Restoration 1 founder proves power of persistence

Reactions from the business community to President Obama’s executive action last Thursday have been mixed, with some claiming the unilateral action might further delay a more comprehensive reform from Congress while others say the president’s move contains helpful steps forward for American companies. Among the changes that would likely benefit businesses is the expansion of visa opportunities for foreign-born entrepreneurs intent on starting companies in the United States. Also, the deferment of deportation for more than 4 million undocumented workers could help " target="_blank" rel="nofollowensure a supply of hourly labor in many service industries, which franchise executives seemed to support. One immigrant entrepreneur, Restoration 1 founder Andor Kovacs, believes more work needs to be done to ensure the immigration system is fair and still provides the opportunity he had to start several businesses in the United States. Pompano Beach, Florida-based Restoration 1 is a building restoration franchise specializing in repairing property damage from flooding, fire, smoke and mold. “My first impression was that one person, even the president, should not be deciding this on his own; I think Congress should be involved,” Kovacs said. “But I do support building a path to legal citizenship for immigrants, because I am one. But we need to still filter out criminals and threats to national security.” Like most business owners, Kovacs would like to see a longer-term solution to the immigration system arise from the legislative process, but he conceded that the problem is incredibly complicated and not likely to be resolved soon. “If I knew what that comprehensive solution is, I would be in Congress,” he said. “But we need to make sure everything is above-board so that people aren’t afraid to hire the workers they need, and that those people aren’t afraid to work and live.” His own immigrant success story began decades ago when he moved to Los Angeles from Hungary, seeking a fresh start. “The reason I came here was because I wanted to be far away from home and the woman who broke my heart,” Kovacs said. “From Hungary to California, that was about 6,000 or 7,000 miles, so I couldn’t get much farther away than that.” He first entertained the thought of becoming an actor, but without fluency in English he found Hollywood to be the first of many places in the United States where success would not come easy. Instead, Kovacs turned to working for other people, including his first job doing building maintenance and construction for another Hungarian immigrant in Los Angeles. However, Kovacs had been an entrepreneur before coming to the United States, running his own liquor-distilling business in Hungary, and he soon would work for himself again in his new country. Over the course of several years, he started other businesses, including a car export business in South Florida and a building restoration company that was a predecessor to Restoration 1. Even that first restoration business had its hurdles, however. Kovacs and a friend from Hungary started it in South Florida with $120,000 that Kovacs put on his credit cards. When that “friend” turned around and forced Kovacs out of the company, he lost nearly everything, including his house. Yet he persevered and decided to double down on the restoration industry he had come to know. He formed his new brand, Restoration 1, with the goal of winning back the Florida market from his former friend and company, and today Restoration 1 has grown even larger, to 22 locations in seven states. Two of Kovacs’ franchisees are immigrants as well, and he added that he looked for the same qualities in new operator partners — regardless of where they are from — that helped him achieve his American dream, namely persistence. “I’m not the most educated person, but I do have one thing: I never give up, and I always move forward,” Kovacs said. “Education is a good thing, but if somebody just hustles and is willing to keep hitting the pavement to find opportunities, that’s what they need most of all. It’s easier to give up than to see something through and execute, but if people don’t give up, they’ll be successful.”