Meet the Team
1-800 WATER DAMAGE is led by a visionary executive team that is passionate about your success
Rusty Amarante
President of BELFOR Franchise Group
Rusty Amarante, CR, has over 40 years of experience in the restoration industry. He is the President of BELFOR Franchise Group and the Director of Operations for BELFOR Property Restoration, the global leader in disaster recovery.
Whether handling a loss that affected a family of three or a major catastrophe requiring teams of 3,000+, he knows every situation is its own unique challenge. Rusty is responsible for coordinating the BELFOR National Catastrophe Team’s logistics, manpower, equipment, and resources in the aftermath of national disasters on a daily basis.
Rusty was past-President of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and served as Vice Chair to the development of the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. He is a sought-after speaker in the restoration industry and has conducted hundreds of training classes throughout his career to encourage passionate restorers for the future.
Tim Fagan, CR, WLS
President of 1-800 WATER DAMAGE
Mr. Fagan has been in the restoration industry for over 25 years, having been the CEO of a predecessor water mitigation/contents company, which became part of the BELFOR family of companies in 2010. He has managed emergency losses in residential, hospital, university, business, manufacturing, multi-family and K-12 school facilities. In 2018, Mr. Fagan took over duties as President of 1-800-Water Damage and in 2019, he also took over as President of Blue Kangaroo Packoutz.
Mr. Fagan graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in education and holds two post-graduate degrees in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. Mr. Fagan is the principal instructor for BELFOR’s continuing education courses for insurance agents and real estate licensees. He also manages the internal “BELFOR Boot Camp” training program for BELFOR Estimators, Project Managers and General Managers from around the US and Canada. Mr. Fagan is a licensed builder as well as a Restoration Industry Association Certified Restorer (CR) and Water Loss Specialist (WLS) – the highest level of training and certification available in the restoration industry.
Doug Smith
SVP of Franchise Development, BELFOR Franchise Group
Mr. Smith brings decades of industry experience and a proven track record in franchise sales and development leadership. His expertise has been instrumental in expanding franchise systems and driving growth.
As a key player in BELFOR Franchise Group’s acquisition of HRI, Doug has helped strengthen the company’s portfolio of residential and commercial service brands. He leads a seasoned franchise development team dedicated to empowering aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve business ownership and take control of their future through franchising.
