Archive for May, 2012

Local Entrepreneur Grows Business by Acquiring Second Franchise Territory

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Dennis Fair, a Kentucky native raised in North Carolina, recently opened his second American Leak Detection franchise in the Greenville-Wilmington area. Like all American Leak Detection franchisees, Fair will offer his customers Leak Detection Without Destruction™.

“I knew I wanted to do something different with my life,” said Fair, who also operates a water well/filtration and plumbing business. “I had been looking for an opportunity to grow the business that I had for over 18 years. American Leak Detection has been a great way for me to expand my business and provide a service that saves people money and helps protect a precious resource. It’s a win-win.”

In February of 2011 Fair completed six weeks of intensive training away from his wife and two boys to become a certified “Original Leak Specialist.” He is providing a variety of leak detection services including pool and slab leak detection, electromagnetic pipeline location and infrared leak detection. Fair uses a variety of proprietary equipment and utilizes cutting-edge technology to find leaks without causing damage to a customer’s property. Fair now provides leak detection services in homes, businesses and municipalities from central North Carolina to the coast.

“I am proud to offer American Leak Detection’s tried and true services,” said Fair. “Being a part of an internationally known company is priceless and so is being my own boss.”

“We are pleased to welcome Dennis Fair to our family of franchisees,” says Patrick DeSouza, Chairman of American Leak Detection. “Dennis is committed to creating his own success. Finding leaks isn’t just a job, but a career that many people are enthusiastic about. Our franchisees save customers money, minimize property damage, and help conserve our most precious resource – water.”

Fair has also offered leak detection in central North Carolina for the past year. He now covers an area serving over three million residents and 51 counties in North Carolina, including the cities of: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilmington, Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a leak detection specialist, call 919-877-9797 or 800-722-5215. For more information about American Leak Detection, visit www.americanleakdetection.com.

Sinkholes unlikely on west coast and areas without limestone

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

The following Letter to the Editor appeared in the May 2 issue of The Desert Sun.

An April 27th story titled “Downtown Palm Springs gets a make under,” states “leaks could cause more costly of an aesthetic problem-sinkholes or the sidewalk to buckle.”

Although irrigation system leaks may cause these issues in other parts of the country, specifically Florida, this outcome is unlikely in Palm Springs. The geology here consists of an alluvial fan, which was formed by the erosion from surrounding mountains. A depression in the ground’s surface, or sinkhole, generally occurs in limestone regions. Sandy basins like ours have little to no limestone beneath the surface. A small irrigation leak may cause minute cracks in concrete, but it’s highly unlikely it could cause a sinkhole. Earthquakes or tree root intrusion can cause sidewalks to buckle in this region.

A business owner angrily states “Sunday was Earth Day and this is how the city treats it-by ripping out plants.” Landscaping, no matter how mature or beautiful, can be replaced. On the other hand, water is not an unlimited resource.

I applaud the city for taking necessary proactive steps to address the leaking system. Water is money. A 1/8 inch hole in a metal pipe can leak 2,500 gallons of water in just 24 hours.

-Jimmy Carter, Senior Director of Corp. Field Services at American Leak Detection