Mike
Bunnell,#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, June 27, 2006
To whom it may concern, My name is Robert (Mike) Mitchell and I am the President of Bamaco, Inc. I would like to take the opportunity provided by the owners of the ripoffreport.com web site to respond to an attack made on the integrity of our company, our subcontractors and all the members of the good ol' boy network. On January 10th, 2006, Tom from Bennington, Vermont sent an email to your site depicting a scenario where companies (specifically his) were mistreated in the response work for Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Bamaco takes pride in the manner in which we interact with our subcontractors because they are a vital component in our disaster recovery operations. A prime contractor or prime sub cannot respond effectively in an emergency without a network of loyal and satisfied subcontractors. While we hope that everyone who comes to work for Bamaco or any of our subcontractors makes a significant return on their investment, the unfortunate truth is that some do not. As in all businesses there are ups and downs. Those companies that respond expeditiously, 12-48 hours after the event and work diligently for the first weeks (or in the case of a major disaster like Katrina the first couple of months) tend to make a lot of money. As the project progresses the volume of debris to be removed declines and, along with this decline, revenues for both the subcontractors and the prime subcontractors (like Bamaco) decrease. Many of the contractors who regularly respond, early, to disasters have existing relationships with prime contractors. Other early responders show up with no contract at all, trusting that they will be able to find work somewhere in the affected areas. Tom from Vermont was probably sent an email of the Bamaco contract, it is impossible to say for sure because hundreds of companies call and ask for copies of our contracts prior to responding. They request a copy of the contract to make an informed decision regarding their interest in responding. The reason the contract was not signed was because Bamaco cannot sign contracts randomly hoping the right company, with the right equipment (appropriate and safe), shows up on the job site. All equipment must pass a safety inspection by the FEMA monitor prior to starting work. Also, we do not sign contracts via email or fax because conditions change from day to day and change drastically from week to week. In this particular instance, Tom's initial interaction with Bamaco was relatively late (9/28/06) but there was still a fair amount of work left to be done. However, another five and a half weeks passed prior to his arrival in Mississippi (11/4/06). In this business, that is an eternity. Tom is also correct saying that when he arrived he was afforded the opportunity to go to New Orleans (which was further behind in the clean-up effort) or to one of the areas Bamaco was working in Florida (not Ft. Lauderdale as we had no contract with that city) in response to Hurricane Wilma. As Wilma had just ravaged Florida, there was a significant amount of work to do. It is interesting to note that Bamaco still has subcontractors working for us in response to Hurricane Wilma in Florida, including FBI Disaster Services (another company working with Bamaco for the first time). This company went to work for Bamaco back then, and continues to work for us earning in excess of $54,000.00 last week and has had many weeks in excess of $100,000.00. Obviously, Tom declined those two opportunities. With regard to Rob-Nic and Billy Joe Wynkoop, Tom was, again, correct in saying that we encouraged him to work for Mr. Wynkoop. Rob-Nic had been an earlier responder and was subsequently assigned a significant area. In order to remove the debris from this area in the most expeditious manner, Mr. Wynkoop chose to add additional crews. Tom was offered the opportunity to work with Rob-Nic and chose to do so. Work did slow down on and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, not only for the usual reasons, but also because the public right of way work was winding down and the rights of entry (to work on approved private properties) had yet to materialize. It is important to note here that Bamaco, like all of their subcontractors, gets paid on a volume basis. When the volume of work slows down, as it did in this period, Bamaco revenues are hurt along with those of our subcontractors. Bamaco is, in likelihood, the only major company in the disaster response business which does not require a 10% retainage from our subs even though we have 10% retained by our customers. The assertion made by Tom, that Billy Joe was part of a good ol' boy network, which presumably includes Bamaco, is incorrect. The disaster response in Gulfport was the very first time that Bamaco and Rob-Nic had ever worked together. While I understand and sympathize with his frustration, it is unfortunate that Tom chose to denigrate the people who live in the southern half of our country. Specifically, his comments regarding Mr. Wynkoop ("If ya'll wanna work, ya'll need to go talk to Bill Joe." This Billy Joe,a.k.a. "Bubba", (go figure,)supposedly is a contractor in place that is preparing to position himself in Gulfport to make a strike in the