EXPERTISE

GENERAL MANAGER:

Michael J. White, Jr.  Mike attended U of D Jesuit High School in Detroit.  He graduated from Michigan State University in 1999 with a Construction Management degree.  He received his Builders License in 1998.   Mike was designated an Associate Constructor from the American Institute of Constructors.  He was also designated a Construction Industry Technician by the Clemson Advancement Foundation for Design and Building and NAWIC.  Mike has worked with M. J. White & Son, Inc. since his graduation from MSU.  He started as an Estimator and then moved on to create the company's current production department.

Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) - click to view certificate

STRUCTURAL DEPARTMENT

PRODUCTION MANAGER:

Joe Vartanian  Joe came to M. J. White & Son, Inc. in 2003 with 10 years experience in the construction management field.  He worked in his family-owned business in the residential home improvement industry.  Joe was the construction site manager.  His duties included scheduling the trades, monitoring the day-to-day progress of operations, and handling customer service.  In addition to growing up in the industry, Joe received his Michigan Builders License in June of 2003.  Joe is IICRC ceritified for Fire & Smoke Restoration, Water Damage Restoration, and is a certified Health & Safety Technician.  As Production Manager, Joe supervises the job coordinators and has overall responsibility for completing jobs on time and within budget. Joe is also a Dale Carnegie Leadership Graduate.

JOB COORDINATORS:

Tom Olds  Tom has been with M.J. White & Son, Inc. since Novemeber 2005.  He attended Ferris Stat University where he got his degree in Construction Management.  After graduating, Tom completed his apprenticeship at carpentry school and then worked as a Foreman.  He was a member of Carpenters Local 687 from 2000 to 2005.  Tom's background and experience prepared him well for the challenges he faces daily as a job coordinator in our fast-paced business.

Bill Hagan  Bill came to M. J. White & Son Inc. as a coordinator in 2006 with twenty years experience in the construction industry. Since receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management from Eastern Michigan University, he has been employed in various aspects of the business and built a strong background in carpentry. Bill’s projects have been featured in Style and Design Times magazines.

Mike Abissini  Mike started with us in 2005.  He received his Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Oakland University.  Mike is very familiar with all phases of the construction industry.  He started out as a general laborer and was then a Supervisor in new construction for 10 years.  His last 5 years have been in restoration.  For some time, Mike had the experience of restoring properties damaged by the hurricane in Florida.  He is IICRC certified in Applied Structural Drying and Water Damage Restoration.

ESTIMATING MANAGER:

Marc Siegel  Marc joined M. J. White & Son, Inc. as an estimator in June of 2003.  He has been an estimator for twelve years and worked with all of the major insurance carriers.  He previously owned his own construction company.  Marc has past experience in the coordination of repairs for both estimating and job coordination for all types of damage including severe structural damage from fires, water and windstorms.  Marc's great skills further strengthen the talented work force at M. J. White & Son, Inc. as a full service structure and contents restoration company.

ESTIMATORS:

Peter Anderson   Pete came to M. J. White & Son, Inc. in 2003 with over 15 years experience in the construction related industry.  He started out working in commercial construction doing framing and drywall.  His last 15 years have been in the insurance reconstruction business.  He spent 4 years working in rough and finished carpentry.  He worked 3 years as a field superintendent.  Pete also worked for a couple of years as a National Large Loss Supervisor and spent three years as an insurance restoration estimator.  He is IICRC certified in Water Damage Restoration. Pete brings a wealth of on-the-job experience to his position at M. J. White & Son, Inc.   He is familiar with all phases of residential and commercial construction.  He knows what it takes to get the job done properly.

Jerry Riggs  Jerry has been with M.J. White & Son, Inc. since 2006.  He has working knowledge of all sides of insurance repairs. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal Communications from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Before starting at M. J. White & Son, Jerry gained experience as a general contractor, an insurance agent, a Catastrophe Claims Representative for a major insurance company, and a Provisional Trades Instructor. He also has certification in Fire Restoration and Mold Remediation.

