By Nina Patel.
When Randall Fenton was named Big 50 in 1987, he was pushing to expand Inrecon into a nationwide insurance restoration business. The company, which he ran with two brothers, a brother-in-law, and another partner, already had a strong base in Birmingham, Mich. Fenton (on the left) wanted more. He wanted a company that could quickly send crews anywhere in the nation to work in areas devastated by natural disasters.
After spending over 30 years tirelessly working on this vision, Fenton is stepping down at a high point. The company currently has 1,700 employees in 51 offices in the United States and Canada with a sales volume of $365 million. Fenton and his partners were able to sustain the fast-paced growth with the help of a buy-out by Masco in 1999. Fenton decided to retire after BELFOR, an international insurance restoration company, purchased Inrecon from Masco last year. He agreed to stay on as a consultant until the end of 2002.
His brother-in-law Sheldon Yellen, COO, says Fenton was a catalyst in the company and in the industry.
Yellen (on the right) says the remaining partners and BELFOR intend to double the company's sales volume in the next six years.
