Michael Holland of Holland Galleries

Our Bucci Insurance customer of the week is Michael Holland. Michael has been with us at Bucci Insurance for six years. He lives in North Kingstown, RI and owns his own business Holland’s Gallery and Framing in Warwick.

Michael did not start out in the picture framing business; he actually was not even close! Michael went to Bryant University graduating with a business degree. He then went on to get his MBA from the University of Rhode Island. The first job that Michael had out of school was with Johnson & Johnson as a sales representative for their hospital division. After being there for 5 years he left and then found a job with Kimberly Clark in the hospital division.  Then in 1982, came Michael’s first brush with the picture framing business.

Michael was living in Medfield, MA at the time and would constantly visit a framing shop to get his pictures customized. He kept coming back to them because he loved the way that they operated and always had a pleasant experience there. The owner asked Michael one day if he would be interested in ever getting into the framing business. At the time Michael thought it was a crazy idea. Then after visiting the shop a few more times, the owner asked again telling Michael that they wanted to start to franchise the business. Michael thought it would be perfect for his late brother Herby and his wife Susan. Soon the brothers invested in this franchise and opened up The Frame Center in Warwick in 1982.

Michael received a surprise two years into the frame business when The Frame Center owners said that they no longer wanted to franchise. From then on Michael and his brother were on their own and changed the name to Holland’s Gallery & Framing. Michael was still working at Kimberly Clark when they started up the business and did not work full time until 1995. They struggled for about 4 years, but business soon picked up. They spread their business by word of mouth from all of their customers. They do commercial work with local businesses like GTECH, banks and restaurants. As well as custom framing for the everyday customer who want to make their picture quite a bit nicer from a plain photo. They even have local artists work in the store.

When asked if he regrets leaving his stable job at Kimberly Clark to being on his own Michael said, “No, I love the job I have now.” He said that he loves being out on his own and “loves the challenge.” He has built his business on providing quality products and results for his customers. Holland’s Framing always try to meet each customer’s unique needs.  Michael says he does not know what he wants to do when he retires because he loves the job that he is doing now.

It was a pleasure speaking with Michael and it is easy to see why his customers keep coming back and spreading the word about the business. Michael is dedicated to his work and to giving his customers the best quality products. At Bucci Insurance we are proud to say that Michael is a customer of ours and our customer of the week! Please visit Bucci Insurance for any of your insurance questions!

Yesterday we posted some things to do to prepare for a flood. We now want to give you some tips on what to do during and after a flood.

If you are home when a flood occurs there are a few obvious steps you can take to stay safe. First, make sure to go to higher grounds. If water rises in your home then evacuate the house. If you can not safely leave your home, then go to the top floor or roof. Do not try and drive through flooded roads or walk across them. Finally, make sure you turn off all utilities.

After you have experienced a flood and the rain has finally stopped it is time for the cleanup. The tips for what to do after a flood, are courtesy of our friends at Puroclean Disaster Restoration Services in Warwick, RI.

NOTE: if you have groundwater, it is a waste of time and effort to try to suck it out with shop vacuums, it will return, see note W1.

W1:  DO: Make sure source has been stopped AND repaired. NOTE: most people have groundwater coming in so you need to wait until it stops raining and subsides naturally because the ground water level has risen.

W2:  DO: Turn off electrical power to affected area, if safe to do so.  If water has risen above outlets in basement, DO NOT step in water.

W3:  DO: Open the house and ventilate if weather and security allow.

W4:  DO: Turn on exhaust fans if available AND if they vent outside, not to the attic.

W5:  DO: Move valuables, electronics, and small furnishings out of the affected area.

W6:  DO: Block furniture off carpet: plastic bags, saran wrap, aluminum foil.

W7:  DO: Remove any paper products (newspapers, books, etc.) from floor in affected room.

W8:  DO: Secure draperies by hanging them over a plastic coat hanger and hooking hangar to rod.

