Local Andy On Call Franchise Is Available To Repair & Remodel Your Home!

Reggie Morgan, the co-owner of the local Andy OnCall franchise, has professional craftsmen who can fix/remodel anything in your home.

To-do lists around the house can easily pile up. When an appliance breaks down or a major repair is needed in your home, the task can be overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place that promised to tackle your entire to-do list and give you back your weekend?

Well, there is. Andy OnCall is licensed, bonded and insured and is your one-call solution for home improvements, maintenance and remodels.

Sometimes, it’s just small, nagging repairs that you just can’t get around to or can’t quite find the right part for. Andy OnCall can help. Even with something as simple as hanging a picture frame, hanging some shelves or installing a pet door, a screened and certified craftsman will come to your home and leave you with a completed job and a one-year warranty on the labor.

Andy OnCall craftsmen prefer to finish jobs, too. Taking into consideration large projects that take a little longer —say, a new kitchen, or extensive plumbing work — co-owner Reggie Morgan estimates that 80 percent of the jobs they take on are completed in a matter of hours, days or weeks.

Andy OnCall covers the entire spectrum of home repair, even if it’s not one of their craftsmen handling the job.

“We don’t physically do roofs but we have roofing contractors that work for us,” Morgan says. “If we can’t do it, we will find someone who can. Rather than you calling five different people, we can do that. We are a one-stop shop.”

All Craftsmen Are Screened & Certified

Andy OnCall doesn’t just hire anyone. “Most guys have a minimum 10 years of experience when they come to us,” Morgan says. “That’s 10 years, verifiable, with their own truck and tools.”

Craftsmen are given lighter jobs early, with Morgan or managing partner and co-owner Vince Pizzitola following up on the work.

Pizzitola and Morgan bid the larger jobs and will use newer hires in on-the-job training, always making sure that “newbies” first work with a veteran craftsman. Craftsmen are given yearly background checks and have printed badges with photo identification on them.

“We don’t just hire people,” Morgan says. “We want someone that fits our role and knows what we expect.”

Andy OnCall carries insurance that covers the company’s employees, including their employees’ vehicles, while they are on the job, and is licensed for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning (HVAC) work.

Craftsmen split the rates set by Andy OnCall with the company. Craftsmen are paid by the job and not by the hour. And, Andy OnCall offers free estimates for jobs.

“We will actually go out to the site to evaluate your needs,” Morgan says. “There’s no obligation but we don’t give estimates over the phone.”

In addition to Morgan and Pizzitola, the company currently has eight craftsmen and two office workers. And, the craftsmen are spread across the tri-county service area (Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco).

Craftsmen are scheduled so that they either stay close to their homes or at least end their route near their homes.

“We try to keep them working in a systematic way,” Morgan says. “We will try to steer the workers home with bids.”

This makes for a shortened commute that employees appreciate. It also saves the company money, while getting someone to your home more promptly.

“It makes a difference because you’re not getting the job done if you’re in your car, driving from place to place,” Pizzitola says. “We have craftsmen strategically located in areas around the Tampa Bay area and they tend to handle those areas.”

Andy OnCall also will cater to the skillset of each craftsman. If a craftsman specializes in drywall, he/she will get a lot of drywall bids. If another is a skilled electrician, those craftsmen will more often get the electrical bids.

Pizzitola and Morgan are there as backup, too, just in case.

“We want our craftsmen to be successful,” Morgan says. “We train them, but Vince and I are also available to walk them through something on the phone, too.”

Craftsmen At Heart

Andy OnCall was established in 1993 in Chattanooga, TN. Founder and CEO Tom Harris had built a reputation as a homebuilder in the 80s and 90s and people regularly asked Harris to take care of small projects for them. “Builders want to build, but Tom saw a need for a handyman service,” Morgan says.

So, why Andy, and not, say, Tom OnCall? “Back in 1992, the phone book was the internet,’’ Morgan says. “So, you wanted your name show up on the first pages of the yellow pages.”

By 1997, Harris’ daughter Tamara developed the computer software that culminated into the program used to run the business today. The original business in Chattanooga became the first franchise in May of 1999. There are now 2,849 franchises nationwide.

Pizzitola came into the Tampa franchise five years ago as a craftsman. He actually has a background in chemistry and engineering and worked  at rehabbing houses for 10 years. He even ran his own handyman service for a while.

Pizzitola handled the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area as a craftsman and still takes jobs in that area but has transitioned into more of a managerial role. He came on as the local franchise co-owner in January of this year.

“I still am the main backup or problem solver, but now I’m more of a resource,” Pizzitola says.

