20 minute read
Inside Track
Pattee restores faith in process
Restoration company owner stays independent to better work with customers.
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Paul R. Kopenkoskey
Special to the Business Journal
Fire is central to Clay Pattee’s business and personal life.
Pattee is owner of John Grace Restoration and Construction, a Comstock Parkbased mitigation restoration business that springs into action after fire or water has damaged a building. That’s when John Grace’s four-step process goes to work: inspection, emergency services, estimating and reconstruction.
It’s the type of business that means navigating the home insurance maze on behalf of his customers, a process Pattee said can sometimes be too “opaque.”
“What I see out in the world of restoration is opaque,” said Pattee. “We try to make it transparent to know what they’re getting paid for. It’s nice to have someone who can make the process as transparent as possible.
“When someone has water or fire damage, they call a random restoration company hoping for the best,” he said. “Not all restoration companies are created equally. The way the whole (insurance) industry is set up is not completely transparent with people. An example: They call an insurance company, and they are asked if they would like to use a preferred contractor. What they’re not telling you is the contractor has paid to be on that list and what they’re not telling you is the contractor has had to make concessions to be on that list, and it changes the dynamic of the relationship with the homeowner, which is the policy owner. They (the insurance company) want to use their guy. The arrangement is between them, and you don’t get to completely understand that.”
Pattee said his company operates from a di erent point of view.
“We’re independent so we get referred a lot of insurance claims from a lot of the good local insurance companies around the greater Grand Rapids area, and they refer us because we have a track record of working well with insurance companies and working with people,” Pattee said. “People wonder why I prefer not to be on a preferred contractor program, and they’re surprised what they have to do to be on that list.
“I don’t want to throw the whole (insurance) industry under the bus. If you live in the outskirts, you don’t have a lot of options for restoration companies. But I just saw a gap in there. Our whole policy is to do right by these people, be transparent with them and have a really great outcome for people going through insurance claims.”
Pattee didn’t fall into the restoration business by accident. His father in 2005 launched a construction business and dubbed it John Grace, which are the middle names of his father and Pattee’s sister. They initially kicked around the idea of using his father’s and Clay Pattee’s middle name, which would have named the company John Wayne, a moniker that was a little too Hollywood-ish.
His father’s version of John Grace didn’t succeed, but it did serve as a constructive learning experience.
“It was short-lived for a couple of years,” said Pattee. “He (his father) showed me what it took to start the company even through it didn’t gain the traction at the time.”
Pattee earned an associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College and transferred to Cornerstone University as a night student, earning an undergraduate degree in business in 2010.
He then enrolled in Western Michigan University’s masters degree program in engineering management.
“This was before I had an epiphany for John Grace,” said Pattee. “I was deciding what to do and didn’t necessarily like what I saw in the restoration field and went through the process of getting accepted into the engineering program at Western University. It was cool, but also, I understood with school I’m not a real booksmart kind of person. I did good for my first course there, but the drive from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to commit the next three years? Is this the path I want to go down?’ That’s when I decided on restoration, but I had to do it my way.”
Still, the one class he took
CLAY PATTEE
Company/Organization: John Grace Restoration and Construction Position: Owner Age: 37 Birthplace: Minneapolis Residence: Grand Rapids Family: Wife Ashley Business/Community involvement: Board member of Grand Rapids Fire Department Residential Safety Program Biggest Career Break: “Learning the restoration business my dad started after I finished high school: John Grace Construction. Later in my life, it came into focus that restoration is where I wanted to be.” at Western told him something about himself.
“I aced the first class, which was project management,” he said. “I think it would have been fun to take more in-depth classes, but it would have been an uphill battle because I didn’t have an engineering degree so that probably would have led to di culty finding a longterm position in that field. It gave me time to figure out what I wanted to do. I didn’t know it would be John Grace at that time, but I knew enough about construction. I was more curious if we came at the restoration field with a bit of a di erent angle.”
