Al Farooq is our Featured Business of the Week

Al Farooq is our Featured Business of the Week

Featured Business of the Week

The person behind the business.

By Requestmaster.com

This week we’d like you to meet:

Al-Farooq Corporation

Owner: Farzana Farooq

My name is Farzana Farooq and I came to the United States in 1977 from Pakistan. I was married for 32 years to the late Dr. Humayoun Farooq. I am the mother of 5 children and grandmother of 2. I have a Masters degree in economics and another Masters degree in international studies.

So why did Farzana Farooq start Al-Farooq Corporation?

Al-Farooq Corporation was established in 1982 by my late husband and me, and I was the Secretary of Board of Directors up until 2009, when I took over the company and became president / owner. The purpose of starting the business was to establish a team of experts to provide engineering services for the glazing industry.

Dr. Humayoun Farooq, a graduate Civil Engineer from Pakistan, arrived in Miami in 1967 to continue his studies at the University of Miami. During this time, he also taught Civil Engineering. After graduation he obtained a resident’s visa and was hired by a company where he helped design several of the bridges spanning Florida’s highway system.

His next stop was at Miami Dade County Building Department, Product Control Section where he served for 10 years. In the meantime, he obtained a Doctor of Arts degree in structural engineering from University of Miami. Seeking to advance himself in the profession, he left the Building Department and established a partnership with another engineer. This lasted for 1 year until he decided to continue offering his services and expertise founding his own company: Al-Farooq Corporation.

This change required a great effort and sacrifice where we put in long hours together in order to establish the business as a recognized engineering firm, where I served as secretary and consultant on business matters. Besides Florida, Dr. Farooq obtained professional licenses in over 20 other U.S. states including Hawaii, New York, California & Texas. Sometime during this period he met another engineer who put him in touch with Renato Mazarantany and his company ‘Glassalum’ where he became an important cog in the process of calculating and engineering curtain wall systems that were manufactured in Miami, and then sent to job sites in New York.

His work was reviewed and approved by noted threshold engineering firms in New York for many high rise buildings.

In 1987, he brought on board Mr. Enrique Soto who had 20 years of experience in the product design portion of the business. From this point, AFC set a steady growth curve that continues to this day.

Due to the professional acumen of the staff and the team work spirit established through the years, the April 2009 passing of Dr. Humayoun Farooq was felt by all at AFC and throughout the industry, but allowed AFC to continue to provide the quality service that is reflected in the many Notices of Acceptance for various glazing and storm protection products that can be viewed at the Miami Dade County and State of Florida websites.

So what is important to Farzana Farooq?

Aside from my professional life, I care deeply about my family, their children, and general community welfare. I was a community activist representing Asian American points of view regarding community issues and international affairs and have assisted in various ethnic and cultural events to promote multicultural harmony in conjunction with other Asian American community organizations, Miami Herald and WLRN17.

As part of Board of Directors of Universal Heritage Institute (25 years), my goal was to increase understanding among various ethnic groups in the community, including rehabilitation of Earthquake victims worldwide and at home with Hurricane Katrina (financial help). I was part of the team that resulted in establishing a free medical clinic in Miami Gardens.

Gardening is a favorite hobby of mine and I specialize in exotic and tropical fruits. I am constantly providing fresh fruit to the office staff, family, friends, and clients.

I find gardening very relaxing and refreshing. It is so special when you pick a fruit from your own garden and share with family and friends. I have 72 fruit trees and 23 types of fruits including Mango, Lychee, Longan, Avocado, Jujubes, Lime, Lemon, Anon and many others.

Since last year, I have joined the Rare Fruit Council in search to educate myself about tropical fruit gardening. I also volunteered for several years with the Asian Festival at Fruit and Spice Park on behalf of Asian American Advisory Board and Universal Heritage Institute.

So what makes Farzana Farooq want to get up and out of bed every day and go to work?
The unprecedented economic circumstances of the past 3 years are an obligation to not only to get to work, but to do my best every single day. I have a relentless belief in never giving up, not lowering my standards and being innovative. No matter the challenges, you have to have courage to continue. It is important to me to keep running the company as it honors my late husband’s legacy and employees who have helped establish standards in the glazing industry that we are known for.

So what has made Farzana Farooq who she is today?

Being free spirited and open minded along with hard work and honesty are the characteristics that have made me the person I am today.

