THE HISTORY OF FAIRLANE

The history of Fairlane Furniture Restorers began with a man named Bill Godfrey, an eccentric entrepreneur who founded the company back in 1958. In the early days, Fairlane was in the business of cleaning and selling carpet, working directly with customers. This was until State Farm, one of the largest insurance companies to this day, approached him with a concept that would later be known as content restoration. Insurance companies have always been looking for ways to keep their claim dollars paid to a minimum; after all, that is how their profits are calculated from all the premiums they collect.

Some homeowners still believe that if they were to have a fire, the insurance company would cut a check for everything they had lost to make them whole - that’s essentially why one buys insurance, right? Well not so fast! It wasn’t long before insurance companies started hemorrhaging billions of claim dollars every year to replace all the items ruined in a loss in the early days of insuring properties. Then came the genius marketing idea that would create a paradigm shift that would forever alter the insurance industry.

Once the concept was born, the insurance companies were faced with the next big problem. How could they prove that an item could be cleaned or restored to avoid being replaced? More importantly, who would perform this work? They needed credible experts on their team who were able to perform the intricate work necessary to restore an item back to its pre-loss condition or better, as its now stated in almost all policies today. Pre loss condition or better seemed to be the phrase these insurance companies put their chips on. They bet big and hit the jackpot!

Costs began to drastically go down, and their balance sheets went up. We would like to imagine that they took those savings and forwarded them onto their policyholders by offering better coverages, and reduced premiums. However, the reality is that they started making large investments with their cash deposits generating massive returns, modeled just like banks and financial institutions. In doing so, insurance companies still remain amongst the largest conglomerates in the business world today. As the old saying goes “if you can’t beat em, join em”. Mr. Godfrey did just that by partnering up with the insurance companies and began his journey as one of their experts as an early pioneer of the content restoration industry.

In the Early 80’s, Mr. Godfrey would meet and ultimately hire a woman by the name of Gail Johnson. Gail wasn’t what you would consider to be your typical business woman - she had a proclivity for getting her hands dirty, and wearing her heart on her sleeve was how she showed up every day. At the time she was simply an employee of Fairlane, but many team members and clients believed that it was her company. Mr. Godfrey recognized the leader in Gail. With her true grit and dedication, he granted her full autonomy within the business operations.

Then it happened - Gail made what became the most important business decision in her career, which would end up catapulting Fairlane into the next generation of success. She hired her only son, Ken Johnson, which would change the Johnson family’s future forever. Motivated and eager to learn, Ken emerged as a young leader, creating this dynamic duo between them that was recognized very quickly by Mr. Godfrey.

Many successful years went by until the early 90’s, when Mr. Godfrey decided to retire, and struck a deal with Ken and Gail for the ownership of Fairlane Furniture Restorers. After all, they were the ones who were effectively running the company, responsible for its success, right? Excited, nervous, and full of emotions, they were able to open up a small line of credit from their local bank, given a list of work in progress by Mr. Godfrey as a part of the acquisition, and they were off to the races.

As uncertain as it was beginning their journey, the industry responded in such an incredible way to Ken and Gail’s new ownership, that they were flooded with more work than they knew what to do with; a good sign that they were a healthy and growing business. With so many clients referring the company new jobs, their line of credit was left untouched. They continued on the path of success with the same principles and disciplines they had all those years working for Mr. Godfrey, and never looked back.

Through advancements in technology and consolidation of claims through third-party administrators, many companies have attempted and failed in the insurance restoration industry. Just like any successful company who has stood the test of time, Ken and Gail knew they had to lead Fairlane by adapting and evolving through the years in a demanding industry that was constantly changing. Fast forward almost three decades later, Gail retired from the company with incredible memories, and a one-of-a-kind story she will forever hold onto.

After Gail’s departure, Ken continued to maintain Fairlane’s high level of standards and satisfaction with the help of his wife Debbie, and two sons Phil and Drew. The Johnson’s family legacy was etched in stone as the torch was carried through the second generation of Fairlane Furniture Restorers. At its core, Fairlane has always been a family company, all the way through their customers, clients, and team members. Even as the company grew, Fairlane always stayed true to its close personal service and inclusive culture that has contributed to its longevity and success.

Although it wasn’t easy developing a succession plan after such an incredible career, the most important of Ken and Gail’s wishes were to have Fairlane’s prestigious name continue on long after they’re gone. In late 2018 Ken began to develop a working relationship with a young and energetic aspiring entrepreneur, Ryley Austyn. The commonality between the two created a unique bond, having many of the same philosophies and views on business and in life. This created a close personal friendship between them, and with Ken taking on the role of mentoring Ryley, it was obvious to Ken that he had found the perfect future leader for Fairlane.

And so, the deal was formed! Just as Mr. Godfrey had sold the assets of the company to Ken and Gail all those years ago, they found themselves in a euphoric moment reminiscing on all the incredible memories, and excited for the continuation of their company. The future of Fairlane was entrusted to Ryley Austyn, and his outstanding leadership team of Phil Johnson, Drew Johnson, and Stephanie Canales as they set forth on their journey, making history as its third generation successors. Their focus is to expand, modernize, and reimagine Fairlane over the next decade, while remaining true to the many solid foundational principles that have earned the company such a distinguished reputation. To this day, Fairlane Furniture Restorers remains the longest standing content restoration company in the industry, who have helped tens of thousands of families make their house a home again.