Pattee’s connection with fire isn’t restricted to his business. He is on the board of the Grand Rapids Fire Department’s Residential Safety Program, which is focused on getting hard-wired smoke detectors installed in homes. Homeowners have a habit of not replacing the batteries in smoke detectors, said Pattee.
After seeing a news story about an increase in fire-related deaths in Grand Rapids in 2020, Pattee found out that each of the deaths that year were at homes that did not have working smoke detectors.
“This is unacceptable,” he said. “I called a few of my contacts in the insurance industry and began to set seeds that this a program that should be funded by insurance companies. Let’s save lives and prevent and minimize home damage at the same time. I got some quick traction but realized accepting funds was not smooth
Clay Pattee’s passion for restoration also extends to prevention as a member of the GRFD’s Residential Safety Program. Courtesy Clay Pattee
because the Residential Safety Program was not a true nonprofit entity. My conversations with the GRFD Residential Safety Program led to them concluding that they needed to actually start a nonprofit entity so that we could e ectively raise money and solve this issue.”
Pattee credits his wife, Ashley, for emboldening him to want to help others. She is performance improvement director at Arbor Circle, whose mission is to transform the lives of children, adults, and families facing mental health, substance use and family concerns.
“I never met someone who is so selfless in (her) chosen career path,” Pattee said of his wife. “With Arbor Circle, she really pours her soul into it. Helping people who need help. Helping people to get through those moments for better times. She’s why I looked into how else can I make a better community? There’s a lot of gratification that comes out of that. Giving back is good and I see the impact it’s making. That’s pretty cool.”
Another inspiration Pattee cites was a business launch that didn’t go as planned for some of his friends.
“Entrepreneurially, what shaped my path was a couple of buddies of mine who started a business and it didn’t work out,” he said. “They poured their heart and soul and switched gears and found their next thing. Watching them roll with the punches of life and finding a new way when something didn’t work out for them was a valuable learning experience.”
One of Pattee’s first jobs was window estimator for a company that sold windows. He learned through that job what it meant to accomplish exacting work.
“I first learned the details in construction: You can’t get one measurement wrong,” Pattee said. “You have to be very thorough crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. Working o of blueprints, measuring windows, getting quotes put together on the windows that were sized. We’re going back to where a lot of it was done by hand. You mix two numbers and order the wrong-sized window, you got to replace that window for free.”
When asked how he defined success, Pattee paused, then said it’s his desire to help his employees climb the ladder of achievement.
“Internally, taking guys who are early on in their carpentry career and putting them with guys who are later in their career to bring the younger ones to lead carpenter, to manager and then project manager,” he said. “I think all of that is a positive impact because it helps people get to the next level and have a positive impact in their lives. That’s what I’m most proud of and that’s why I would say it has nothing to do with revenue or the size of the company or anything like that, as long as every day we’re making a positive impact for as many people internally and externally.
“That’s how I know we’re successful.”
Incoming President and CEO Troy Vugteveen said he will follow Mina Breuker’s lead by putting the “people we serve at the center of all we do.” Courtesy Holland Home
Holland Home implements long-term succession plan
Troy Vugteveen is replacing President and CEO Mina Breuker on Jan. 1.
Chelsea Carter
ccarter@grbj.com
Mina Breuker, longtime president and CEO of Holland Home, is stepping down.
The announcement is part of a multi-year succession plan that fi lls various executive roles with longtime leaders to ensure continuity of the organization’s mission and leadership ranks. A unanimous board vote in September solidifi ed the succession plan, and on Jan. 1, Troy Vugteveen will assume the duties of president and CEO of Holland Home.
Breuker, who has been with the organization since 1998, will then fi ll the role of president emeritus for three months to ensure a smooth transition.
Vugteveen, 54, joined Holland Home in 2014 and most recently has served as COO. He previously held roles as executive vice president of operations and vice president of operations. He led a majority of the recent campus expansions and remodeling initiatives while also assisting residents and families who receive care from the organization.