If you would like to contact the Al Farooq corporation please do so via these pages:

Requestmaster.com Profile: http://www.requestmaster.com/Al-Farooq-Corporation.908.MIAMI.Florida.html

Company Page: http://afceng.com/indexx.html

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Ladybug Pest Management is the Featured Business of the Week

Ladybug Pest Management is the Featured Business of the Week

Featured Business of the Week

The people & the beagle behind the business.

By RequestMaster.com

This week we’d like you to meet:

(Photo on Right) Ladybug Pest Management, Inc. & (Ladybug Canine Scent Detection Services)

Owners: Frank & Sandy Honess

Residing in the 1st State of Delaware, Frank & Sandy Honess started Ladybug Pest Management, Inc. in January of 2010. Prior to Ladybug, they owned a construction company (Honess Construction & Backhoe Service, Inc.) for 20 years. Unfortunately, the economic down slide took a huge toll on their construction company and forced them to end the business. Sandy remained working in the legal arena as a Legal Assistant and Frank was very fortunate to find a position as a Service Mgr. for Orkin Pest Control in Maryland. He loved the pest control business. However, after working for himself for 20 years, it was very difficult to adjust to a large corporate environment. He was not happy and knew he had to do something else. Thus, the beginning of Ladybug Pest Management. With the bed bug resurgence, Frank and Sandy decided to send a rescued beagle, named Daisey, to a training facility to learn to scent live bed bugs and their eggs. She was a star pupil and graduated with high honors! We now have our 2nd canine (“Dolley”) in training to join Daisey in the Fall. “Hello, Dolley, Good-bye Bed bugs”

So what is important to Frank & Sandy?

Our family (which includes our 4 dogs), friends and customers are very important to us. We pride ourselves on being a family-owned business. We treat each customer and job performed as if we were doing that service for our Mom or Dad. We are a firm believer in doing the job right the first time. But also standing behind our work, if the need arises to return for any reason. Exceptional Customer Service is so important in these days and economic times. Many times folks are looking for the best and sometimes a lower price. However, the relationships we build with our customers, offering to go above and beyond, we believe has made the difference when a customer makes a choice on choosing their pest control company.

So what makes Frank & Sandy want to get up and out of bed every day and go to work?

We thoroughly enjoy what we are doing. We love the pest control industry. Bed bugs have been a huge part of our business for the past year, with no immediate end in sight. We like helping people and educating them regarding pests. We are honest with our potential customers and if there is something they can do on their own, to save them money, we will advise them on do-it-yourself tips, etc… We have always had a love of dogs and our canine scent detection beagles have been a huge blessing for Ladybug. Although “Daisey & Dolley” are working dogs, we love them as much as our other two non-working beagles. It still amazes us how smart these dogs are at finding bed bugs.

So what has made Frank & Sandy who they are today?

We give thanks to God. We believe that He opened the door for us to begin Ladybug Pest Management when we had to end our construction company. Even though we wish we were a little younger, we know that Ladybug will continue to grow and we are so thankful for all of our customers who have brought us into our 2nd year of business success. Although our parents are no longer with us, we owe so much to them for their love and support . We thank them for instilling in us the hard work attitude, moral values and perseverance it has taken and will continue to take for Ladybug to offer our customers and new customers the best service we can.

If you would like to reach Frank and Sandy please do so via these pages:

LadybugPM Profile: http://www.requestmaster.com/Ladybug-Pest-Management-&-Canine-Scent-Detection-Services-for-Bed-Bugs.902.DELMAR.Delaware.html

Ladybug PM Website: http://www.ladybugpm.com

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Air Sampling for Mold Inspections

Air Sampling for Mold Inspections

Taking air samples during a mold inspection is important for several reasons. Mold spores are not visible to the naked eye, and the types of mold present can often be determined through laboratory analysis of the air samples. Having samples analyzed can also help provide evidence of the scope and severity of a mold problem, as well as aid in assessing human exposure to mold spores. After remediation, new samples are typically taken to help ensure that all mold has been successfully removed.

Air samples can be used to gather data about mold spores present in the interior of a house. These samples are taken by using a pump that forces air through a collection device which catches mold spores. The sample is then sent off to a laboratory to be analyzed. InterNACHI inspectors who perform mold inspections often utilize air sampling to collect data, which has become commonplace.

