Man Makes Millions Cleaning Up Puddles Of Blood & Oozing Body Fluids

[matcom]

<snip>

Anybody else happening on a car crash with body parts shredded by twisted metal and left scattered along the highway might, just might, be bothered by it.

Not Neal Smither, entrepreneur.

Cleaning up the horrors of death -- puddles of blood, oozing body fluids, rotting flesh and their stains, stink and maggots -- is his business.

Other people might say: "Yuck! How disgusting!"

Smither says: "Money. Job stability."

At 36, Smither has a $1 million-plus house on a golf course in ritzy Alamo. A "hottie," he says, almost 10 years younger for a wife. Headquarters in Orinda with 218 employees in offices in 18 states. A business that makes money 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And last year, gross revenues of $7 million, with this year on pace for double digits.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/07/13/DDGHK7JC9A1.DTL

[GOPisEvil]

1. I've seen this guy profiled on Discovery (I think).

More power to him; I couldn't do that for a living.

[unblock]

2. I saw one of his trucks!

one the road trip back from austin, i saw one of his trucks. unfortunately, the camera was in the trunk. mrs. unblock can attest to the fact that i was very disappointed, as i would have loved to post that pic myself.

the trucks have 'crime scene cleaners' written on them, and a phone number. advertising just like any other business. made us stop and wonder just who would respond to such advertising ....

[The Flaming Red Head]

3. There was a stabbing two doors down from me

brutal murder, and they sent in the toxic clean up crew, and it took them two days to clean up all the fluids.

[physioex]

5. Sounds like youre in the wrong neighboorhood....EOM

[The Flaming Red Head]

6. I moved away from the area

but it doesn't matter where you live these days. The person who stabbed the guy was after his $300 payroll check.


All my friends called after it happened and said "I saw your barbeque pit on TV." I had the most famous barbeque pit in town for a while.

[physioex]

7. Payroll check?

Stealing cash I understand, but what good is a payroll check? And it's amazing what a person would do to another person for $300. I suppose youre right it doesn't matter where you are...

[The Flaming Red Head]

9. stabbed him like 30 times

for it. Drugged out crazy people will do anything. My son was having a sleep over that night and his friend and him came in my apartment to get some movies and I woke up and my door was wide open and the parking lot was full of cops.

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. This is a booming industry

The thing that I didn't know is that the homeowner, or property owner is responsible for cleanup after a violent crime or accident. That's where these guys come in.
Actually, one of the first profiles I've ever seen of this line of work was on none other than Michael Moore's old Fox show "TV Nation." There was a husband and wife housekeeper and pathologist who decided to go into business together doing crime scene cleanups.

[iconoclastic cat]

8. Wow! I think I just found my new career path!

I have been looking for teaching and editorial positions, but this sounds like much more fun! Can I use those little Baskin Robbins spoons?