United Water Restoration Group VP of Operations Becomes Franchise Owner, Expands in Texas

With 95 operating territories across the U.S., United Water Restoration Group (UWRG), the restoration and reconstruction franchise, is growing again. This time, it is investing alongside its very own Vice President of Operations, Vincent Thomas, to open five offices in the Dallas area.

“I was able to convince the founders of UWRG to not only believe in me as an owner but to buy into my dream alongside me,” said Thomas. “The franchisor is reinvesting and becoming a Franchise Owner for the first time to partner with me.”

Thomas looks forward to expanding services in the Dallas area, and this ownership opportunity is the culmination of over a decade of hard work and passion. When he was working as an insurance adjuster in 2011, he saw a need in his community and pursued the role as a way to help, but he quickly realized that there was a lot going wrong before he, as the adjuster, showed up.

“What got me into the business in the first place was Hurricane Irene. I had a flood in my basement, and I was friendly with my insurance broker. When another big rain storm came through and my basement flooded again, I called a restoration company,” explained Thomas. “I saw that I was on the wrong side of the fence doing insurance given my passion for people and the amount of empathy I have. I knew what I needed to do — restoration and remediation.”

After finding his niche, Thomas was working in the remediation and reconstruction space and became connected with the UWRG team. Through this relationship, he grew his passion for the industry and the UWRG team even more and was soon called in to join the team in a more official capacity. For Thomas, it was simple.

“I was wearing my UWRG shirt, and I pointed to my heart — where the company logo is,” he said. “I said, ‘I will always work for this brand because I am proud of what we do.’ I wasn’t just working for them. I knew UWRG could be a household and nationwide name.”

It was then that he was hired as Vice President of Operations. Thomas worked to oversee the collections department, dealt with operations managers, educated technicians, created an estimating department and even flew from territory to territory supporting local owners. However, the work was deeper than simply serving as a Vice President of Operations. Thomas had already developed a great relationship with the leadership team and became a truly integral part of the system.

“We obviously developed a great working relationship, but it quickly grew into more than that — a very close friendship,” said Zoltan Kurucz, managing partner at UWRG. “Vinnie was very involved in the day-to-day demands of the business to help make sure everything ran smoothly. People call me the visionary, but I know I can rely on Vinnie to execute the vision.”

Kurucz added that Thomas has played an instrumental role in ensuring the vision is executed fully, proving himself through constant communication with the team, relationships with external legislators and lobbyists, and simple reliability.

“He’s involved with a lot of different fields, and I can always count on him,” explained Kurucz. “He is one phone call away, always supporting me whether it's a business or personal need.”

After about five years of this work, Thomas was managing locations in South Florida and Omaha, Nebraska. As the leadership team began to consider offering him an ownership opportunity in Omaha, Thomas was looking to relocate his family to Dallas.

Thomas explained to the team that he still loved the brand, but he knew he needed to make the move and proposed that the brand travel from Florida to Dallas alongside him. The team had already been considering opening a corporate location in Dallas, but with Thomas relocating, the situation presented a prime opportunity for greater expansion. 

“We had a very different relationship than the average coworker relationship,” said Thomas. “When it came down to asking Zoltan if he would be interested in reinvesting in his own brand through a partnership that would be over 1,000 miles away from him, and one that he would be sending me away to be the visionary for, I felt confident making that proposition.”

Thomas added that, over the years, in addition to a strong friendship, the pair has developed immense respect for each other, and though they now work as business partners, they continue to respect the other’s expertise and role in this new growth.

Rather than simply filling valuable markets with corporate-owned locations, the UWRG team and Thomas chose to partner up and become a franchise group that would grow in Dallas. 

“I believe in our concept as a franchise specifically,” Zoltan said. “My business partners and I would rather buy back into the business as a Franchise Owner of our own brand than to just take over key territories as corporate locations.”

This new development effort will open five offices across the larger Dallas area to serve a broader population as the concept works to expand services. At the start of the process, the entire team will be very hands-on to ensure the business is well-run and builds a strong foundation as new leaders are brought in to oversee day-to-day operations. 

With corporate leaders heavily involved at the start of the process, the new Dallas locations will be built up with high expectations and the same strong UWRG culture that has driven the brand for years.

“I have worked closely with Vinnie for the past five years. I saw how he changed things around my office and created great opportunities for the people he hired,” said Kurucz. “He has the drive, the knowledge and the passion. This is a new journey, and it is so exciting to continue to move forward with him. We are planting a seed and starting to water it, nursing that seed together, and we are excited to see it flower in the future.”

“This is not just business — it’s personal,” said Thomas. “We’re talking about three people who used to be my employers, and now they’re my partners. Understanding where this partnership comes from is so crucial, and the journey we’ve all had together informs the future of the brand.”

Kurucz and Thomas emphasized that the Dallas location had a record-breaking first month. Much of this success can likely be attributed to the strength of the model and long history between partners who are proud to once again execute in a new market. Looking to the future, the team is excited to grow within this new phase and continue to dominate the segment with UWRG services.

The total initial investment to open and begin operation of a UWRG franchise ranges from $196,906 to $582,127. For more information on franchising, visit https://uwrgfranchise.com