big-money making world of debris removal, funded by FEMA.) are unfair. Mr. Wynkoop is merely a businessman, like any other, try to grow a company, make a profit and pay his employees. He is not engaged in a conspiracy to harm people and/or companies from north of the Mason Dixon line. Also, when Tom writes I get introduced to Billy Joe, and without judging him by appearance, I wondered how a guy that looked and talked like him that drove an older model Chevy pickup truck with 1/2 bald tires would be in this position to be in control of so much potential he is being, again, unfair. Many people who work in a disaster area do not drive around in brand new Cadillacs. It also makes me wonder what Tom would have said about Mr. Wynkoop had he been driving an expensive car (perhaps that he was making too much money?). Brother Randy is a long time employee of and friend to the Bamaco family. He is a minister who works at Bamaco in order to support his ministry. He is a fine and honest man and does not deserve any disrespect. In closing, Bamaco would like to stress that our primary concern is for those unfortunate individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters, followed closely by our concern for and appreciation of our subcontractors. We wish Tom all the best of luck in the future. Sincerely, Mike Mitchell
Mike
Bunnell,#3REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, June 27, 2006
To whom it may concern, My name is Robert (Mike) Mitchell and I am the President of Bamaco, Inc. I would like to take the opportunity provided by the owners of the ripoffreport.com web site to respond to an attack made on the integrity of our company, our subcontractors and all the members of the good ol' boy network. On January 10th, 2006, Tom from Bennington, Vermont sent an email to your site depicting a scenario where companies (specifically his) were mistreated in the response work for Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Bamaco takes pride in the manner in which we interact with our subcontractors because they are a vital component in our disaster recovery operations. A prime contractor or prime sub cannot respond effectively in an emergency without a network of loyal and satisfied subcontractors. While we hope that everyone who comes to work for Bamaco or any of our subcontractors makes a significant return on their investment, the unfortunate truth is that some do not. As in all businesses there are ups and downs. Those companies that respond expeditiously, 12-48 hours after the event and work diligently for the first weeks (or in the case of a major disaster like Katrina the first couple of months) tend to make a lot of money. As the project progresses the volume of debris to be removed declines and, along with this decline, revenues for both the subcontractors and the prime subcontractors (like Bamaco) decrease. Many of the contractors who regularly respond, early, to disasters have existing relationships with prime contractors. Other early responders show up with no contract at all, trusting that they will be able to find work somewhere in the affected areas. Tom from Vermont was probably sent an email of the Bamaco contract, it is impossible to say for sure because hundreds of companies call and ask for copies of our contracts prior to responding. They request a copy of the contract to make an informed decision regarding their interest in responding. The reason the contract was not signed was because Bamaco cannot sign contracts randomly hoping the right company, with the right equipment (appropriate and safe), shows up on the job site. All equipment must pass a safety inspection by the FEMA monitor prior to starting work. Also, we do not sign contracts via email or fax because conditions change from day to day and change drastically from week to week. In this particular instance, Tom's initial interaction with Bamaco was relatively late (9/28/06) but there was still a fair amount of work left to be done. However, another five and a half weeks passed prior to his arrival in Mississippi (11/4/06). In this business, that is an eternity. Tom is also correct saying that when he arrived he was afforded the opportunity to go to New Orleans (which was further behind in the clean-up effort) or to one of the areas Bamaco was working in Florida (not Ft. Lauderdale as we had no contract with that city) in response to Hurricane Wilma. As Wilma had just ravaged Florida, there was a significant amount of work to do. It is interesting to note that Bamaco still has subcontractors working for us in response to Hurricane Wilma in Florida, including FBI Disaster Services (another company working with Bamaco for the first time). This company went to work for Bamaco back then, and continues to work for us earning in excess of $54,000.00 last week and has had many weeks in excess of $100,000.00. Obviously, Tom declined those two opportunities. With regard to Rob-Nic and Billy Joe Wynkoop, Tom was, again, correct in saying that we encouraged him to work for Mr. Wynkoop. Rob-Nic had been an earlier responder and was subsequently assigned a significant area. In order to remove the debris from this area in the most expeditious manner, Mr. Wynkoop chose to add additional crews. Tom was offered the opportunity to work with Rob-Nic and chose to do