Air-Sampling Devices

There are several types of devices used to collect air samples that can be analyzed for mold. Some common examples include:
•impaction samplers that use a calibrated air pump to impact spores onto a prepared microscope slide;

•cassette samplers, which may be of the disposable or one-time-use type, and also employ forced air to impact spores onto a collection media; and

•airborne-particle collectors that trap spores directly on a culture dish. These may be utilized to identify the species of mold that has been found.

When and When Not to Sample

Samples are generally best taken if visual, non-invasive examination reveals apparent mold growth or conditions that could lead to growth, such as moisture intrusion or water damage. Musty odors can also be a sign of mold growth. If no sign of mold or potential for mold is apparent, one or two indoor air samples can still be taken, at the discretion of the inspector and client, in the most lived-in room of the house and at the HVAC unit.

Outdoor air samples are also typically taken as a control for comparison to indoor samples. Two samples -- one from the windward side and one from the leeward side of the house -- will help provide a more complete picture of what is in the air that may be entering the house through windows and doors at times when they are open. It is best to take the outdoor samples as close together in time as possible to the indoor samples that they will be compared with.

InterNACHI inspectors should avoid taking samples if a resident of the house is under a physician’s care for mold exposure, if there is litigation in progress related to mold on the premises, or if the inspector’s health or safety could be compromised in obtaining the sample. Residential home inspectors also should not take samples in a commercial or public building.

Where to Sample and Ideal Conditions

In any areas of a house suspected or confirmed to have mold growth, air samples can be taken to help verify and gather more information. Moisture intrusion, water damage, musty odors, apparent mold growth, or conditions conducive to mold growth are all common reasons to gather an air sample. Samples should be taken near the center of the room, with the collection device positioned 3 to 6 feet off the ground.

Ten minutes is an adequate amount of time for the air pump to run while taking samples, but this can be reduced to around five minutes if there is a concern that air movement from a lot of indoor activity could alter the results. The sampling time can be reduced further if there is an active source of dust, such as from ongoing construction.

Sampling should take place in livable spaces within the house under closed conditions in order to help stabilize the air and allow for reproducibility of the sampling and measurement. While the sample is being collected, windows and exterior doors should be kept shut other than for normal entry and exit from the home. It is best to have air exchangers (other than a furnace) or fans that exchange indoor-outdoor air switched off during sampling.

Weather conditions can be an important factor in gathering accurate data. Severe thunderstorms or unusually high winds can affect the sampling and analysis results. High winds or rapid changes in barometric pressure increase the difference in air pressure between the interior and exterior, which can increase the variability of airborne mold-spore concentration. Large differences in air pressure between the interior and exterior can cause more airborne spores to be sucked inside, skewing the results of the sample.

Difficulties and Practicality of Air Sampling

It is helpful to think of air sampling as just one tool in the tool belt when inspecting a house for mold problems. An air sample alone is not enough to confirm or refute the existence of a problem, and such testing needs to be accompanied by visual inspection and other methods of data collection, such as a surface sample. Indoor airborne spore levels can vary according to several factors, and this can lead to skewed results if care is not taken to set up the sampling correctly. Also, since only spores are collected with an air sample and may actually be damaged during collection, identification of the mold type can be more difficult than with a sample collected with tape or a cultured sample.

Air samples are good for use as a background screen to ensure that there isn’t a large source of mold not yet found somewhere in a home. This is because they can detect long chains of spores that are still intact. These chains normally break apart quickly as they travel through the air, so a sample that reveals intact chains can indicate that there is mold nearby, possibly undiscovered during other tests and visual examination.

In summary, when taken under controlled conditions and properly analyzed, air samples for mold are helpful in comparing relative particle levels between a problem and a control area. They can also be crucial for comparing particle levels and air quality in an area before and after mold remediation.

Choosing a home inspector

By Walker Moskop, wmoskop@express-news.net
Updated 07:29 p.m., Friday, August 12, 2011

Home inspector Jeff Adams stands in the kitchen of a house for sale on Butlers Bridge Road. He says an inspection can take anywhere from two to five hours.
Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, SALLY FINNERAN / sfinneran@express-news

Recent Headlines
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The right one can save a home buyer $$$

Choosing a home inspector

Inside a north San Antonio home, inspector Jeff Adams points to a metal pipe inside a closet that is heavily duct taped, bent awkwardly and angled into the top of a gas furnace. “This pipe has completely come apart,” he said.

“They kinda screwed the pooch on this one.”

