ASCR International

What ASCR International does

The Restoration Industry Association (RIA), doing business as ASCR International in the firmographic input, is the oldest and largest non-profit professional trade association dedicated to the restoration industry, founded in 1958 and headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. RIA serves restoration contractors and professionals (its primary segment), insurance carriers and adjusters, third-party administrators, and property owners by setting industry standards, advancing professional qualifications, conducting advocacy, and convening the market through events and publishing. Its core "products" are non-technological: advanced designations (CR, FLS, CLS, WLS, ERS), the AGA position papers and Margin & Markup Calculator, the annual International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo, regional AGA networking events, the Find a Pro public directory, the Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) Magazine, and the Cost of Doing Business Report launched in 2024.

RIA's revenue model is multi-streamed and recurring: annual membership dues (standard, Enterprise, and Canadian Enterprise tiers), affinity partner referral fees from a roster of paid vendors (Supreme Waste Network, JOC Analytics, Know Your Talents, PSA, KnowHow, ASC, AnswerForce, magicplan, Albiware, Lowe's), course and certification fees, and event revenue from convention registration, sponsorship, and exhibitor participation. Strategic capital has been raised in the form of advocacy-supporting investments from Restoration Affiliates (September 2020) and ATI Restoration, LLC (January 2021) rather than traditional venture rounds. The association employs an 11-50 person staff and reports no proprietary technology products, with the AI/KnowHow and AI/magicplan integrations being third-party partner capabilities distributed to members at a discount.

Name

ASCR International

Legal name

Restoration Industry Association

Website

https://restorationindustry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Restoration Industry Association (RIA), filed under ASCR International, is the oldest and largest non-profit trade association serving restoration contractors, insurance carriers, TPAs, and property owners through certifications, advocacy, events, and industry publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPABANAL

Post-Incident Recovery, Damage Assessment & Restoration Coordination

Business & Public Services/Facilities Management & Building Services/Emergency Preparedness and Response Services

SECONDARYHSAPAOAI

Interior Rebuild & Finishing (Drywall, Flooring, Paint, Trim)

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Fire, Water & Storm Damage Restoration (Residential Rebuild)

SECONDARYHSAPAOAF

Contents & Personal Property Restoration (Pack-Out, Cleaning, Storage)

Home & Personal Services/Residential Renovation Services/Fire, Water & Storm Damage Restoration (Residential Rebuild)

Keywords

• Restoration trade association
• Professional certifications
• Industry advocacy services
• Continuing education training
• Trade association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: RIA generates revenue through annual membership dues from restoration professionals, contractors, and enterprise members. Membership categories include standard membership, enterprise membership (for multi-location companies), and affinity partner program participation.
2. Affinity Partner Program: RIA partners with vendors and service providers who offer discounts to members. Partners pay to participate in the affinity program, providing RIA with revenue while delivering value to members through negotiated discounts on products and services.
3. Education and Certifications: RIA provides advanced designation courses and certifications (CR, FLS, CLS, WLS, ERS) that generate revenue through course fees and certification maintenance requirements.
4. Events and Conventions: The association organizes the annual International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo, generating revenue through registration fees, sponsorship, and exhibitor participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Restoration Industry Association is a non-profit professional trade association that provides tiered membership (standard and enterprise), advanced professional designations (CR, FLS, CLS, WLS, ERS), continuing education through the AGA Academy, advocacy representation through its Advocacy and Government Affairs (AGA) committee, the annual International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo, and the Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) Magazine for the property damage restoration industry. Members include restoration contractors, multi-location enterprise restoration companies, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and industry partners primarily in the United States and Canada.

Product overview

No product information available. The source data pertains to the Restoration Industry Association (RIA), a trade association for the restoration industry, not ASCR International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) Magazine: The oldest trade publication specifically dedicated to the cleaning and restoration industry, founded by RIA in 1958. Available in print and digital formats.