so. Work did slow down on and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, not only for the usual reasons, but also because the public right of way work was winding down and the rights of entry (to work on approved private properties) had yet to materialize. It is important to note here that Bamaco, like all of their subcontractors, gets paid on a volume basis. When the volume of work slows down, as it did in this period, Bamaco revenues are hurt along with those of our subcontractors. Bamaco is, in likelihood, the only major company in the disaster response business which does not require a 10% retainage from our subs even though we have 10% retained by our customers. The assertion made by Tom, that Billy Joe was part of a good ol' boy network, which presumably includes Bamaco, is incorrect. The disaster response in Gulfport was the very first time that Bamaco and Rob-Nic had ever worked together. While I understand and sympathize with his frustration, it is unfortunate that Tom chose to denigrate the people who live in the southern half of our country. Specifically, his comments regarding Mr. Wynkoop ("If ya'll wanna work, ya'll need to go talk to Bill Joe." This Billy Joe,a.k.a. "Bubba", (go figure,)supposedly is a contractor in place that is preparing to position himself in Gulfport to make a strike in the big-money making world of debris removal, funded by FEMA.) are unfair. Mr. Wynkoop is merely a businessman, like any other, try to grow a company, make a profit and pay his employees. He is not engaged in a conspiracy to harm people and/or companies from north of the Mason Dixon line. Also, when Tom writes I get introduced to Billy Joe, and without judging him by appearance, I wondered how a guy that looked and talked like him that drove an older model Chevy pickup truck with 1/2 bald tires would be in this position to be in control of so much potential he is being, again, unfair. Many people who work in a disaster area do not drive around in brand new Cadillacs. It also makes me wonder what Tom would have said about Mr. Wynkoop had he been driving an expensive car (perhaps that he was making too much money?). Brother Randy is a long time employee of and friend to the Bamaco family. He is a minister who works at Bamaco in order to support his ministry. He is a fine and honest man and does not deserve any disrespect. In closing, Bamaco would like to stress that our primary concern is for those unfortunate individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters, followed closely by our concern for and appreciation of our subcontractors. We wish Tom all the best of luck in the future. Sincerely, Mike Mitchell
Mike
Bunnell,#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, June 27, 2006
To whom it may concern, My name is Robert (Mike) Mitchell and I am the President of Bamaco, Inc. I would like to take the opportunity provided by the owners of the ripoffreport.com web site to respond to an attack made on the integrity of our company, our subcontractors and all the members of the good ol' boy network. On January 10th, 2006, Tom from Bennington, Vermont sent an email to your site depicting a scenario where companies (specifically his) were mistreated in the response work for Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Bamaco takes pride in the manner in which we interact with our subcontractors because they are a vital component in our disaster recovery operations. A prime contractor or prime sub cannot respond effectively in an emergency without a network of loyal and satisfied subcontractors. While we hope that everyone who comes to work for Bamaco or any of our subcontractors makes a significant return on their investment, the unfortunate truth is that some do not. As in all businesses there are ups and downs. Those companies that respond expeditiously, 12-48 hours after the event and work diligently for the first weeks (or in the case of a major disaster like Katrina the first couple of months) tend to make a lot of money. As the project progresses the volume of debris to be removed declines and, along with this decline, revenues for both the subcontractors and the prime subcontractors (like Bamaco) decrease. Many of the contractors who regularly respond, early, to disasters have existing relationships with prime contractors. Other early responders show up with no contract at all, trusting that they will be able to find work somewhere in the affected areas. Tom from Vermont was probably sent an email of the Bamaco contract, it is impossible to say for sure because hundreds of companies call and ask for copies of our contracts prior to responding. They request a copy of the contract to make an informed decision regarding their interest in responding. The reason the contract was not signed was because Bamaco cannot sign contracts randomly hoping the right company, with the right equipment (appropriate and safe), shows up on the job site. All equipment must pass a safety inspection by the FEMA monitor prior to starting work. Also, we do not sign contracts via email or fax because conditions change from day to day and change drastically from week to week. In this particular instance, Tom's initial interaction with Bamaco was relatively late (9/28/06) but there was still a fair amount of work left to be