W9:  DO NOT: Turn on HVAC system if water has seeped into ducting.

W10:  DO NOT: Place newspapers or other printed paper on the floor to walk on.

W11:  DO NOT: Turn the temperature up, thinking it will help dry the room!

W12:  DO NOT: Use a regular vacuum to remove the water, shock hazard!

If sewage:

W13:  DO NOT: Turn on fans that may circulate contaminants.

W14:  DO NOT: Have direct contact with the water/sewage or affected contents.

W15:  DO NOT: Eat any food that has been opened in the contaminated area.

PuroClean says that ground water is considered contaminated if your neighborhood has septic systems which overflow and then run into a nearby river, which are polluted. This is similar to what is happening in areas of Warwick after this flood. If this happens it is called a category 3 or “black water.” If you have this “black water” you must remove and dispose of wet drywall, insulation, carpeting, cardboard, and other porous materials which cannot be cleaned. The steps that you need to take in this case are as follows: First, follow all the steps from above. Next, wait for the water to stop coming in and then remove any remaining water. Then, tear out and remove all the contaminated materials as listed above. Next, dry the structures. Finally, clean and disinfect the area and rebuild as desired.

We hope that these tips are helpful to people out there who have experienced damage during the recent flooding in Rhode Island. At Bucci Insurance, our customers always come first. We want to make sure that we can help our customers with all of their flooding issues from purchasing flood insurance to how to clean up after the flood. We want to thank our friends at PuroClean Disaster Restoration Services for giving us great tips on what to do after you experience a flood.

Floods are the number 1 natural disaster in the United States, which is why we wanted to give our customers all of the necessary steps on what to do when a flood happens. For any of you that were hit hard by the recent floods in Rhode Island, we want you to know that at Bucci Insurance, we care and are here to help. If you have any questions please call our offices at 401.558.0101 or toll free at  877.210.7159. Again to apply for federal assistance visit FEMA’s website.

Blackstone River from Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo and Kris Craig

Rhode Island has just experienced one of the biggest disasters in our state’s history! The flood caused rivers all over the state to reach unprecedented levels. Two straight days of rain caused the Pawtuxet River to flow into communities along the river. It caused roads all over the state to be shut down because of flooding, even Route 95. Some residents in Warwick can’t flush their toilets because the sewage plant is shut down. On top of that the ground is giving way in some areas, hundreds of residents homes are have sustained water damage, many people are being evacuated from their homes, and the flood has left the whole state of Rhode Island in a disarray.

Now that everyone in the state has experienced a flood, at Bucci Insurance we think it is important for every Rhode Islander to know what to do before, during and after a flood. Today, we are going to talk about the plans of action before a flood strikes.

We realize that you may never know exactly when a flood is about to happen, but here are some things that you should do ahead of time. First, purchase flood insurance. We can not drill that into your head enough! It is important to have flood insurance, especially when living in a state surrounded by mostly water. Having home owners insurance does not cover floods.  At Bucci Insurance, we would be happy to help you set up your flood insurance policy. There are two different types of policies that are available. One is the standard flood insurance policy, which you can apply for if your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. The other policy that you can apply for is preferred risk flood insurance. If your home or business is in a low to moderate risk zone then this is the policy for you. While you aren’t required to purchase flood insurance if you live in these areas, having this policy will protect your home if a small or large flood extends into your area.

Next, make sure that you keep copies of all critical documents in a safe place like a lock box. Keep copies of insurance polices, finance records and even a list of all your possessions. Finally, make a family emergency plan. Have a safety kit ready with food, water, medical supplies, radio and flashlight. Make sure your family has a plan of action on how to evacuate and where you will go. It is important that you are prepared and ready next time a disaster like this hits our area.

Come back tomorrow to find out what to do during and after a flood. If you have any questions about flood insurance please contact us at Bucci Insurance. We would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. If you live in Kent, Newport, Providence, or Washington counties follow the link on how to apply for federal assistance.

Stay safe out there today!