Morgan bought the franchise located on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa in April of last year. He comes from a nine-year career in the Navy, working in electronic warfare. He also has worked in the broadcast industry and was a Sears Home Central district manager responsible for 114 technicians before moving to Wesley Chapel 15 years ago. But, he still came from a building background.

“My father was a carpenter,” Morgan says. “I grew up with all the skills from him. He could fix or build anything.”

In Tampa, Morgan then took over as director of services for Invitation Homes in 2012. He says she saw the company grow from five employees and 500 homes to 168 employees and more than 5,000 homes — in six months. When the company downsized, Morgan knew it was time to jump ship.

“Andy OnCall had name recognition, the location was 16 years old and it was a good match to my needs,” Morgan says.

That unique name recognition and level of service are now taking root in Tampa Bay.

If you’ve been putting off a repair or need someone to tackle your to-do list, call Andy on Call at (813) 961-2600 or swing by the office at 5008 W. Linebaugh Ave., Suite 35, to set up an appointment for service or a free estimate. The office is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.. Visit AndyOnCallTampaBay.com.

Terry Tan Turns Vision Into Valedictorian

Freedom High’s 2016-17 Valedictorian Terry Tan is an “old soul,” because sometimes that’s what it takes. Despite being the youngest of two sisters, she has the mature vision and work ethic of someone successfully balancing the pressure of academics with the richness of life.

In addition to being Freedom’s Valedictorian, Terry also volunteers at other schools, works a part-time job, plays sports and yet, still finds time to relax.

“I don’t like to focus too much on one, specific thing in life,” Terry says. “My goal is to be a well-rounded person.”

The daughter of second generation Chinese immigrants, Terry has discovered balance in her life, in which academics has played a huge role.

She is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS), the Science National Honor Society (SNHS), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society.

Terry walked across the stage on May 23 at the Florida Expo Hall with a weighted GPA of 7.27 and unweighted 3.98.

She says that Valedictorian wasn’t even a goal until somewhere in her sophomore year, when she says she first paid attention to it.

“It was something exciting I could pursue,” Terry says. “I knew that if I set my mind to it, I could become Valedictorian.”

It hardly became an obsession, however. Terry went on about her life, and only found out she’d earned Valedictorian honors sometime in January, when some of her friends congratulated her in the hallway at school. She initially asked why they were congratulating her.

“I definitely could not believe it,” she says. “I was very happy. With  all that hard work, it felt really good.”

Terry spent the spring term in the closest thing to a college setting outside of an actual college setting. She took three dual enrollment classes that gave her college-like responsibility. She’ll enter the University of Florida in Gainesville next fall with 31 college credit hours already under her belt.

“Dual enrollment is completely on your own, it’s all based on if you can motivate yourself,” Terry says. “Even with AP classes, you still have your teacher there.”

That setup suited Terry just fine. She says she enjoyed the flexibility and freedom and was able to balance her nine college credit hours, her job (and own personal workouts six days a week) at LA Fitness, track season and volunteering at Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms and at St. Mark The Evangelical Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd.

She ran cross country for the Patriots for three years, as well as the 800 and 1,600 meters and the 4×800 relay on the school’s spring track team.

“You will go insane if you focus on only one aspect, if all your focus is on academics,” Terry says. “What about the other aspects of life that you could be missing out on?”

She strives for perfection in everything that she does. The one “B” she got in high school, a sophomore year pre-calculus class, still gnaws at her.

“I’m also the type of person that when something’s almost perfect but not quite perfect, it becomes a pet peeve,” Terry says.

It turns out that the “B” in pre-calc was the only one she would receive in her high entire high school career. In fact, it was the only one from elementary school on up. However, Terry’s old soul quality she uses for balance keeps her from obsessing over it.

“I feel like the children, my generation of my family, are all more mature and have old souls,” Terry says. “Whereas my mom and dad are really young at heart — they make jokes, they poke fun at me in a sweet way — they’re just goofy and like to have fun.”

They also keep Terry grounded.

“I hope that my, ‘kid at heart’ attitude will continue to remind her ‘old soul’ to slow down and celebrate her hard work,” Terry’s mother Sylvia said.

Terry’s older sister Tammy also attended UF, and is similarly motivated with her own big-picture mentality. Tammy thinks Terry has just scraped the surface of what lies ahead.

“I don’t think Terry realizes her accomplishments are a reflection of how much potential she has in doing even greater things in the future,” Tammy says. “I am thrilled for this new chapter that is coming for her because I want her to finally see her potential come to life.”

Tammy has been a constant source of motivation for Terry, who says her older sister has inspired her and made her mature faster.

Tammy will graduate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on the same day Terry graduates from Freedom.

Terry isn’t sure whether or not she’ll follow her sister’s path into a medical profession, as she says she is considering a couple of different fields. She took a microeconomics class her first semester of her senior year and a macroeconomics class at Hillsborough Community College this past semester.

