Over the Horizon

After starting Horizon Interiors Inc. as a part-time business three years ago, Rudy Kadiric has drastically increased the amount of work the company has. At the time, Kadiric was working for a different company, but eventually found enough work for his side business to become his primary focus.

It has also become his workers’ priority. Some workers he has known in the past now work for him, and Kadiric is glad to be joined with them again.

“Our first-year revenue was about $75,000 in sales, while this year we are approaching $2 million of gross revenue,” says Kadiric, whose official company title is Managing Member.

Horizon Interiors, based in the Chicago area, performs carpentry, drywall and acoustical ceilings. The company also has some niche services, such as finish carpentry and millwork. This sets them apart from some of the other companies in the market.

Being involved in multiple areas has helped the company’s business, according to Kadiric. “I have seen a lot of demand on small-scale construction projects where we are specializing,” he says. “At this time, we don’t have a slowdown.”

At the time of this writing, Horizon Interiors had a backlog of projects through the spring. That has likely shifted since then.

However, even if the backlog gets larger, Kadiric would like to keep the same number of workers, which is currently about 20. That would be a good balance between efficiency and cost minimization. “The ability to stay small and lean is what we want to stay in,” he says.

A Look at the Past

When Kadiric (who has worked his way up the ladder since starting as a labor apprentice) started the company, he never imagined that it would lead to where it is now. It has been a long path to this point but he has worked hard to get the company to its current position.

Business has been very good and he is now reaping the rewards. He is also trying to make sure business continues in the same manner for as long as possible.

“We are partnering up with local contractors as well out-of-state contractors that are doing business in the Chicagoland,” Kadiric says. “This summer, we added an additional estimator/PM to keep up on the estimating/PM demand.”

W&C previously featured Kadiric back in 2016, when he was president of Titan Interiors LLC. Founded during the Great Recession, West Michigan-based Titan Interiors found a way to succeed. Kadiric’s hard work was a big part of that. However, he was not the only one putting hard work in from the beginning.

“A team that originally consisted solely of Kadiric and his brother, the company has grown to approximately 35 employees and manages other subcontractors as well,” W&C wrote at the time.

Although his current company does not have as many employees as Titan Interiors had, it can be hard to keep track of everything going on. However, Kadiric finds a way to keep up.

Despite the challenges, Kadiric enjoys running the company, even though he is not in the field much. It is different from when he started working in the industry but he still has fun.

“My role is never the same,” Kadiric says. “Today, I may be doing some estimating, while tomorrow I am doing some business development and next week I am involved on project management, problem solving, and the time is never the same.”

Putting in the Work

Because the company has only been around for a few years, Kadiric has focused more on the financial aspect of the business, delegating the fieldwork to his managers. He says he has spent a large amount of time with the company’s management of cash flow, specifically.

He has no problem being in an office more than the field since he was in a similar position with Titan Interiors. He trusts his employees to get tasks done right.

“My team is the most valuable asset our company possesses,” Kadiric says. “Currently, I am working with my team to grow our company strategically, alongside growing our team with it.”

The pride for his own work is not more than his pride for the work by his employees. “To open a small construction company in a big city, such as Chicago, without knowing almost anyone and grow it from almost nothing to almost $2 million is a big achievement,” he says.

Not only is Kadiric proud of his workers but he also tries to do right by them. He will drive to job sites at times, talk with them and see how projects are going to ensure everyone is happy and that the projects run smoothly. He enjoys spending time with his employees. He wants to show his workers that they can talk to him at any point. “The focal point first is taking care of employees like family,” he says.