Since the age of 12, I have been an entrepreneur with lots of energy. I had many lawn mowing jobs, both residential and commercial.

Working as a bus boy at Denny's gave me the inside edge to persuade my manager to use my lawn service instead of the company he was using that came all the way from Indianapolis. When I took over the mowing, they no longer wanted to make the trip just to clean the windows, so my manager asked me if I would like to learn how to clean windows. I said, "Sure!" and immediately went out to buy window cleaning equipment and supplies. Soon, I had several other commercial window cleaning accounts.

Shortly after, I was informed that the company from Indianapolis no longer would be doing the monthly carpet cleaning service for the Fort Wayne Denny's locations either. Once again, my manager turned to me. "Would you like to learn how to clean the restaurant's carpet?" And once again I said, "Sure!" and immediately rented a Rug Doctor.

At this time, my business was called "R & F Enterprises" and my services included lawn care, window washing, and carpet cleaning. I attended college for one year as an accounting major, with the goal of becoming a Certified Public Accountant. But after that year, I decided I would rather work with my hands instead of sit behind a desk. I then attended Ivy Tech for electronics, but this field did not interest me either. At this time, I made the decision to pursue my carpet cleaning business, and I bought a commercial-duty Rug Doctor.

I knew my business name had to change since I was phasing out the lawn care and window cleaning divisions. I tried the name C.C.C. or "Complete Carpet Cleaning" for a short time, but I felt it was just too generic. I realized I was getting all of my business from referrals, so I decided to name my business "Referral Carpet Cleaning."

I put my first Yellow Page display ad in the phone book in 1981, and business picked up. In the fall of 1982, I upgraded and purchased my first electric truck mounted equipment and decided to hire my friend and first employee, Eric. In 1988, I contracted our current office location at 2901 Parnell Avenue. The building was built to house three other tenants to help with the cost of the building, maintenance, and taxes.

Throughout the years, our business has been built upon honesty and quality workmanship. In the summer of 1999, we upgraded our electric truck mount to a PTO Butler Truck Mount powered by the van's V-8 Engine. This produces hotter water and stronger vacuum which allows us to get our customers' carpet extra clean and more importantly, dry quickly! We were so happy with it, we purchased a second Butler Truck Mount in the summer of 2000. In 2003, we purchased a box truck with a Butler Truck Mount. We customized the interior of the box to hold drying equipment and tools for emergency water damage restoration. This allowed us to respond quicker to water damage emergencies and to have all the tools on board. In 2004, we began cleaning tile & grout floors. In 2013, we began cleaning hardwood floors. In 2015, we purchased a brand new, larger box truck to help us more efficiently restore homes and businesses damaged by water.

My sons, Alan and Ryan, were born in 1984 and 1986, respectively. From a young age, they would come with me on some commercial restaurant jobs and they would get paid to move the tables and remove the chewing gum off of the carpet.

I want my clients to receive the top quality service they expect from Referral.  That's why we thoroughly train our technicians, keep our equipment in top shape, and have exceptional customer service. We aim to maintain the trust and personal relationship we have with our clients.

I would like to thank each and every client that has helped Referral get to where it is today. I thank you for your business and for referring us to your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. Our slogan still rings true today, “Referrals Built Our Business.”

Sincerely,
Ron Falls, Founder & President of Referral Cleaning & Restoration Inc.