Georgia Water & Fire Restoration celebrated joining the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce and having a permanent location in the city Thursday. While the company has been in LaGrange since 2000, the ribbon cutting ceremony signaled operating in its new building on New Franklin Road.

“I’m glad to have a home finally. I had bounced around from office to little office to little office to little office,” said LaGrange general manager Jim McWaters. “Now we have a home.”

Co-owner Dean Balthaser said the company helps restore residences and buildings after they have been affected by storms or fires. The full restoration company deals with damage from smoke, water, fire and mold among others.

“Basically, our job is come in and help [residents] and secure the property, get all of their stuff moved out, rebuild their house, and six months later move them back in,” Balthaser said. “It’s a rewarding industry because everyone of our customers has experience a loss.”

Balthaser said the company started in Atlanta. He said the LaGrange location has been helping with the storm damage in Fairburn since last week.

“The type of work we do, especially with storms, it’s either the north area gets hit or the south area gets hit,” Balthaser said. “So, one of our offices usually gets really busy.”

Balthaser said the LaGrange location moved from Hogansville in 2000. The new location has been operating for two months now.

McWaters said the LaGrange location started as a one-man office out of his home. It now has eight employees.

“We’re happy to be part of this community and it is (rewarding). We are working with people who have had an insurance claim or a loss on their property” said co-owner Matt Fowler. “It’s rewarding for us to help them be there in a time of need.”

Georgia Water & Fire Restoration is located on 1344 New Franklin Road.