Innovative Home-Based Franchise Uses Rescued Dogs to Heal Sick Homes: 1-800-GOT-MOLD? Kicks Off First Franchisee Training Class August 9th

TAMPA, Fla., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- 1-800-GOT-MOLD?® today announced its first training class for new franchisees, beginning Aug. 9th at the company's new headquarters in Tampa.  1-800-GOT-MOLD?'s unique approach to locating the causes and sources of poor indoor air quality combines the use of specially trained mold-detection dogs with infrared cameras, laser particle counters, electronic moisture detection and laboratory analysis.

The two-week intensive course, featuring nationally recognized experts in building science, indoor environmental quality and mold, will teach franchisees everything they need to begin building their own mold assessment and consulting businesses in their respective protected territories.  

"Our dogs aren't just a tool," says Jason Earle, founder of 1-800-GOT-MOLD?.  "They are really a new member of the franchise owner's family.  We take special care to make sure that the dog and owner are a perfect match."

Traditional mold assessment methods may identify a mold problem but often can't locate the source without destructive, invasive methods. A properly trained and handled dog, however, can pinpoint the mold growth and allow humans with tools to confirm their findings less destructively and at a lower cost.

"It's great to see this come together after all these years of planning. We truly offer an opportunity that is beneficial and unique," said Allen Castleman, President of 1-800-GOT-MOLD? LLC. "The company's services have been in such great demand, so we are excited to begin our national expansion, expanding our ability to help the people who need us most, from coast to coast."

Franchisees in the training course will receive their dogs, who already have 1,000 hours of scent and obedience training, and they will learn how to handle and care for their new canine partners, all of whom are rescued, female Labrador retrievers or Lab-mixes. They will also acquire their iconic 1-800-GOT-MOLD? white Freightliner Sprinter vans emblazoned with the company logo and outfitted with all the tools and special equipment they will need to do their jobs.

1-800-GOT-MOLD?, a Mycelium Holdings LLC company, has been seven years in the making since founder and CEO Jason Earle brought the first Mold Dog™ to the Northeast in 2003. His own dog, Oreo, was then one of about a dozen such dogs working nationwide, and together they have inspected more than 1,000 homes, often finding mold problems that were making people severely ill.  Many testimonials on 1-800-GOT-MOLD?'s website credit his service with literally saving some family members' lives.

Earle's motivation in starting this enterprise came from his own asthma- and allergy-plagued childhood, which he later learned was probably due to the damp, moldy home he grew up in.  Because of this, the company focuses on the health and peace of mind of its residential customers, rather than the real estate transaction market or commercial buildings.

"Mold is the known cause of 96 percent of chronic sinusitis in America," Earle said. "At 37 million cases, it is the most prevalent chronic disease in the country. Indoor mold growth is also implicated as either a cause or trigger for asthma, bronchitis and even depression, affecting over 100 million Americans."

"This is what led to our company mission statement, 'to improve the quality of the lives of everyone we touch: employees, customers and vendors, and to improve the indoor air quality industry by virtue of our innovation, effectiveness and integrity.' We believe in doing well by doing good, while having a great time doing it," said Earle.  

"A testimony to this is that we have the happiest dogs in the world.  They absolutely love their jobs.  If you love animals and helping people live healthier lives – this is the perfect business for you."

While the dogs and tools are important, the knowledge of building science, mycology (the study of fungi) and air quality are essential to a successful mold inspection business. Because a mold problem always begins with a moisture problem, heavy emphasis is placed on building science and moisture control.

As part of the two-week training program, a separate three-day intensive course on the fundamentals of bioaerosols, indoor air quality, and building science, has been developed and will be conducted by a team of nationally recognized experts including the following personnel:

Harriet M. Ammann, Ph.D., DABT, of Ammann Toxicology Consulting LLC; Robert G. Baker, of BBJ Environmental Solutions; Douglas A. Garrett, CEM, President, Building Performance & Comfort Inc.; Philip R. Morey, Ph.D., Principal Consultant Microbiology at ENVIRON International Corporation; Richard Shaughnessy, Ph.D., Program Director of IAQ Research at the University of Tulsa; Bradley Turk, President of Environmental Building Sciences Inc.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have the assistance of this array of experts in creating and teaching this 3-day course, embodied in our 2-week curriculum. We will work diligently to continually adhere to the same solid scientific principles and strict ethics that brought us here," Earle said.

"With this roster of industry experts providing their invaluable contribution to our program, our franchisees will be armed with the knowledge they need to make a powerful and lasting impact on the people they serve."

1-800-GOT-MOLD? is America's leading indoor air quality company specializing in residential mold inspections, mold testing and mold remediation consulting. Because medical studies show clear links between mold and chronic sinusitis, asthma, allergies and even depression, the company's focus is on its customers' health. Located in Tampa FL and Princeton NJ, the company is expanding nationwide via franchising.

1-800-GOT-MOLD? is a subsidiary of Mycelium Holdings LLC.

Websites: http://www.myceliumholdings.com ; http://www.1800gotmold.com

SOURCE Mycelium Holdings