Like It Never Even Happened

Water and fire damage, mold, sewage spills — in the world of restoration and cleaning, SERVPRO of Annapolis/Severna Park has seen it all during the last five decades.

The mother-son duo of Diane and Nick Whittles operate the Annapolis/Severna Park franchise, along with three others in Anne Arundel County. Additionally, Diane’s daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Chris, manage their reconstruction company.

“It is a very rewarding job,” Nick said. “It could be a hot water heater that caused flooding in the basement, or it could be a house fire. … We ease that burden for people and help them get their lives restored.”

That ability to help people was one reason Mike Whittles felt compelled to open SERVPRO of Annapolis/Severna Park in 1976, years before Diane and Nick took over. Mike worked out of the Cirelli Building in Severna Park.

With Diane at his side, Mike continued to grow the business while giving back to the community as a football coach for Archbishop Spalding and the Green Hornets. Though he did not do it for accolades, the championship-winning coach earned Annapolis Touchdown Club Coach of the Year and Baltimore Ravens Coach of the Year honors.

Mike, his family and the community received devastating news in 2011: Mike had pancreatic cancer. After a 17-month battle, he died in 2012. Diane took the reins of the business.

“I considered what I might do with the business,” Diane recalled. “Nick was still in college, and I was only our bookkeeper!”

During that time, she got herself trained up and is now Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified in applied structural drying, water damage restoration, health and safety, and applied microbial remediation, as well as being Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certified. She is very proud that she can now say that most of her employees have just as many credentials and SERVPRO of Annapolis pays for it! The homeowner or business owner benefits.

In the 14 years since she took over, she has overseen rapid growth for the franchise, which now has over 18,000 square feet of warehouse space alongside Ritchie Highway in Arnold.

“We have not limited ourselves to water and mold and biohazard. We can put on a roof or siding or replace flooring or install new cabinets for homeowners through our reconstruction division, Chase Creek Remodeling, run by Chris Goedeke,” said Nick, who joined the company over 10 years ago. “We’re full service.”

They also guide homeowners through the claims process.

Diane and Nick’s styles have complemented each other as they have grown SERVPRO to offer more services and keep staff up to date with training from the IICRC, OSHA and other organizations.

“Nick is like a clone of his dad,” Diane said. “My husband had all these years of coaching experience with the Green Hornets and (Archbishop) Spalding. Nick is more like a coach than a business owner. He’s extremely positive and motivating. One of Nick’s greatest strengths is to hire the best people he can find and try to put them on a career path at SERVPRO.”

That leadership approach has helped the Whittles retain long-term employees including Justin Pfeiler and Jim Black, who have both been with SERVPRO for more than 10 years.

“We have one employee who has been with us over 30 years,” Nick added. “His name is Eglis Moron, and there are pictures of him holding me when I was a baby.”

The family-run business operates with a family mindset, helping neighbors in need whenever possible. SERVPRO supports nonprofits and community groups including Chrysalis House, Hope House, the Light House shelter, Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company, Hospice of the Chesapeake and others.

Diane grew up in the area and attended St. John the Evangelist and Severna Park High School, so she believes it’s important to give back.

“I think it’s a very wholesome community, and we would like to do our part to keep it that way,” Diane said.

Nick and other team members also seek to make the world a better place through their work with SERVPRO’s storm response teams. The work has taken them to Virginia Beach, New Jersey and Georgia, but the worst disaster may have been in Houston, Texas, in 2021. A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain triggered a loss of electricity for millions of Texans.

“People had been in houses with broken pipes for eight weeks,” Nick said. “My team and I hit the road and helped as many homeowners as possible. I had never experienced such gratitude from homeowners. It was inspiring to my team!”

As for the future, the Whittles hope to find more space for expansion with an additional piece of commercial property to increase their content restoration, and they want to keep helping people during emergencies in Anne Arundel County with four franchise licenses.