Job Interview: Restoration expert rebuilds homes and hope

When flooding hits homes it’s not just cabinetry and walls that need reconstruction; it’s also lives.

“People hug you,” said Mike Holmes, restoration expert and owner of Repair King in St. Paul. “It’s not because I’m a roofer. They look at me as a guy coming in and triaging their life.”

Holmes works with a team to help rebuild the rooves and interiors of homes. Whether it be damage from a fire, flood, tornado or hail, Holmes helps people restore pieces of their lives.

This conversation is a part of our Job Interview series, where we talk to everyday Minnesotans about the rewards and challenges of their work. This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity. Click on the audio player for the original version.

Official title: President and CEO of Repair King

What I actually do: I coordinate chaos for a living. We’re a construction company, but we focus on roofing. And then within roofing, the majority of our work comes from storm damage.

A great day at work: There was an elderly lady who really couldn’t risk being around anybody during COVID. I understood that she was probably lonely. I was like, ‘This lady has to be bored.’ So, whenever I’d go there, I’d bring her stuff. She called us because she had a leak. We get up there and she shows us the leak. We go into the living room and the ceiling is caving in.

At the end of the day, I was able to get her whole roof replaced and she pretty much got a whole new kitchen and I took care of the living room that was caving in.

A not-so-great day at work: We were in a small town in Minnesota and I missed a call. I got a voicemail. So I opened it up, and [a client] was crying and you could feel the stress. And then when I pulled up to her house, then I understood everything. I saw the holes and gaps. That’s when you feel like you want to unbutton your dress shirt and pull your cape out. And you’re like, ‘To the rescue!’

What I’ve learned: You have to be really understanding that everybody has a completely different situation than the next and you don’t know it— And they’re not always going to tell you. So you have to go in with soft hands, a big heart and understand that they’re in a situation.