Mark Rylance  Mark joined M.J. White & Son, Inc. in December 2004.  He came with 32 years experince in the construction industry.  Mark learned Construction Technology at Lawrence Institute of Technology.  He was a self-employed licensed builder dealing mainly in remodeling.  Mark has been in insurance restoration work since May 1999.  He has 10 special certifications through IICRC.  Mark's expertise makes him a valuable asset to our estimating team. IICRC Certified - click to view certificate 

James Hildebrant Jim joined M.J. White & Son, Inc. in September 2007. He graduated from University of Michigan with a BS in Architecture. He worked in commervial construction from 1980 to 1985 doing both estimating and scheduling. In 1985 Jim began working from a construction company doing work in the insurance industry as an estimator and project coordinator. He advanced to become Vice Presiden of that company. In his vast experience, Jim became proficient in computers and the Xactimate system. He has worked with most insurance carriers over the years. He is certified by IICRC in water and mold mitigation.

Les Neal Les joined M.J. White & Son, Inc. in October of 2007 as an estimator with over 10 years experience in the restoration industry and 23 years experience in the construction business. He previously owned his own construction company that focused mainly on residental remodeling. This is where he learned all the skills necessary for construction. Les has an excellent reputation with insurance companies which he gained because of his knowledge of estimating and coordinating insurance losses over the last ten years when his company focused on restoration repairs. We are delighted to have Les as part of our M.J. White & Son, Inc. team.

CARPET CLEANING MANAGER & INSTRUCTOR:

James Tole James joined M. J. White & Son, Inc. as the Contents Manager in 2006. He had 21 years of prior work experience, and he brings a wealth of knowledge to the company. James is a certified instructor for the IICRC and he is a Master Cleaner for Carpet & Upholstery. James conducts our in-house IICRC training programs at our Novi location training facility. James was promoted to the Carpet Cleaning Manager and Instuctor in Novemeber of 2007.

 

CONTENTS DIVISION

 

CONTENTS MANAGER:

Sarah Tamayo   Sarah has been with M. J. White & Son, Inc. since 2004, having relocated to the Detroit area from Grand Rapids. She has been in the construction industry since 2001 with previous experience working for a building automation company in Grand Rapids. Sarah is highly skilled in organization and planning, which makes her ideal to head the Contents Division. Her department is often one of the first responders on site to remove and protect precious personal items for M. J. White & Son, Inc.'s customers. At the end of each repair project, her department is scheduled not only for the return of cleaned contents but also for the final cleaning work. She takes great pride presenting an efficient department on behalf of M. J. White & Son, Inc.  In her personal life, Sarah is a proud member of the Birmingham-First Chamber Choir and has been singing with them for 4 years. She holds a B.A. in Music from Grand Valley State University.

Descan McDuffie  Descan has been with M.J. White & Son, Inc. since 2004.  She came to us with over 8 years experience in Fire and Water Restoration.  Her experience as a Contents Supervisor prepared her well for her initial role as a crew Leader and even more so for her present position of Asministrative Assistant to the Contents & Water Mitigation Division.  Descan's greatest asset to our clients is the great empathy and compassion she shows toward customers who have suffered from the tragic loss of their personal belongings.  Descan treats everyone like "family".

WATER MITIGATION MANAGER:

Joel Patterson Joel has been with M.J. White & Son, Inc. since 2003.  He received his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University in Business Management and Accounting.  He put his business acumen to good use in operating his own company for many years.  Joel has been involved in renovating residential and commercial properties since 1988.  He has 11 years experience in contents restoration as well as water and mold remediation.  Joel is IICRC certified and proficient in Xactimate.  Aside from being available 24 hours a day on the job, Joel is active in the community.  He is the father of five children and coaches youth hockey and soccer.  His never-ending energy is contagious.  Joel's outstanding leadership has enabled him to attract and keep top quality workers in the Contents Division at M. J. White & Son, Inc.  Joel makes sure that our client's property is treated with utmost care and attention to detail.  The work ethic of this group is unsurpassed in the industry.

SAFETY & EQUIPMENT DEPARTMENT:

Scott Westervelt  Scott is the Director of our Safety & Equipment Department.  Scott started with M.J. White & Son, Inc. in 2003 working as a carpenter.  Scott came with extensive experience in building and remodeling.  He had worked for 12 years as the in-house carpenter and building operations technician supporting multiple property holdings of a major utility company in the metropolitan Detroit area.  Scott also had 2 years experience as an independent carpenter in the insurance repair industry.  In his current position, Scott manages the company's fleet of vehicles and all of the equipment that we use.  He also serves as site manager at our Novi warehouse which houses our Contents and Water Mitigation Division.