“As I’ve made my way through the halls and streets of our campuses over the years, I can see the lasting impact that the compassionate, Christ-centered care o ered by everyone at Holland Home has had on our residents and families, and I know that was due to Mina’s steadfast commitment to putting the people we serve at the center of all we do,” said Vugteveen. “It’s an honor to carry forward that mission and I believe we are very well equipped for the future, thanks to Mina’s leadership.”
Additional leadership changes include the promotion Doug Himmelein to executive vice president of human resources and operations. Himmelein joined Holland Home in 1997 as an intern, which led to years of experience in human resources and operations, making him a logical choice to assume his new position.
Ensuring a smooth transition of executive leadership roles has been a longstanding priority of Holland Home, and Breuker, 64, plans to ensure that tradition continues.
“The transition of these recent moves has gone very well, and the main reason for that is everyone was already part of our family, knowing and living our mission,” said Breuker. “We are well positioned for the future with a strong, wonderfully prepared executive team led by a passionate, mission-forward leader in Troy. I am so grateful to have been part of this organization for as long as I have. I draw comfort from knowing that our organization, which I dearly love and cherish, is in good hands.
“I have been part of this family for 23 years and have had the wonderful opportunity to work at all our campuses and alongside the home- and community-based services as well. It is a great place to work with wonderful people doing important work. I especially enjoyed my time with residents and families. When my retirement date
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GOD IS THE WAY OUT.
Guiding Light Board Chair Connects Recovery Success with Spirituality
Ed Postma fi rst noticed there was something different about Guiding Light when he saw a young man struggling with addiction begin to ask questions about spirituality and to talk about God.
After more than three decades in recovery himself, Postma served as sponsor and mentor for scores of younger men just beginning their journeys – but this time, it was different.
“I picked up this young man from Guiding Light every Thursday for support group meetings, and I started seeing the changes,” Postma recalled. “I had been trying to help him for years, and I was impressed with what was fi nally happening within him.
“He asked me if I wanted to meet ‘Mr. Ray,’ as the guys called Executive Director Stuart Ray, and I was interested in learning more. We met, and Stuart described the Recovery program to me and said he was open to suggestions. Along with three other guys, I sat down with Stuart to share some ideas for modifying the Recovery program, which were accepted – and are now incorporated into the very successful program we run today.” Guiding Light offers an intensive addiction recovery program for those struggling with drugs and alcohol. Known on the street as “no-joke recovery,” the Heartside nonprofi t offers a four- to six-month residential program that combines evidence-based practices, lifecoaching, therapy, support groups, spiritual direction and resources to equip men to build a life worth staying sober for.
Offered free of charge, and funded entirely by donations, Recovery replaces the chaos of day-in-day-out addiction with a proactive, extensive, all-encompassing and healthy routine. Men attend individual and group therapy sessions, as well as connect daily with outside community support groups who are all committed to their recovery – the latter one of the changes recommended by Postma and the other men who met with Ray.
Men who complete the Foundations portion of Guiding Light’s Recovery program have the option to move to Iron House, a sober-living apartment setting that provides a safe and secure residential environment outside the inner city. The apartments allow men to live more independently as they transition back into the mainstream of society.
Statistics show 76% of men who come through Guiding Light Recovery, fi nd employment and move to Iron House achieve long-term sobriety. Those results are in stark contrast to a national survey that shows only 33% of men who attempt to get sober on their own are able to maintain their sobriety more than one year. Postma attributes that success to the nonprofi t’s emphasis on spirituality and developing a strong relationship with God.
“To me, getting sober and living a productive life has a whole lot more to do with your relationship with God than with anything else,” Postma noted. “When you’re deep in addiction and can’t see a way out, we fi nd out God is there and He’s the way out.
Postma joined the board of Guiding Light six years ago, serving as board chair for the past three. The Grand Rapids native graduated from what was then Central Christian High School before studying political science and economics at what is now Calvin University. Postma served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
After returning to West Michigan, Postma took a position in the county’s juvenile detention center before joining Baxter Community Center as an assistant director. He decided to pursue law school and was encouraged to apply at Amway Corp. so he could work nights in security there and take classes during the day.
