More Than Repairs: Ron Brown's Approach to Restoration in Greater Lansing

By Gunner Soma | Greater Lansing Business Guide

Based on an interview conducted September 11, 2026.

While a family waited for the larger restoration of its fire-damaged home to begin, Ron Brown's team was working on something more personal: treasured belongings and family photographs.

Insurance-related investigations had delayed work on the house. In the meantime, the team was recovering and cleaning items that were precious to the family, giving them some peace of mind while the rest of the project remained on hold.

Ron shared that story during our conversation for Greater Lansing Business Guide. It offered a glimpse of what restoration means to the founder of Ameri Pro Restoration: repairing a property is important, but so is helping the people who are trying to put their lives back together.

That concern runs through the way he describes his business — from handling the initial damage and subsequent repairs to making sure customers can reach someone when they need answers.

From engineering to disaster recovery

Before starting Ameri Pro in 2007, Ron spent 23 years at Kendall Electric in Lansing as an automation engineer. His move into mitigation began a new chapter, one that has since taken him into homes and businesses across Greater Mid-Michigan after fires, water damage, mold, and storms.

Ameri Pro handles both mitigation and repairs. Ron describes a business that can respond to the initial damage, remove a fallen tree from a house when needed, and carry the work through the repairs that follow. His aim is to make it a "one-stop shop" for customers facing an unfamiliar situation.

The work also involves communicating with insurance companies, a responsibility Ron says helps take some of the burden off the property owner. He is clear about whom he sees as the company's customer.

"We work for the homeowner or the business owner, not the insurance company," he says.

For Ron, that means putting the effort into getting the property back the way it should be, while helping the owner understand what comes next.

A reputation built around getting people back home

When the conversation turns to his favorite kind of customer, Ron points out the difficult circumstances that bring people to his company. They have just been through a disaster — an experience he would not wish on anyone. What matters to him is helping someone get a home back or a business running again.

He says Ameri Pro backs its work with a seven-year workmanship warranty and offers a seven-year no-smoke-odor warranty. In explaining the latter, he points to the concern that smoke odor can return during hot, humid weather when the cleanup has not been done correctly. The goal, he says, is to leave people on a better footing after the work is complete.

Trust matters before the work begins, too. Ron encourages people to research the companies they are considering and look for someone they know and trust. During the interview, he recalled a family asking for recommendations in a local Facebook group and seeing Ameri Pro's name come up repeatedly. To him, those recommendations reflect the reputation his team works to maintain.

A Lansing office with Grand Ledge roots

Ameri Pro's next chapter also brings the company closer to where it began. The business started in Lansing in 2007, then moved to Grand Ledge after outgrowing its original space. At the time of our September interview, Ron was settling into a new customer-facing office on South Cedar Street, just south of downtown Lansing.

The move has a practical purpose. Customers making decisions about flooring, paint colors, and cabinets can visit the Lansing design center rather than travel to Grand Ledge for those selections. It gives them a place to meet with the company and work through the choices that come with rebuilding.

The larger equipment will remain in Grand Ledge, Ron explained, because it will not all fit at the new space. The first-response operation will be based in Lansing. It is a shift in how the company serves the area, not a departure from its Grand Ledge connection.

"We are here for Lansing," he says, describing the focus behind the move.

Making sure someone answers

Toward the end of our conversation, when asked what else he wanted locals to know, Ron returned to communication. After a disaster, he says, people need answers. Waiting without knowing what is happening can add to an already difficult situation.

He wants customers to call with questions, and he describes a team willing to respond outside the usual workday, including when there is an emergency. His point is simple: people should not be left wondering whether anyone is going to talk to them.

"We'll get your questions answered and point you in the right direction," he says.

It is a practical promise, and one that fits the rest of the conversation. Whether the task is explaining the next step, helping with repair selections, or saving photographs while a project waits, Ron keeps returning to what the customer needs in that moment.

Beyond the job, a life rooted here

Away from the business, Ron prefers the countryside. He lives on a lake and describes arriving home as feeling like a vacation. Walking, exercise, time on the pontoon, and keeping up with his grandchildren are among the ways he spends his time. At the interview, he had three grandchildren and a fourth on the way.

He does not fish, though his family does, and he enjoys watching them. A trip to a Tigers game with his wife and children was also on the calendar when we spoke.

His restaurant favorites include Texas Roadhouse, Cancun, and Swedes Restaurant, which catered his daughter's wedding. But for a visitor looking for somewhere memorable, his recommendation is Farmers Tavern. He recommends it for the eclectic décor, staff, and food, even though getting there means a little drive into the country.

Even the lighter questions offer a little insight: given a choice between Coke and Pepsi, Ron chooses neither. He is trying to be healthier.

When it comes to describing Greater Lansing, though, his answer is personal. He has been here since 1981. He met his wife here and raised his children here.

"It's home," he says.

That word connects the life he has built to the work Ameri Pro does. For Ron, Greater Lansing is the place his family belongs. For the people who call his company after a disaster, getting back home — or back to business — is the reason for the work.

Discover more of the people behind our local businesses through Greater Lansing Business Guide.

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