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In an industry where credibility and professionalism shape reputations, the IICRC Certified Firm program continues to set the bar. It’s not just a badge on the wall or a line on a brochure—it represents a promise of consistency, accountability, and trust.

That’s how Gavin McMahon, the IICRC Certified Firms Supervisor, describes it. Speaking on Unscripted, the IICRC’s video series, McMahon shared how the Certified Firm program has grown, what benefits it offers, and how it helps both businesses and consumers.

Professionalism with proof

McMahon has been with the IICRC since 2018, after a referral from a longtime friend and colleague. “Our logistics manager and I go way, way back,” he said. “We went to high school together out here in Las Vegas. Anytime I get a good job, I call him and say, ‘Come work with me,’ and anytime he gets a good job, he calls me. We’ve kind of always followed each other wherever we go.”

When an opportunity opened at IICRC, that connection paid off. “He started at IICRC, he got me a leg up into the company, and I’ve been here ever since,” McMahon said.

McMahon began in the renewals department and later became the Certified Firms Supervisor. “When I came on, there were about 6,300 active Certified Firms,” he said. “Slowly but surely, we’re now over 8,000. We are growing.”

As the program has grown, so have the benefits. “We offer more benefits, so there’s more reason to sign up now,” he said. “There are more partnerships with other companies, like our friends at Helios Group. They provide insurance benefits to our firms at a discounted rate—liability insurance, health insurance, workers’ comp, things like that.”

He also mentioned the partnership with CareerPlug. “They create job board postings so that when you become a Certified Firm, you can sign up with CareerPlug for free and post your job ads to get technicians to come work for you. That’s always a need, and it’s a benefit that firms were asking for,” McMahon said.

“These are benefits that aren’t even really explained when you sign up,” he added. “It’s just kind of a cherry on top.”

Win #1: Professional standards

Certified Firms can also use the IICRC logo as part of their branding. “You can put that on your website, your company website, your LinkedIn profile, your business cards, your brochures, your truck decals,” McMahon said. Then, with a laugh, he added, “You can tattoo it if you want. I probably should. I should get a Certified Firm tattoo. I think that’s next.”

He explained that certification signals credibility. “It’s about setting clear expectations,” McMahon said. “When you hire a Certified Firm, you’re getting technicians who are trained to industry standards and who have committed to ethical, documented practices.”

The program also helps businesses stay organized. “If you have six, seven, eight, nine, or a hundred IICRC technicians that work for you, it gives you a hub where they all plug in so you can manage their accounts, pay their renewals, register them for their exams,” McMahon said. “It just makes it easier for the administrator, the office manager, the HR professional, or the head technician who runs it all himself.”

Win #2: Protecting consumers

For consumers, certification offers assurance that a company has verified credentials and insurance. “The one way it does protect you is that you’re hiring a company that you know has at least a level of education,” McMahon said. “So they’re not just a guy in a truck.”

He continued, “You’re expected to provide liability insurance as well, which is the big one—that’s what really gives you that protection factor when you’re hiring a Certified Firm. Because if you’re hiring a guy out of his truck, he may have 12 years’ experience—that’s great, that’s cool—but he’s a guy in a truck. You don’t know that he’s protected with insurance. You don’t know that he has any kind of training. He may be great—I’m not saying anything about that—but at least you know that a Certified Firm is protected and trained.”

McMahon said Certified Firms must also agree to the IICRC Code of Ethics. “It’s a lot of general knowledge you should have as a business owner anyway,” he said. “Look the part, act the part, be fair with people, don’t overcharge—just making sure that you’re aware that you should run your business with us in mind.”

Win #3: Clarity that rewards

McMahon explained that certification can easily pay for itself. “It’s $200 a year,” he said. “Not a month—$199 a year. It’s every December.”

He added, “Even if you get five [referrals] a year, it more than pays for itself. Way more.”

The IICRC also helps firms gain visibility. “When you become a Certified Firm, you also get a listing on our locator so that consumers in your area can find you and see what you’re certified in, hire you, contact you—at least get the ball rolling on trying to get you some more customers,” McMahon said. “Insurance providers, TPAs, Google—they all use our locator as a way to validate firms and see what that firm has certified technicians in.”

McMahon said even though the IICRC doesn’t advertise certification as a direct referral program, it often has that effect. “It does passively kind of work that way,” he said. “It gives them a way to separate themselves in a crowded market where anyone can claim to be an expert.”

A culture built on pride

When asked about barriers to joining, McMahon said cost can be a factor, especially for small companies. “A lot of these mom-and-pop shops that are just starting up—you get firms all the time that apply with one certified technician, and they are the guy working out of their truck, but they have the insurance, they have the knowledge, they took the classes, they passed the exams, they know what they’re doing,” he said. “So for them, $200 might be considerable.”

On the other hand, he spoke proudly about the service level his department delivers, adding value for the investment. “We do operate three full-time contact channels, and we’re really, really, really good at getting back to you,” McMahon said. “Our level of service has risen so much since I started there that we have over a thousand Google reviews and a five-star rating. I don’t know any other company that can say that.”

Learn more about the IICRC here.