The two-story brick house is in pretty good shape compared to many places, but Adams still has numerous concerns about it, from the dubiously bandaged piping to deteriorating siding to a gutter placed too close to the home’s foundation.

For many homebuyers, excessive water penetration, electrical damage or a range of other defects can be a deal breaker when looking at a home. But if they don’t hire an experienced home inspector to find those problems before closing, they could be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of needed repairs that surprise them down the road.
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Royal Home Inspectors is the Featured Business This Week.

Royal Home Inspectors is the Featured Business This Week.

Featured Business of the Week

The person behind the business.

By Requestmaster.com

This week we’d like you to meet:

Royal Home Inspectors L.L.C.

Owner: Bruce LaBell

Bruce was born in Detroit, Michigan, and has called Scottsdale Az. home since 1981. Bruce has a background in Sales, Marketing, Training and Management in the Consumer Electronic Industry for over 20 plus years, He was also involved in the Travel and tour industry for a while.

When he started in the Home Inspection Industry in 2005 he completed over 400 inspections in the Greater Metro Phoenix Area, in his first year as a Home Inspector, this enabled him to sit for his ASHI certification. He is now, a member of both the National and the Arizona State Chapters of ASHI. (American Society of Home Inspectors).

So why did Bruce start Royal Home Inspectors L.L.C.

Back in 2004-2005 Bruce hit his head on the “corporate glass ceiling” and was in a rut. Several of his family members were in the Real-Estate profession working as Realtors. They asked him if he wanted to start over, change his profession and become a Realtor. At the time, the Real-Estate business was booming in Arizona, but the huge mounds of paperwork, (Before Computers) scared him off. Bruce then started to look around and found he could be involved in Real-Estate as a Home Inspector.

Today, Bruce is the President of the Arizona ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) chapter 2010-2012. He is also on the Education committee in Arizona and a Member of the National Board of Directors for ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) 2010-2013. He is also a Member of CREIA the (California Real Estate Inspection Association) and a member of the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors.

So what is important to Bruce?

Family and friends are very important to him. He has two small children a girl and a boy who are his life and joy. He tries to be active in the community as much as possible. Bruce is a member of the Maricopa Sheriff’s Posse and he is also a member of the Shrine just to list a few community organizations that he is a member of, so he can give back to the local community.

Bruce’s latest accomplishments are: He is a trainer for the Phoenix Association of Realtors and for the Southeast Valley Regional Association of Reators (SEVRAR) for Continuing Education.

He is a corporate trainer for Coldwell Banker and Realty Executives for continuing education in Home Inspections just to list a few. Bruce also is a National Trainer & Speaker. He also acts as a legal consultant and is now the owner of Royal Home School of Real Estate L.L.C.

Bruce is also working as a mentor and field trainer for the Kaplan Schools, for new Home Inspectors. He is currently a member of the Phoenix Association of REALTORS as well as the Scottsdale Association of Realtors and is an active member of the Arizona Real Estate Educator Association and a member of AZREIA.

Bruce is also a member in the following organizations: The Arizona Small Business Association, AZ Jewish Business Association, and The Jewish Chamber of Commerce of Greater Phoenix.

Bruce has been “spotlighted” in the Phoenix Business Journal, in both the people on the move and the 2.0 sections. He also has been “spotlighted” in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix as a Person on the Move, and in several issues of the ASHI Reporter, which is a national trade magazine.

Bruce has been on several radio and TV shows over the past few years: Real Estate from A to Z, on KFNN and KXXT several times, has been on TV 3 Midday Show, and on Rosie on the House just to name a few.

He has also continued to further his education and has earned the following certifications in: Certified in Advance Mold Assessments as an Inspector, He is TRI Certified (Tile Roof Institute) and has earned a FEMA Disaster Housing Certification just to list a few.

So what make Bruce want to get up and out of bed every day and go to work?

The pursuit of meeting self-set goals and trying to reach and meet his expectations. He is also working diligently to raise the bar in the Inspection Industry.

Bruce is presently working on setting new professional standards and looking at the new and upcoming challenges and adventures in the Inspection Industry.

Bruce if you haven’t noticed is quite an overachiever.

So what has made Bruce who he is today?

Good family values, having a lot of family and friends always around while growing up in the Midwest and working at a young age in the family businesses, He was involved in several High schools sports, and feels it was helpful for him to find popularity at a very young age. Bruce has always had a passion to succeed in his younger years and he still follows his dreams and works to achieve his goals everyday!