done. However, another five and a half weeks passed prior to his arrival in Mississippi (11/4/06). In this business, that is an eternity. Tom is also correct saying that when he arrived he was afforded the opportunity to go to New Orleans (which was further behind in the clean-up effort) or to one of the areas Bamaco was working in Florida (not Ft. Lauderdale as we had no contract with that city) in response to Hurricane Wilma. As Wilma had just ravaged Florida, there was a significant amount of work to do. It is interesting to note that Bamaco still has subcontractors working for us in response to Hurricane Wilma in Florida, including FBI Disaster Services (another company working with Bamaco for the first time). This company went to work for Bamaco back then, and continues to work for us earning in excess of $54,000.00 last week and has had many weeks in excess of $100,000.00. Obviously, Tom declined those two opportunities. With regard to Rob-Nic and Billy Joe Wynkoop, Tom was, again, correct in saying that we encouraged him to work for Mr. Wynkoop. Rob-Nic had been an earlier responder and was subsequently assigned a significant area. In order to remove the debris from this area in the most expeditious manner, Mr. Wynkoop chose to add additional crews. Tom was offered the opportunity to work with Rob-Nic and chose to do so. Work did slow down on and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, not only for the usual reasons, but also because the public right of way work was winding down and the rights of entry (to work on approved private properties) had yet to materialize. It is important to note here that Bamaco, like all of their subcontractors, gets paid on a volume basis. When the volume of work slows down, as it did in this period, Bamaco revenues are hurt along with those of our subcontractors. Bamaco is, in likelihood, the only major company in the disaster response business which does not require a 10% retainage from our subs even though we have 10% retained by our customers. The assertion made by Tom, that Billy Joe was part of a good ol' boy network, which presumably includes Bamaco, is incorrect. The disaster response in Gulfport was the very first time that Bamaco and Rob-Nic had ever worked together. While I understand and sympathize with his frustration, it is unfortunate that Tom chose to denigrate the people who live in the southern half of our country. Specifically, his comments regarding Mr. Wynkoop ("If ya'll wanna work, ya'll need to go talk to Bill Joe." This Billy Joe,a.k.a. "Bubba", (go figure,)supposedly is a contractor in place that is preparing to position himself in Gulfport to make a strike in the big-money making world of debris removal, funded by FEMA.) are unfair. Mr. Wynkoop is merely a businessman, like any other, try to grow a company, make a profit and pay his employees. He is not engaged in a conspiracy to harm people and/or companies from north of the Mason Dixon line. Also, when Tom writes I get introduced to Billy Joe, and without judging him by appearance, I wondered how a guy that looked and talked like him that drove an older model Chevy pickup truck with 1/2 bald tires would be in this position to be in control of so much potential he is being, again, unfair. Many people who work in a disaster area do not drive around in brand new Cadillacs. It also makes me wonder what Tom would have said about Mr. Wynkoop had he been driving an expensive car (perhaps that he was making too much money?). Brother Randy is a long time employee of and friend to the Bamaco family. He is a minister who works at Bamaco in order to support his ministry. He is a fine and honest man and does not deserve any disrespect. In closing, Bamaco would like to stress that our primary concern is for those unfortunate individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters, followed closely by our concern for and appreciation of our subcontractors. We wish Tom all the best of luck in the future. Sincerely, Mike Mitchell
Mike
Bunnell,#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, June 27, 2006
To whom it may concern, My name is Robert (Mike) Mitchell and I am the President of Bamaco, Inc. I would like to take the opportunity provided by the owners of the ripoffreport.com web site to respond to an attack made on the integrity of our company, our subcontractors and all the members of the good ol' boy network. On January 10th, 2006, Tom from Bennington, Vermont sent an email to your site depicting a scenario where companies (specifically his) were mistreated in the response work for Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Bamaco takes pride in the manner in which we interact with our subcontractors because they are a vital component in our disaster recovery operations. A prime contractor or prime sub cannot respond effectively in an emergency without a network of loyal and satisfied subcontractors. While we hope that everyone who comes to work for Bamaco or any of our subcontractors makes a significant return on their investment, the unfortunate truth is that some do not. As in all businesses there are ups and downs. Those companies that respond expeditiously, 12-48 hours after the event and work diligently for the first weeks (or in the case of a major disaster like Katrina the first couple of months) tend