Zurich Program matches donations from RIA members.
Press Release Summary:
Zurich North America Commercial, a property and casualty insurance provider in North America and globally, has announced its ongoing support of Restoration Industry Association®. Zurich will match donations made by RIA members throughout next 3 years, up to its previous year's donation of $25,000 to help RIA update Certified Restorer® Program and develop new means to deliver training to motivated and knowledge-seeking restorers.
Original Press Release:
Zurich Program Matches Donations from RIA Members
Zurich North America Commercial will match donations made by Restoration Industry Association (RIA) members
$25,000 is available from Zurich to advance the RIA's mission of educating motivated, property damage restorers
Columbia, MD, June 22, 2009 - Zurich, a leading property and casualty insurance provider in North America and globally, has announced its ongoing support of the Restoration Industry Association® (RIA), a not-for-profit trade association for cleaning and restoration contractors worldwide, by offering a dollar-for-dollar donation match to its current membership.
"RIA's mission to help advance the educational programs available to qualified certified restorers reciprocates Zurich's HelpPoint brand promise - to deliver when it matters," said Julie Dunai, head of Zurich North America Commercial's Environmental unit. "Having highly specialized and advanced certified restorers will, ultimately, improve the already high-level of service Zurich provides to its customers. We believe in the RIA's mission and are hoping this sponsorship inspires other members to give back to this important association."
Zurich will match donations made by RIA members throughout the next three years, up to its previous year's donation of $25,000, to help the RIA achieve two of its main goals:
1) Update the Certified Restorer® (CR) Program, and
2) Develop new means to deliver training to motivated and knowledge-seeking restorers.
The CR program is an advanced certification program for contractors in the property damage repair industry. It also focuses on helping committed restorers raise their current level of knowledge and proficiency.
"Zurich's sponsorship is proving invaluable in helping RIA undertake the many facets of recreating a professional certification such as documenting the restorer's work through a formal job analysis study, creating a comprehensive and accessible body of knowledge, and offering a secure and impartial examination process," said Don Manger, RIA executive director. "Zurich's support has already enabled RIA's collaboration with Purdue University in funding a job analysis study to be conducted this summer."
Manger added, "The participation of Zurich has lent a new level of respect to Certified Restorer within the industry. In fact, a retired RIA member with a career-spanning commitment to professional development has pledged $12,000 to the project largely thanks to Zurich's excellent reputation and financial commitment."
Zurich provided a $25,000 sponsorship to RIA last year to help launch the CR program and electronic learning project in the association of more than 1,300 member organizations that represent more than 20,000 cleaning and restoration professionals who specialize in the drying, cleaning and repair of damaged buildings and their contents.
According to Zurich's Pollution Liability Product Line Manager Tom Ferrie, Zurich and the RIA share the following goals:
1) To give back to a community to which we are committed;
2) To create value within the Restoration Community;
3) To allow more professionals the possibility of attaining the CR credential; and
4) To support the ongoing professional educational development of its employees and industry associates.
For more information about Zurich's Environmental unit, including specific insurance coverages Zurich offers to help business owners restore their properties after uncovering an environmental contamination, go to http://zurichna.com/zna/environmental/home.htm.
About Zurich
Zurich's North America Commercial and Global Corporate in North America business divisions are part of Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich), an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It employs approximately 60,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries. In North America, Zurich (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, specialties and programs sectors.
The Restoration Industry Association (formerly the Association of Specialists in Cleaning & Restoration) has member firms worldwide. RIA provides industry leadership, supports science, and promotes best practices for cleaning and restoration. More information is available on the RIA website: www.restorationindustry.org.
