not particularly care for country as my mom was adamant that the radio stay on the local country music station and it was nearly all I heard growing up.
DRY LOG: Do you play any sports and who are your favorite teams or athletes?
NS: While in high school, I did run cross-country and track. I mainly ran the mile and half mile events. In my senior year, I placed 4th in the regional meet for the mile but needed to place in the top 3 to go to the state meet. Regarding participating in sports, my only regret was not playing baseball.
I used to follow many sports, particularly basketball. As a young kid, I followed the Boston Celtics and my mom, being from North Carolina, was a die-hard Tarheels fan. I watched many a televised UNC basketball game growing up. While living in Jacksonville, had attended several Jaguars games. By far though, I have enjoyed attending baseball games the most. I was able to see the minor league team in Jacksonville a few times. Recently I have not had much interest in watching sports for various reasons.
DRY LOG: How about down the road? Have any long term goals, like retiring to a desert island or writing a novel?
As far as future goals, I have not concentrated to much on the long term. In the short term, it comes down to enjoying the time available with family and friends for you never know what comes tomorrow. Definitely a few “bucket list” items, but nothing heartbreaking if not able to do them.
DRY LOG: Anything else you’d like to say about anything?
NS: I have come to appreciate the opportunity Rytech has given me and this franchise and it’s owners have been really good to me. Because I have worked in different capacities, I have developed a personal philosophy of business. I believe that the successful business not only strives to take care of the customer/client but also its’ employees who are often on the front line. The owners here have generally been able to strike that balance.
I believe with Rytech, ...it’s also one of the few places to work where you get to meet people from many different backgrounds, faiths, and personalities.
DRY LOG: Thanks Norman for your candid comments and for granting us this interview. We believe it will provide tremendous insight and inspiration to anyone who reads it, but...particularly those facing and overcoming hardship.
Thanks for being a great employee and a kind and loving husband and father.
