Executive Profiles
Ben Yanker
Ben Yanker, CR, WLS, CMH is the president of Buffalo Restoration, and has done business in Bozeman since 1976. Ben graduated from MSU with a bachelor's degree in Business which gives him the advantage of knowing the essentials for operating a business along with customer service skills. Ben was the first Certified Restorer (CR) in the State, which represents the highest degree of professionalism and knowledge. The Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certification requires the same degree of professionalism as the CR, but focuses on the water loss aspect of the industry. Ben is also a certified master fire and smoke restorer from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Ben received the distinguished service award from the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration (ASCR) for 2002 through 2004. He is an active member in trade association education, as well as being a member of the local Chamber of Commerce.
With years of experience and training Ben can approach your situation with certified knowledge that will allow the project to be completed accurately while also meeting the industry standards. In Ben's spare time he enjoys waterskiing, bike riding, hunting and fishing.
Gail Yanker
Gail Yanker has been with the company since it started in 1977. She is currently the general manager in charge of keeping all departments organized and working efficiently. She attends business meetings across the United States at least twice a year to stay current with new ways to organize the company. In her free time Gail is a Stampin' UP! Demonstrator, she also enjoys spending time at the lake.
Alisa Lister
Alisa Lister heads up the marketing program for the company. She worked as a receptionist part-time for 6 years while going to school, and has been working full time since May 2006. Her years of experience with the company allow her to help our clients with any questions they may have. She has an associate's degree in Business Administration from TSJC, and a BS degree in business marketing with a minor in small business management and entrepreneurship from MSU. She is also involved in the basement and crawl space waterproofing division of the company, and is trained to sell and install the products. Alisa enjoys scuba diving, waterskiing, camping, biking, hunting and pretty much any outdoor activity.
Christopher Yanker
Christopher Yanker is the manager of the Water Department and has been working on the team since 2000. He has the following certifications: Mold Remediator, Bio Technician, Mold Remediation Worker and Supervisor, Water Damage, Odor Control, Fire and Smoke Restoration, and Mold and Sewer Damage Restoration. His leadership abilities allow him to run our Water Restoration Technician crew. In his free time Christopher enjoys dirt biking, ice climbing, waterskiing, camping, hunting and fishing.
Jessica McFall
Jessica is our bookkeeper and is in charge of assisting clients with insurance claims and collecting payments. She has 6 years experience as a public accountant focusing on taxes and financial statements. She graduated with honors from Portland State University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting. In her free time Jessica enjoys reading, cooking, listening to live music and spending time with family.
Brett Koppel
Brett Koppel is our estimator and has been with the company since 2007. He has 8 years of past experience in his family's Restoration Company. This gives him the ability to write fair and accurate estimates for our customers. He has excellent communication skills which makes the jobs flow smoothly. He worked as an independent catastrophe claims adjuster for 8 years. He went to MSU for Biology. Brett enjoys the outdoors whether he is fishing, hunting, or camping.
Phil Blodgett
Phil Blodgett is our Production Coordinator. His primary focus is to process new jobs, schedule estimates, and coordinate our subcontractors and employees on the jobs so they run smoothly. He has 4 years of past Naval experience. He served during Iraqi Freedom with 2 tours in the Persian Gulf. He went on and pursued his education in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resources from Colorado Technical University. Phil has roughly 6 years of management experience, and previously recruited for DISH Network. Phil enjoys ice fishing during the winter months, camping, hiking, bobber fishing during the summer months. He is also adamant about BBQ's during the summer nights and enjoys bonfires with friends and family. Phil is eager to be a part of Buffalo Restoration and excited to assist in any way possible. "Life is a journey not a destination, its who you affect around you that makes the ultimate decision."
Randal Halvorson
Randy Halvorson has been on the Buffalo team since 1997. He is our carpet-cleaning technician who truly loves to clean carpets and has over 15 years of experience. His outgoing personality and great attitude contributes to why we have a large repeat client base. He has certifications in the following areas: Mold and Sewer Damage, Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning, Water Damage, Odor Control, and Textile Cleaning. His years of experience in the industry allow Randal to approach each job with certified knowledge to complete the task. In his free time Randal enjoys camping, boating and spending time with his family.
Ryan Hostetter
Ryan Hostetter is our reconstruction manager and is in charge of taking care of our customers during the final stages of a job. He is also one of our certified Water Damage Technicians. In his past work experience he was a flooring installer, carpenter and owned a retail flooring store. When he is not at work he enjoys hiking and fishing with his family along with playing his electric bass.
Tom Mahr
Tom Mahr joined our team in 2010 and is one of our certified Water Damage Technicians. He has many years of previous experience in the restoration industry working across the United States. Tom is an extreme outdoorsman and enjoys camping, hiking, rock and ice climbing and snowboarding. We are happy to have him on our team.
Nick Anderson
Nick is one of our lead water damage technicians and has been with us since 2006. He is WRT, ASD, AMRT certified and also has also completed a Restorative Drying class. He has previous experience working for his fathers construction company. When Nick is not working he likes to hunt, fish, camp, boat and play softball.
George McAdams
George McAdams has been with the company since 1994 and is a huge asset to our company. George is certified as a master restoration technician. He has thirteen certifications from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and as well as a Mold and Sewage Remediation Technician Certification from Restoration Consultants. In his free time George enjoys spending time with his family hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and canoeing.
Wayde Lewis
Wayde is one of our lead water damage technicians and has been with our company since 2009. He also worked for Buffalo Restoration for 4 years before he went on to pursue a construction company. He is certified in Applied Structural Drying and as a water damage technician. Wayde brings 30 years of construction experience to our team. 5 years working as a general contractor and 12 years of military service. Wayde enjoys fishing, mountain running, woodworking and building. He also enjoys spending time with his family and his pets. We are so happy to have him on our team.
Nick Gaudenzi
Nick has been with our company full time since 2010. He specializes as one of our water damage technicians. He is WRT and ASD certified and does a great job for our company. During his time off Nick likes to do stunts on his motorcycle and go 4 wheeling. Nick is a great asset to our team.
Javier Medina
Javier has been with us since 2007. He is one of our water damage technicians and also works as our equipment repair manager. He has completed his AMRT certification. He has certifications for Sthil small engine repair, electronics and maintenance. When Javier is not working hard for the company he enjoys computers, electronics, car repair, sound systems, fishing and spending time with his family and friends.
Felix Rodriguez
Felix is one of our restoration technicians and has been with our company since 2011. He has 4 years of masonry and construction experience along with 4 years of professional auto detailing. He worked for 10 years as a salesman highlighted in customer service. In his free time Felix enjoys fishing, hiking and camping.
Brandon Bickford
Brandon is one of our restoration technicians that joined our team in 2011. He is working on his bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies. He has past experience in landscaping and flooring. In his free time Brandon enjoys snowboarding, longboarding, hiking, drawing and playing with his dog Brownie. We are happy to have him join our team.
“I not only would recommend Buffalo Restoration to friends and family, but to just about anyone I would see on the streets.”
