NJ Firefighter Finds New Calling As Business Owner In Essex County – Bloomfield, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — In many ways, Nelson Rivera’s new career as the owner of several PuroClean property restoration franchises in North Jersey is similar to his job as a firefighter. After all, Rivera says – he’s still a first responder of sorts.

Rivera, 36, has plenty of experience helping get his neighbors – and their property – out of hazardous situations. He’s been an Essex County resident since 1999, when his family moved to Newark. He later moved to Orange, where he began serving as a firefighter in 2009.

And that was when he first got the idea of opening up his own business.

“Shortly after beginning my career as a firefighter, I decided to start a part-time job with PuroClean,” Rivera told Patch.

“I began working with the previous owner of my Livingston location,” he recalled. “As I moved up within the business it was clear to me that the business was the perfect fit for me.”

In 2017, Rivera moved with his family to Livingston, where he lives with his wife, Sujey, and their two daughters, Leylianis and Neylani. Soon afterward, he launched his first PuroClean franchise in Morristown, later expanding to Bloomfield and Livingston as well.

Rivera still serves as a captain in the Orange Fire Department, running the business when not on duty. His expanding franchise network now serves all of Essex County and nearby areas, with offices in Bloomfield, Orange and Parsippany.

According to Rivera, it was a chance to put on a different uniform, but still have the satisfaction of helping his neighbors. Only now, it’s helping them recover from floods, fires, mold and other ugly home hazards, he said, comparing his new gig to being a “paramedic of property damage.”

“One of the best parts of this business is that every job is completely different,” said Rivera, who now employs a team of 15 people.

“Every flood or water damage is different,” he continued. “Every fire damage a home in different ways. But what we love the most is that we can ensure that one thing will eventually be the same. Our customers are always left with the comfort and understanding that we will make their situation better.”

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