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Rick Drew


Hello! My name is Rick Drew, and I am the owner of Nu-Way Systems Carpet Dyeing & Cleaning.

I am blessed to be married to my beautiful wife Jami since January 6th of 1995, and to have two amazing children: Victoria who just graduated high school, and our 16 year old son Jerrick. I’m proud to say they are hard workers and both consistently make honor roll (they got their brains from their mom). We are dog lovers, especially Australian Shepherds. My wife named our Aussie Lyla. Lyla had the craziest blue eyes we’ve ever seen when she was a puppy. We have lived in South Elgin, Belvidere, and Huntley, and are so grateful for the great friends we’ve made along the way.

I started working for Nu-Way Systems when I was just 19, back in September of 1989. Having worked at Bartlett Hills Golf Club all through my 4 years at St. Edward’s High School in Elgin, I believe it was here that I discovered a real love for the service industry.
My first tough real-life decision came in 1992. Nearly all the men in my family (from my great grandfather and grand dad, to my dad, and my cousins) are either plumbers or electricians. They make great livings for sure! But my time with Nu-Way Systems had shown me a way to earn a living that I truly enjoyed. I loved meeting our clients, and I loved the “wow” factor of restoring damaged carpet, and that every day was different. The amazing “before and after” of the jobs we did left a powerful imprint on me. But the question was, “Can I really make a career of this?”

I did some careful vetting, weighed the pro’s and con’s, and had some good heart-to-heart talks with my dad. My heart was clearly in the carpet restoration industry, and my dad told me something I never will forget… “Whatever path you choose, give it your all, no regrets.”

That was it! I quickly earned promotions, was certified in all aspects of our services, and became a trainer, Supervisor, and then Director of Personnel.

In the late 1990’s, I was able to foster a unique relationship with several carpet mills, and began performing color correction (carpet dyeing) work for new carpet claim problems. We quickly found out that there are very few people in the entire country that can do this work well, so I began traveling to take on larger projects for the mills. What a great feeling to save literally millions of square feet of carpet from the garbage dumps!

That was it! I quickly earned promotions, was certified in all aspects of our services, and became a trainer, Supervisor, and then Director of Personnel.

In the late 1990’s, I was able to foster a unique relationship with several carpet mills, and began performing color correction (carpet dyeing) work for new carpet claim problems. We quickly found out that there are very few people in the entire country that can do this work well, so I began traveling to take on larger projects for the mills. What a great feeling to save literally millions of square feet of carpet from the garbage dumps!


In 2002, the original owner of Nu-Way Systems decided to sell the business, and offered it to me. My wife and I were thrilled with opportunity, and after a lot of research and prayer, we agreed to purchase the Residential / Commercial portion of the company. The purchase was finalized in November of 2003.

With a passion for the highest quality service experience available, we’ve continued our focus and ongoing education, learning the newest advancements and science of our industry. I’m proud to have what I truly believe are some of the best technicians in the nation working for me – maintain and saving our client’s carpet, tile, and upholstery. Growing the entrepreneur in me is certainly one of the most rewarding and challenging endeavors I’ve ever taken on. Thanks to a growing number of wonderful clients, my dream to make it a career continues to be a reality.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I look forward to speaking with you!

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