“After those classes, I thought about maybe looking into finance,” Terry says.

On the other hand, she adds, she really enjoyed working with children at the local church and elementary school. Terry says she likes how the field of orthodontics opens up the opportunity to work with children.

“If I do pursue orthodontics, it will be in pediatrics,” she says. “I really love working with kids.”

Whatever field Terry does decide to pursue, you can bet she’ll pursue it with vigor and passion, while always finding time to stop and smell the roses. She says she is grateful to her entire family, including her grandfather — whom she says was a major source of inspiration — for providing the support necessary to accomplish some of the things she has already accomplished to date.

She says they have taught her to, “be yourself, that’s all that really matters.”

What doesn’t matter? That darn “B” from sophomore pre-calculus.

“Ummm, that, B?,” she says. “That’s in the past.”

Pasco Roadway Connections Meeting Draws Interested New Tampa Residents

Based on the number of spirited debates that highlighted the first public meeting hosted by Pasco County planners last month at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, the county’s year-long study looking at three possible roadway connection points between Wesley Chapel and New Tampa should be an interesting one.

The long-debated connection of Kinnan St. in New Tampa to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe predictably drew the most conversation.

However, a crowd of more than 100 people milled about while also discussing the potential connection of Meadow Pointe Blvd. to a road in New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch that is planned, as well as a connection between Wyndfields Blvd. and a road in K-Bar that is not yet approved by Hillsborough County but would eventually link Wesley Chapel to Morris Bridge Rd.

Pasco’s District 2 county commissioner Mike Moore made it clear at the outset that this was a Pasco County project, and that Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa both have nothing to do with it. Moore had met with then-City of Tampa District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione last year in an attempt to get Kinnan-Mansfield connected, but the Tampa side declined to pay, or contribute to the cost, for any study, he said.

That didn’t stop a good number of New Tampa residents, including Montelione’s replacement on the City Council — New Tampa resident Luis Viera — from showing up to voice their opinions. Viera called the inability to connect the two roads, “government at its worst.”

K-Bar residents Joe and K.D. Ann Avinger were among the New Tampa residents on hand to voice their desire for a connection between Kinnan and Mansfield.

Pasco Roadway Connections Meeting Draws Interested New Tampa Residents

Avinger argued that the fears of Meadow Pointe II residents, probably the biggest opponents to the connection because of concerns about increased traffic on Mansfield, which runs through their community, were unfounded. He said he believes most of the traffic on busy Cross Creek Blvd. would bypass Kinnan and continue to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. before turning north, especially since the widening of BBD could be completed before any connections are even made.

“Why would you get off a wider street, to get on a 35-mph street that is a further trip and puts you right back on the same road (BBD) you were going to anyway?,” he asked.

The Avingers, who have relatives in Wesley Chapel they like to visit, think the Kinnan-Mansfield connection would be more of a weekend convenience for shoppers going to the malls than a new path for commuters.

Proponents of that connection say it would improve public safety by creating another north-south route connecting New Tampa to Wesley Chapel in case of emergencies, as well as benefitting businesses on both sides.

Opponents cited an increase in dangerous traffic on Mansfield, which already is an important and busy artery in the mornings and afternoons connecting the area to four nearby Pasco schools — Sand Pine and Wiregrass elementaries, Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High. If you add Pride Elementary in K-Bar just beyond where the connection would be made — a point of concern for some New Tampa parents — that’s five schools.

Dennis Smith, the chairman of the board of the Meadow Pointe I CDD, said that he would like to see the connection made.

“We are at loggerheads with Meadow Pointe II,’’ he said.

Smith said it is ridiculous that in the vast area between Livingston Ave. and Morris Bridge Rd., there is only one road — BBD —that goes north and south between New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Even after listening to all of the debate, however, he still has little hope the connection will ever be made.

“This is my fifth time through this drill,’’ said Smith, who bought his home in 1998. “I’ve been around a long time, I’ve been active a long time and I know what’s going on and I have serious doubts this ever gets done.”

Moore said that of all the correspondence he has received at his office about Kinnan-Mansfield from his Pasco constituents, 70-80 percent of it is against a connection.

He added, however, that the proposed link between Meadow Pointe Blvd. and a planned road in K-Bar Ranch may prove to be a better option. He said it seemed to be favored by the majority of the (Pasco) people he talked to at the meeting.

Moore said he expects the study, for which Pasco is paying engineering firm AECOM $112,000 to conduct, should take about 6-7 months. The study’s findings will be presented at another public meeting.

“I think the important thing is we are now looking at all possible connections,” Moore said. “Hopefully, we can figure this all out.”