Making a Career Out of an Adventure

While he was growing up in Philadelphia, PA, Tom Doty, the founder of Swept Away was always looking for adventure. His thirst for adventure by the way of travel and new experiences got him enrolled into the Navy when he was quite young.

During one of his Navy adventures on an aircraft carrier, Tom threw something into the incinerator that blew up and damaged the brick liner. The news reached the captain soon enough and prompted him to tell Tom, “You broke it, you fix it”. This proved to be a turning point in Tom’s life as he learned to lay brick, thereby beginning his new career.

Taking the First Steps Toward Building and Repairing Chimneys

After his stint in the Navy, Tom lived in California when he came across a job opening that required someone with the experience of laying brick. Tom was signed up for the job as he was the most knowledgeable of the 50 people who had applied. It was here that Tom learned the most about building and repairing chimneys.

The Florida Life

Tom knew that he learned enough in California. He moved to many other states where he worked for various companies. Many years later, he decided to move to the warmer location of Florida.

While here, Tom believed he’d begin a new career but was actually surprised to learn that there was an obvious need for people with a specialized skill set of chimney sweep, repair, and dryer vent cleaning.

This is when he founded Swept Away, Inc in the bay area in 1995. Since then, Tom has become a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild and The Chimney Safety Institute. He has served as president of the Professional Chimney Sweeps of Florida and is a delegate for the southern Chimney Association. He has taught seminars and helped to write manuals to help new sweeps.

With decades of experience under his belt, Tom still tries to keep up with the latest trends and advancements in the industry. All service techs are nationally trained and certified in order to maintain our high level of service to our customers. Trucks are equipped with the latest camera equipment.

Our latest upgrade is aerial lift operations enabling us to reach new heights safely. With the ability to move through small gates and reach up to 60ft, we now have the means to access difficult locations.

Swept Away Inc has brought the very finest of service and repair to the bay area along with a nationally recognized name in the industry, Tom Doty. Call us today for more information.

Our Service Areas

• Pinellas County, FL
• Pasco County, FL
• Hillsboro County, FL
• Manatee County, FL
• And all surrounding areas