MARKETING DEPARTMENT: 

SALES MANAGER:

Audrey White-Jones   Audrey has been working at M.J. White & Son, Inc. since 1993.  She started while still in High School and has gained experience in virtually every phase of the business.  Audrey's outgoing personality makes her perfect for her position as Marketing Manager.  No matter what the situation, Audrey will take it on! She makes sure that every employee of the company properly represents the high standards of the company that was established by her parents and bears their name.  As a working mother of three, Audrey amazes everyone with her unending vitality.  It is a well known fact that if anyone needs something they can call Audrey day or night and she will get needed action.

Sales Representatives:

Carolynne Stabnick  Carolynne has been with M.J. White & Son, Inc. since 2002.  She came with 25 years of sales experience.  She is a graduate of the University of Detroit and has a major in psychology.  She is married and the mother of four children.  In her professional career, Carolynne has been a fourth grade teacher, a retail sales manager, a Senior Account Executive with Michigan Bell/Ameritech, and a National Account Manager with WorldCom.  One of her favorite missions during her telecommunications career was handling the sales and installations of about 90% of the E-911 systems in the State of Michigan.  Because of her experience in the Public Safety and Government markets, Carolynne feels right at home in her current position at M. J. White & Son, Inc.  She is responsible for marketing to the Fire and Police Departments in the ten county area of Southeast Michigan.

Melanie Johnson   Melanie Johnson is our East Side Sales Representative.  Melanie started with M. J. White & Son in April 2005 and has continued to make the name of M. J. White well known on the East Side.  Melanie’s previous 10 years experience in the Industry coupled with her successful completion of the Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage course has been contributing factors in her success.  She is dedicated to expanding the growth of the organization, while emphasizing the customer service aspect of our General Contracting and Disaster Restoration Services.   Melanie prides herself on knowing her customers and maintaining a relationship that goes beyond the call of duty.  Her personality lends itself to making friends, not just business associates.  She is always willing to help which makes her a valuable part of our team.

Carrie Tobias  Carrie joined the M. J. White & Son, Inc. Marketing Department in February of 2007. She came to us with 10 years of sales/marketing experience. Carrie has a Bachelors of Science in Health Administration and is continuously developing her education through Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage courses. Her outgoing personality and willingness to resolve situations make her a team player within the M. J. White & Son, Inc. company.  Carrie continues to play an active role within the community by being a member of the Southern Wayne County Chamber and the Washtenaw Area Apartment Association.

Elizabeth Browne  Elizabeth joined the sales and marketing team at M. J. White and Son, Inc. in April 2008.  She has 10 years experience in both advertising and administration. Elizabeth also has background in graphic arts and project management. She will put her excellent skills to good use as she contributes to the marketing efforts of M. J. White & Son, Inc. She approaches all of her projects with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and fits right in with the rest of our outstanding marketing team. 

Matthew Wilson   Matt joined M. J. White & Son in May 2008. He has over eleven years of construction related experience. He is experienced in framing and finished carpentry in new construction and has over five years experience in commercial and residential construction site management. He is familiar with all phases of operation from concept through job completion. Matt's experience and knowledge of the industry along with his ability to build strong relationships make him a welcome addition to our marketing team. Matt has been married 17 years and has two teenage sons. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys golf, hunting and fishing. He also coaches football, basketball, and baseball.

Lee Norwood  Lee Norwood joined M. J. White & Son’s marketing group in July 2008.  You may recognize Lee’s name from his earlier days when he was a professional hockey player.  Playing the position of defenseman, Norwood was drafted in 1979 by the Quebec Nordiques.  He also played for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, and Calgary Flames.  In his hockey career, Lee was nominated twice for NHL Man of the Year and in 1984-85 he received the Governors Trophy as Best Defenseman in the IHL.  After his stint with the Flames, he retired from professional play in 1994, only to return to active play a year later in the International Hockey League for two seasons before hanging up his skates for good in 1997.  Norwood returned to the Detroit area after his retirement .  Lee served as Head Coach of the Eastern Michigan University hockey team from 2006 to2008.   He also invested in and helped design Golf Club of Michigan in Brighton, Michigan and became a managing partner there.   Lee has remained active in the Detroit Red Wings’ Alumni Charity Team and serves at its Director of Alumni Operations.  We are delighted to have Lee Norwood join our marketing team.