An encounter with Amway co-founder Rich DeVos opened Postma to the possibility of a career within Amway. He started in sales support and worked his way up in the organization, working in compliance, business development, risk management and other roles before retiring from Amway after 37 years.
But Postma didn’t retire fully. He continued to do board work in order to be of service to others – something he learned and valued during his own time in recovery.
That service will continue to others struggling with addiction issues even after Postma ends his term on the Guiding Light board. The organization is in the middle of a strategic planning process so it can continue to evolve and focus on what’s next.
“We are taking a fresh look to see what needs to be done down the road,” Postma explained.
‘‘Guiding Light has had nearly a century of service to Grand Rapids and the greater West Michigan community and, we hope, ” will contribute more as time goes on.
Holland Home implements long-term succession plan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
arrives, I know that I will miss everyone and continue to hold everyone up in prayer.”
Holland Home leaders are confident in the succession plan but say it will be bittersweet.
“Mina wanted to make sure all the leadership roles were filled appropriately before she would step away, so we knew this moment was coming,” said Mary Ursul, chair of the Christian Living Services board, the nonprofit parent company of Holland Home. “But it will still be hard to let her go. Mina has given 23 years to Holland Home and touched so many lives with her caring, nurturing heart. She will be missed, and I know she will continue to touch lives in her retirement. We are very excited to have an excellent leader in Troy to step into the executive role and continue providing world-class care to those we serve.”
Breuker became president of Holland Home in November 2014, following the retirement of another longtime leader, David Claus. Claus later retired from his position as CEO in July 2015 and Breuker assumed both roles.
She first joined the organization as an administrator at Holland Home’s Fulton Manor after working at Holland Hospital for 20 years in various positions, including bedside nursing critical care, a certified critical peer nurse and eventually nursing leadership and director of emergency medicine. Breuker said she loved Holland Hospital and still has a very special place in her heart for the organization, but said she had a pull for seniors that she could not ignore and wondered if she could also be successful someplace else.
“I checked around and people said, you need to check out Holland Home. So I did, and at that point, Holland Home had a position open at Fulton Manor as an administrator. And, you know, (when) you come out of the hospital, you kind of think you know everything, and I knew nothing about long-term care, but the sta at Fulton Manor, they’re wonderful, so it was a great learning experience.”
Breuker said she held the administrative position for six years at Fulton Manor until she was approached by the CEO, who told her they needed her at Raybrook, a bigger campus within Holland Home.
“So, I moved to Raybrook and I was there for three years. Then they moved me to Breton, and I didn’t know, was I being groomed? Was it God’s way of letting me experience the organization? But I was at Breton and was able to open up our Breton Ridge building, which I had never done before, and then came to corporate as COO and really never had my eyes on this position but believed in our mission, and just that service has always been part of me — serving others, that customer service, our mission and commitment to excellence. And it’s been a personal fit, and I think that’s why next year will be my 24th year. And so, after 44 years of service, I want to serve in a di erent way going forward in the next chapter.”
Breuker said she has felt blessed to have worked for both Holland Home and Holland Hospital during her career because of the great culture and people within each organization.
“I believe in having fun at work. I mean, I am a personal person and I always say, love what you do and do what you love. And if you’re not having some fun with it, life is too short. So, I’ve really focused my time here as COO and CEO, not only in customer service, meaning both for those we serve and those we serve with our employees, but also (on) collaboration and partnership.”
As she exits her longtime position with the organization, Breuker said the thing she has most enjoyed about leading the organization is the people — from the residents and clients in the community, to Holland Home employees. Breuker said she has learned much from residents and how to approach, change and challenge them when thinking about what they’ve gone through in their lives, and has gained wisdom through these experiences.
“We have a strong and capable board of directors, an outstanding vision for the future and a wonderfully prepared executive leadership team,” she said. “We are serving more and more people each day throughout our entire organization, and the quality of services and the excellence of our programs are at outstanding levels. I step back knowing that Holland Home stands ready to respond to the direction in which God is leading us.”
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