In this episode of Ask the Expert, we are joined by Andrew Zavodney, chairman of the board and CEO of Kustom US, a privately held, full-service property restoration and remediation company headquartered in Longwood, Fla. Kustom has experienced consistent growth under Zavodney’s leadership, expanding exponentially since 2000 by streamlining operations, acquiring new businesses and embracing a people-centered approach. 

As part of its long-term strategy, Kustom is planning to continue a series of acquisitions and partnerships. In fact, it kicked this year off with the acquisition of Five Star Restoration & Construction in California. 

Zavodney, who also happens to be vice president of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) board of directors, talks about Kustom’s strategic approach to not only growth but also sustainability by focusing on people – not just operations. He covers company culture, employee value proposition, corporate governance, M&A due diligence, transparency, scaling without private equity and more. 

This episode covers:

• The history of Kustom as a third-generation business launched by Zavodney’s grandparents in the ‘60s
• Zavodney’s philosophy on careful growth that is strategic and sustainable
• The due diligence that goes into Kustom’s acquisitions of restoration companies, including what Zavodney likens to a dating process
• The importance of transparency and trust across the partnerships the company builds, the people it employs and the leadership style it embodies
• Preserving the best aspects of company culture among the businesses Kustom acquires
• The company culture at Kustom described
• Corporate governance as a passion are of Zavodney’s and how his privately-held company has adopted behaviors that resemble those of public companies, including a board of directors
• How Kustom is investing in its people with a strategic employee value proposition and dedicated human resources expertise
• The value of embracing diverse perspectives in the workplace
• What is next for Kustom
• Zavodney’s role on the RIA board of directors
• Consolidation as a key industry trend 

Check out this episode of Ask the Expert to learn more. You can watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation here. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Just search for Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert, then hit Follow.