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A Winning Light Bulb With the Potential to Save the Nation Billions

A Winning Light Bulb With the Potential to Save the Nation Billions

This is great news and a great sign that we are continuing to make advances in the energy conservation sector. These bulbs that were developed by Phillips promise to save more money in comparison with the incandescent bulbs. If you know of someone who is interested in saving energy and energy efficient products, please take a few moments to share this article with them. Below is the article from the US Department of Energy Website.
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A Winning Light Bulb With the Potential to Save the Nation Billions
Thomas Edison would be amazed. The conventional light bulb has got some serious competition.
The 60-watt incandescent light bulb -- an estimated 425 million of which are sold each year -- has been technologically stunted for nearly a century. But an electrifying energy-saving alternative, which could arrive in stores as soon as early 2012, has emerged that could save the nation billions of dollars annually.
I'm referring to a revolutionary 10-watt light emitting diode (LED) bulb developed by Philips Lighting North America -- the first winner of the Energy Department's Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize). The L Prize challenged the lighting industry to develop high performance, energy-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs that will save American consumers and businesses money.
“The L Prize challenges the best and brightest minds in the U.S. lighting industry to make the technological leaps forward that can greatly reduce the money we spend to light our homes and businesses each year,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Not only does the L Prize challenge innovative companies like Philips to make LED technology even more energy efficient, it also spurs the lighting industry to make LEDs affordable for American families.”
The L Prize targeted the 60-watt bulb because it is one of the most commonly used types of light bulbs -- and could use a substantial upgrade. As the first winner of the L Prize, this 10-watt alternative could save the nation about 35 terawatt-hours of electricity or $3.9 billion in one year and avoid 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions if every 60-watt incandescent bulb in the U.S. was replaced with the L Prize winner.
“We looked at the L Prize challenge as an opportunity to innovate and develop an energy efficient alternative to a product that has remained largely unchanged for over a century,” said Zia Eftekhar, CEO of Philips Lighting North America. The Philips LED bulb was successfully completed after 18 months of intensive field, lab and product testing to meet the rigorous requirements of the L Prize.
And the LED bulb passed the test, including having a useful lifetime of more than 25,000 hours (compared to 1,000 to 3,000 of a 60-watt incandescent bulb) and a series of stress tests in extreme conditions such as high and low temperatures, humidity, vibration, high and low voltage, and various electrical waveform distortions.
As the winner, Philips will receive a $10 million cash prize as well as L Prize partner promotions and incentives. To date, 31 utilities and energy efficiency program partners stand ready to promote and develop markets for the winning product.

Home inspection thefts inspire new insurance

Home inspection thefts inspire new insurance

A new type of insurance is created due to several cases of Home Inspection theft. If you are a Real Estate agent, please take a few moments to share this article to several of your clients. Also, let us know your thoughts do you think this is a good idea? Not?
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Home inspection thefts inspire new insurance
IMAGINE losing valuable items from your home during an open house, only to find later you are not insured for the loss.
Sydney buyer’s agent Peter Kelaher said often this was the case for both vendors and tenants.
“Once you’ve willingly invited people into your home, most insurance policies are void, and in the eyes of insurance companies that’s exactly what you’re deemed to have done when you open your home for inspection,” Mr Kelaher said.
This situation led Mr Kelaher to establish a new insurance and security service to cover vendors when they sell their home.
It’s called Open Home Insurance & Security.
One of the first to take up the new service was Channel 9’s TV show The Block 2011.
Mr Kelaher said the renovation-reality program was using the service for the show’s open for inspection days; the first of which was last Sunday when 30 security staff were on site.
“In essence, Open Home Insurance & Security is designed specifically to protect vendors, landlords and tenants during open home inspections by closing a loophole in the vast majority of standard home and contents insurance policies,” he said.
It offers two services - an insurance policy that provides cover for accidental and malicious damage, inclusive of theft, for up to $5000 when selling or leasing your property, and licensed on-site security personnel at open inspections who complete photo identification checks on every visitor entering a home.
Mr Kelaher said customers received a number of theft deterrent products, such as signs on internet advertisements advising people they may be asked for photo ID, or be under video surveillance at an open inspection plus an open home security sign displayed at the front of the property during an open inspection, advising people security personnel were on site.