Contraguerro Brothers

Bob Contraguerro, Jr., Vice President;

Tom Contraguerro, Vice President of Operations;

Josh Contraguerro, Vice President of Marketing

Tom:
Email: tomc@panhandlecr.com
Facebook: Tom Contraguerro
LinkedIn: Tom Contraguerro

Josh:
Facebook: Josh Contraguerro
Twitter: Jcontro51
LinkedIn: Josh Contraguerro

Company:
Facebook: Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration
Twitter: PanhandleCR
APP: PanhandleCR

While younger brothers Tom and Josh initially had other goals—Tom wanted to be an astronaut and Josh wanted to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers—a day never passed that Bob Contraguerro, Jr. doubted his future with their father’s company. Despite varying interests, it was a passion for the business their parents built that brought the three brothers back together in their hometown of Wheeling to run Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.

Bob, Jr. began learning the family business at the age of 10. “I spent a lot of time watching my father grow the business from the ground up,” he says. “I couldn’t wait to ride around with him in the truck and go on jobs with him. He taught me everything I know about the business.”

In addition to the hard work and dedication of their father, Bob Contraguerro, Sr., Tom says older brother Bob, Jr. also played an instrumental role in his decision to stay in Wheeling to help the family business expand its services and geographic footprint. “As a younger brother, I always looked up to Bob, Jr., and watching him become an essential part of the business inspired me to help the business grow and prosper.”

Josh pinpoints the root of his success to his parents as well. “Throughout my life, my parents have supported me and helped me achieve my goals. They have always made it a point to do whatever they could to help me stay on the path to success.”

Running a family business doesn’t happen without challenges. For Bob, Jr., it wasn’t until his son was born that he found a balance for work and family. “Before, I could work all day and night. Now, I find myself thinking twice before starting a new project at the end of the day. I want to be able to see my son before he goes to bed at night.”

While some may struggle to find motivation in their jobs, Tom’s comes as a result of being able to help people through the family business. “In our line of work, we are called when catastrophe strikes,” he explains. “It’s extremely rewarding to help people in a time of need. That’s the key to my motivation—knowing that our business is helping customers restore their most prized possession: the place they call home.”

Today, Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration has 80 vehicles and more than 100 employees, and it has provided services all along the East Coast. Despite the company’s national growth, the family’s focus remains on supporting their community.

In addition to the company’s community service projects, the brothers each have their own ways of giving back. Bob, Jr., who sits on the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce board of directors and Disaster Kleenup International’s advisory board, devotes time to Easter Seals, Wheeling Health Right and the West Virginia Northern Community College’s foundation and board of governors.

Tom, the middle brother, is a member of the YMCA board of directors and a volunteer for the local soup kitchen, Catholic Charities West Virginia, canned food drives and Toys for Tots. He also speaks to local youth about the importance of setting goals and being active.

In addition to canned food drives and the local food kitchen, Josh focuses on raising awareness for childhood fire safety and is behind efforts to establish a disaster support group for children. “It’s important to help get children back to a sense of normalcy after something happens to their home,” he says. “Even if it’s as little as a teddy bear to sleep with at the hotel, a child deserves to get back into a comfortable rhythm in their life.”

Despite childhood dreams of space and the NFL, Tom and Josh have, with the help of Bob, Jr., found careers even more rewarding than they had imagined: implementing the values of their parents and helping others all while being afforded the unique opportunity to find success in the Mountain State.

What is your favorite . . . ?

Bob, Jr.’s Favorites:
Color – Red
Food – Steak
Cartoon Character – Wile E. Coyote
Ice Cream – Chocolate
Book – “Good to Great”
App – The Weather Channel
Midnight Snack – Popcorn
TV show – “Nashville”
Movie – “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Smell – Citrus
Sports Team – West Virginia University Mountaineers
Car – Corvette
Place – On a river or lake in a boat

Tom’s Favorites:
Color – Panhandle Red
Food – Snow crab legs
Cartoon character – Inspector Gadget
Ice Cream – Vanilla
Animal – Orca, the “Killer Whale”
Book – “Steve Jobs”
App – ESPN
Midnight Snack – Popcorn
TV show – “House”
Movie – “Home Alone”
Smell – The ocean
Sports Team – West Virginia University Mountaineers and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Car – Corvette
Pet – Dog
Place – The beach

Josh’s Favorites:
Color – Blue
Food – Pizza
Cartoon Character – Scooby Doo
Ice Cream – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Animal – White tiger
Book – “Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity”
App – Twitter
Midnight Snack – Peanut butter crackers
TV Show – “Seinfeld”
Movie – “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”
Smell – Cinnamon vanilla
Sports Team – West Virginia University Mountaineers
Car – Aston Martin
Pet – Dog
Place – Anywhere in the Caribbean