Products and services

• RIA Membership (Standard and Enterprise tiers) Annual subscription membership program for restoration contractors, multi-location restoration companies, insurance carriers, TPAs, and industry partners, providing access to advocacy resources, educational content, affinity partner discounts, certification resources, and the Find a Pro directory. Available in Standard, U.S. Enterprise, and Canadian Enterprise tiers billed annually.
• RIA Advanced Designations (CR, FLS, CLS, WLS, ERS Certifications) Professional certification and designation courses for restoration professionals seeking to validate expertise in restoration (CR), fire loss (FLS), contents loss (CLS), water loss (WLS), and emergency response services (ERS), with course fees and annual compliance/maintenance requirements.
• AGA Academy and Continuing Education Courses Online learning portal (training.restorationindustry.org) offering AGA Academy courses, continuing education credits (CECs), on-demand webinars, position papers, Xactimate resources, Claims Connect resources, Third Party Administrator Scorecard, and technical education for restoration professionals.
• International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo Annual convention and industry expo bringing together restoration professionals for education, networking, certification ceremonies, industry awards (Phoenix Awards, Emerging Leaders, Marty L. King Lifetime Achievement Award), and exhibition, with registration, sponsorship, and exhibitor participation available.
• Cleaning & Restoration (C&R) Magazine The oldest trade publication specifically dedicated to the cleaning and restoration industry, founded by RIA in 1958, available in print and digital formats with 6 issues per year, web-exclusive articles, a podcast series, and two weekly eNewsletters (Restoration Today and The Restoration Roundup).
• RIA Cost of Doing Business Report Annual financial benchmarking report for the restoration industry, providing revenue, margin, and operational benchmarks, with the inaugural 2024 edition downloaded nearly 1,000 times and produced in partnership with KnowHow.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 downloads of the 2024 Cost of Doing Business Report
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TM+ SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Complete Time & Materials (T&M) ecosystem combining software, training, and consulting. TM+ connects six integrated T&M platforms through a single hub to help contractors produce defensible, transparent bills. RIA members receive exclusive discounts on training, consulting, and bill review services.
• KnowHowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership for the 2025 Cost of Doing Business Survey. KnowHow is an AI-powered platform helping restorers centralize knowledge and standardize onboarding, training, and operations. The CODB initiative provides financial benchmarking for the industry.
• AnswerForceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 202524/7 answering service built for restoration businesses. Provides call answering, lead capture, scheduling, and integrations. RIA members receive a 6% discount on plan minutes.
• AGA CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025RIA's Advocacy and Government Affairs Canada committee supports the strategic pillar of advocacy in Canada. Released Prompt Pay Position Paper to help restoration professionals navigate prompt payment legislation across Canada.
• Answering Service Care (ASC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2024Award-winning, three-generation family-owned answering service since 1974. Provides call answering, appointment scheduling, website live chats, SMS answering, lead intake, and integrations with ServiceTitan, Jobber, HubSpot, Salesforce, and 6,000+ other platforms.
• Supreme Waste NetworkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2024Supreme Waste Network offers cost-effective roll-off dumpsters, storage containers, fencing, and portable toilet orders. RIA members are eligible for a 2.5% rebate back on total payments at the end of the year.
• JOC AnalyticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2024JOC Analytics offers Powerview, a collaborative data management tool enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency. RIA members receive a complimentary Sales Pulse Slide valued at $800.
• Know Your Talents (KYT)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2024A globally recognized people strategy consulting firm. RIA members receive $500 off or 10% off Implementation Services, whichever is greater, for the first 12 months of service.
• IICRC and CIRIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Partnership announced in December 2025 for the release of a new Technical Guide for Wildfire Restoration.
• AiMEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Partnership announced between RIA and AiME (likely for industry education or standards development).
• IICRCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Strategic partnership between RIA and IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) for industry standards and certification alignment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA is a large standards-setting organization whose fire and life-safety codes directly influence restoration industry practice (fire restoration, smoke damage). RIA's fire loss specialist (FLS) designation aligns with NFPA's standards framework.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): NAHB is a much larger trade association representing home builders, with adjacent membership overlap among residential restoration/reconstruction contractors. Comparable as a broad-incumbent association model serving a related residential services vertical.

Others

• Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI): PCI represents property/casualty insurers — the demand-side counterpart of RIA's contractor members. Relevant as the industry body RIA's AGA committee engages with on prompt-pay and contractor-equity advocacy.
• BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association International): BOMA represents commercial real estate owners and managers who are key customers of restoration contractors. It is comparable as a building-services trade association model and as a customer-side counterpart that influences RIA's end market.

Regional players

• InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors): InterNACHI is a large certification-focused association for home inspectors — comparable in that it provides low-cost membership, certification, and standards for an adjacent residential-services profession. Operates mainly in North America like RIA.

Direct peers

• ISSA (Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association): ISSA is a global trade association serving the cleaning industry with education, certification, and advocacy. Like RIA, it operates a membership model serving cleaning/restoration-adjacent professionals and competes for member attention in overlapping cleaning-restoration segments.
• IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification): IICRC is the closest peer to RIA: a standards-setting and certification body for the cleaning and restoration industry. RIA has a strategic partnership with IICRC for joint standards development and they jointly released the Technical Guide for Wildfire Restoration. They compete for certification mindshare but collaborate on industry standards.

Emerging players

• AiME (Association of Industry Manufacturers and Educators): AiME is a smaller industry partner organization that RIA collaborated with. It operates in adjacent restoration-education territory and represents an emerging affiliation alternative for members.
• IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association): IAQA is a smaller professional association focused on indoor air quality — a sub-discipline overlapping with restoration (mold remediation). Comparable as a niche trade association model serving restoration-adjacent professionals.
• Restoration Affiliates: Restoration Affiliates is a smaller collective/network of restoration contractors that has invested in RIA. It operates as an emerging alternative affiliation model for restoration contractors, partially competitive with RIA membership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/riatweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXUEIHrn4wjzwFUv03eMTFg?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/restorationindustry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restoration-industry-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/ria_restorers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ASCR International