to make a lot of money. As the project progresses the volume of debris to be removed declines and, along with this decline, revenues for both the subcontractors and the prime subcontractors (like Bamaco) decrease. Many of the contractors who regularly respond, early, to disasters have existing relationships with prime contractors. Other early responders show up with no contract at all, trusting that they will be able to find work somewhere in the affected areas. Tom from Vermont was probably sent an email of the Bamaco contract, it is impossible to say for sure because hundreds of companies call and ask for copies of our contracts prior to responding. They request a copy of the contract to make an informed decision regarding their interest in responding. The reason the contract was not signed was because Bamaco cannot sign contracts randomly hoping the right company, with the right equipment (appropriate and safe), shows up on the job site. All equipment must pass a safety inspection by the FEMA monitor prior to starting work. Also, we do not sign contracts via email or fax because conditions change from day to day and change drastically from week to week. In this particular instance, Tom's initial interaction with Bamaco was relatively late (9/28/06) but there was still a fair amount of work left to be done. However, another five and a half weeks passed prior to his arrival in Mississippi (11/4/06). In this business, that is an eternity. Tom is also correct saying that when he arrived he was afforded the opportunity to go to New Orleans (which was further behind in the clean-up effort) or to one of the areas Bamaco was working in Florida (not Ft. Lauderdale as we had no contract with that city) in response to Hurricane Wilma. As Wilma had just ravaged Florida, there was a significant amount of work to do. It is interesting to note that Bamaco still has subcontractors working for us in response to Hurricane Wilma in Florida, including FBI Disaster Services (another company working with Bamaco for the first time). This company went to work for Bamaco back then, and continues to work for us earning in excess of $54,000.00 last week and has had many weeks in excess of $100,000.00. Obviously, Tom declined those two opportunities. With regard to Rob-Nic and Billy Joe Wynkoop, Tom was, again, correct in saying that we encouraged him to work for Mr. Wynkoop. Rob-Nic had been an earlier responder and was subsequently assigned a significant area. In order to remove the debris from this area in the most expeditious manner, Mr. Wynkoop chose to add additional crews. Tom was offered the opportunity to work with Rob-Nic and chose to do so. Work did slow down on and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, not only for the usual reasons, but also because the public right of way work was winding down and the rights of entry (to work on approved private properties) had yet to materialize. It is important to note here that Bamaco, like all of their subcontractors, gets paid on a volume basis. When the volume of work slows down, as it did in this period, Bamaco revenues are hurt along with those of our subcontractors. Bamaco is, in likelihood, the only major company in the disaster response business which does not require a 10% retainage from our subs even though we have 10% retained by our customers. The assertion made by Tom, that Billy Joe was part of a good ol' boy network, which presumably includes Bamaco, is incorrect. The disaster response in Gulfport was the very first time that Bamaco and Rob-Nic had ever worked together. While I understand and sympathize with his frustration, it is unfortunate that Tom chose to denigrate the people who live in the southern half of our country. Specifically, his comments regarding Mr. Wynkoop ("If ya'll wanna work, ya'll need to go talk to Bill Joe." This Billy Joe,a.k.a. "Bubba", (go figure,)supposedly is a contractor in place that is preparing to position himself in Gulfport to make a strike in the big-money making world of debris removal, funded by FEMA.) are unfair. Mr. Wynkoop is merely a businessman, like any other, try to grow a company, make a profit and pay his employees. He is not engaged in a conspiracy to harm people and/or companies from north of the Mason Dixon line. Also, when Tom writes I get introduced to Billy Joe, and without judging him by appearance, I wondered how a guy that looked and talked like him that drove an older model Chevy pickup truck with 1/2 bald tires would be in this position to be in control of so much potential he is being, again, unfair. Many people who work in a disaster area do not drive around in brand new Cadillacs. It also makes me wonder what Tom would have said about Mr. Wynkoop had he been driving an expensive car (perhaps that he was making too much money?). Brother Randy is a long time employee of and friend to the Bamaco family. He is a minister who works at Bamaco in order to support his ministry. He is a fine and honest man and does not deserve any disrespect. In closing, Bamaco would like to stress that our primary concern is for those unfortunate individuals affected by natural and man-made disasters, followed closely by our concern for and appreciation of our subcontractors. We wish Tom all the best of luck in the future. Sincerely, Mike Mitchell