Meet the Team
Rusty Amarante
President of BELFOR Franchise Group
Rusty Amarante, CR, has over 40 years of experience in the restoration industry. He is the Director of Operations for BELFOR Property Restoration, the global leader in disaster recovery, and the President of BELFOR Franchise Group.
Whether handling a loss that affected a family of three or a major catastrophe requiring teams of 3,000+, he knows every situation is its own unique challenge. Rusty is responsible for coordinating the BELFOR National Catastrophe Team’s logistics, manpower, equipment, and resources in the aftermath of national disasters on a daily basis.
Rusty was past-President of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and served as Vice Chair to the development of the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. He is a sought-after speaker in the restoration industry and has conducted hundreds of training classes throughout his career to encourage passionate restorers for the future.
Jim Swayne
President of Safer Home Services
Jim has been in the Pest and Termite Control business for over 30 years. From his early days hunting and fishing in the mountains of Pennsylvania to his years spent on the open ocean and in coastal estuary systems, Jim has always been in tune with the environment. This has made him the ideal leader of a franchise company known for protecting people, pets, homes, and businesses from pests.
Jim has held numerous senior and executive positions in top-tiered pest control companies, but his main passion and goal has remained constant: to bring back the training rigor and scientific know-how from decades of experience to the pest control industry. That’s exactly what he’s done by partnering with BELFOR Franchise Group to form an exciting new franchise opportunity with Safer Home Services.
Doug Smith
Senior Vice President, Franchise Development, BELFOR Franchise Group
Doug Smith, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group, has decades of experience in the franchising industry. He has a strong track record working in franchise sales and development leadership roles to help franchise systems grow their footprint.
Doug has been an integral part of BELFOR Franchise Group’s acquisition of HRI and the expansion of the group’s strong community of residential and commercial service brands. He leads an experienced franchise development team focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs take control of their future through franchise business ownership.
David Luke
Franchise Development Director
David founded a successful residential cleaning franchise and has held numerous roles in franchise leadership over the years including VP of Franchise Development and COO. He is a relationship builder and problem solver who loves to help candidates pursue their dreams through service-based franchise opportunities.