FBA - Under Pressure (Oct 2026)

Under Pressure:
How Berks Fire Water Built a Business Ready for Anything

Every family business faces unexpected challenges. Some just happen to make a living helping others through theirs.
 
Join the Family Business Alliance for a behind-the-scenes conversation with the team at Berks Fire Water, a company built on responding when the unexpected happens. They'll share the story behind the business, the lessons they've learned through growth and change, and what it takes to lead a company that's always ready when customers need them most.
 
From navigating challenges and building trust to leading people through high-pressure situations, this candid discussion will explore the decisions, values, and relationships that have shaped their success. Whether you're leading the next generation of your family business or simply looking for fresh perspectives from fellow business owners, you'll leave with practical insights you can apply to your own organization.

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Ted Lavender | President, Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.
Ted grew up in Indiana learning all phases of construction under the tutelage of his father, Dennis, even helping build the family home at the age of 10. Ted credits his father with making a powerful impact on his life. From his work ethic to his patience to his passion for a job well done, Ted learned a lot about how he does business today from the man who raised him.

As an adult, Ted continued to expand and develop his knowledge within the construction industry before taking a role as a claims adjuster, and ultimately, a claims manager. The lessons Ted garnered from the early half of his life and career became critical as he continued to grow and expand BFW. Entrepreneurs often leverage their past experiences to help them excel in the present and plan for the future. Ted's combination of construction and insurance experience was the perfect fit to lead a restoration company with a focus on supporting individuals through complicated and complex insurance losses.

"There are two types of people: doers and thinkers. Both are excellent. When you put a thinker and a doer together, you get an entrepreneur."
 
 
Lisa Lavender | Chief Operating Officer, Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.
Lisa "grew up" in the world of insurance with many of her family members having built their careers in the industry. Her father, Paul, worked in underwriting his entire life, retiring in 2004 as VP of Product Management. It was not uncommon to discuss "loss ratios" at the dinner table. Like Ted, Lisa drew inspiration from her father. During the early days of their business and up through today, Lisa's father was a regular fixture around the business, helping with odd jobs and serving as a source of support and guidance, especially when snacks and meals were part of the work arrangement!

Lisa graduated with distinction from Pennsylvania State University with a BS degree in Accounting. She worked in her field for several years, the same period Ted was building his career in claims. When Ted approached her in 2000 about combining their talents to create a new business, Lisa agreed. Energetic, multitalented, and always up for a challenge, Lisa flourished in her role as Chief Operating Officer and has been critical in helping the company expand new services and reinvent its operating models.

"I'm a big believer in people. I believe in investing in people and in the team. That's what really matters at the end of the day."
 
 
Jack Lavender | Customer Success, Lever360, Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.
Jack Lavender grew up in the restoration industry alongside his parents, Ted and Lisa Lavender, founders of Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc. From an early age, the family business became an education not only in restoration, but in leadership, resilience, and what it takes to build a company. From his father, Jack learned that leaders are doers: they take responsibility, deliver, and when things don't go as planned, learn from it, adjust, and go right back at it. From his mother, he learned that great businesses are built through people, systems, and community. He saw how developing others and creating the right structure allows a company to expand beyond any one individual. Together, those lessons and the support of his parents gave Jack the confidence to believe that very little is out of reach with the right time, resources, and team. A graduate of West Chester University with a degree in finance and coursework in business law and accounting, Jack now helps lead Lever360's software business across sales, product development, and marketing. Through Lever360 and Restoration Technical Institute, he works with restoration companies across the country to strengthen their teams and their businesses. The philosophy behind Lever360 mirrors his own. Inspired by the idea that the right lever can move what once seemed immovable, he believes meaningful progress comes from finding the right points of leverage: the tools, knowledge, structure, and support that help people accomplish more than effort alone allows.

"I've learned that growth rarely comes from simply working harder. It comes from finding the right leverage: the right people, systems, resources, and ideas. It also takes the confidence to keep moving until you figure out how to make them work together."
 
 
Moderated by: Doug Tieman | Former President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers - Retired
Doug Tieman retired in 2021 after a four-decade career in behavioral healthcare, capped by 26 years as President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, headquartered in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Under his leadership from 1995 to 2021, Caron grew tenfold in both revenue and net assets and expanded into Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Florida. Doug built research partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania's Treatment Research Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, and Stanford University, strengthening Caron's commitment to addiction research and outcomes.

He also championed outcomes-based treatment and a culture of quality, captured in his mantra: "Sin boldly on behalf of patients!".

During his tenure, Caron raised more than $250 million in philanthropy, with annual fundraising growing from $500,000 in 1994 to more than $20 million in his final year. Doug served as Chairman of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and as a member of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators, and he testified before Congress on ethical marketing practices in the field. He has written and presented widely on leadership, culture, resiliency, turnarounds, philanthropy, and recovery. Since retiring, Doug has continued his community and nonprofit work through board service at Tower Health, Alvernia University, and the Satell Institute. He is chairman of Arcs Health, a group of urgent care centers, and chairman of TAR, an organization addressing complex post-traumatic stress. He also consults with private equity groups and coaches CEOs.

Doug holds degrees from Concordia and Northwood Universities and is the author of Flying Over the Pig Pen: Leadership Lessons from Growing Up on a Farm.