It all started with painting rental apartments. When Kevin Kozo was a kid, his Mom was a nurse and sometimes worked weekends. That’s when his Father would drag he and his brother to help him out with rental properties he owned. The goal for his Dad was get in, get the work done and get out. But Kevin saw it a little differently.
“It drove my Dad nuts,” laughing as he remembers the rental work. “He wanted to get it painted and get it rented.” Kevin had other ideas. “I would just take forever! Cutting lines, wiping the edges. It was the details I couldn’t let go of. When I walked away, I was pretty proud of the finished product.”
Those weekends with his Dad taught him more than just how to hang drywall or run electric. “It gave me an intro as to creating things with your hands and being able to see the outcome,” he says. From then on, he was hooked.
“It was about the details right from the start, if I paid attention to details and took a little more time, the outcome was far superior to anything else.” That set the foundation for the rest Kevin’s life.
He started as a teen working in landscaping and eventually would buy the business in his 20’s, from the owner he’d worked for every summer. He earned an associate’s degree in business because his Dad really wanted him to, but Kevin already knew he wanted to build things.
In his early 20’s, he decided to take a road trip. “I packed some camping gear and 20 pair of underwear and went and saw the country for a couple months,” he laughs, as he recalls the trip. He was struck by the kindness of people and total strangers he met along the way. “No matter where I was in the in the country, people were so gracious. I was all by myself but learned a lot about people.”
When he owned the landscaping business, he was all about the hard work and doing it right, kind of like the painting in the rentals. “When it came time to get up to go work, I was up early, and worked hard every day. Come Friday night, I was out at the bar til’ close! Work hard, play hard. It’s basically my work ethic to this day.” These days it might mean a ski trip for a week or spending time with his two children.
After he sold his landscaping business, he found his way into a carpentry job and then built a side business with a friend doing drywall. The skills he’d learned all those weekends with his Dad were paying off. In 2005, he made the decisions to start Turnberry Construction Group. Along the way, Kevin has built it into a top residential and commercial building company, specializing in both new construction and renovation.
“I knew I wanted to have my own business,” he says of the decision to start Turnberry. And he’s never looked back. “I am absolutely unhireable,” he jokes now. “I have really developed my own focus and my own way doing way things.”
Just like the painting, it’s all about the details. From beautiful custom homes in Berks and Lancaster County to commercial showrooms, offices and production facilities, Kevin and Turnberry Construction have a reputation for building all things with excellence. And with impeccable design and attention to detail.
Shortly after starting the business, Kevin and Turnberry Construction built their first Parade of Homes house in 2006, winning Best of Show. He’s done seven more since then and each year with great success.
Turnberry Construction also became a Certified Green Professional™ through the National Association of Home Builders. “This designation recognizes builders and remodelers who incorporate green building principles into homes – without driving up the cost of construction.”
From the beginning, Kevin has been involved with the Home Builders of America, National Association of Home Builders and several other professional organizations. He was president of the Berks County HBA back in 2012 and now in Lancaster County. He believes being involved in is key to help give back to an industry that’s given so much to him and to help encourage more young people to get involved.
Connecting with other builders, tradesman and professionals is just another important detail to Kevin. “We can share information about how we can do things better, help younger guys coming in. I had a lot of older guys who helped me out when I first started. It’s a pay-it-forward kinda thing.”
Turnberry Construction has been built on integrity and the highest standard of craftsmanship. For Kevin it is a full circle kind of thing.
“It’s not just slapping it together and getting it done,” he says of his work ethic and high standards. Our level of expectation is higher than anyone else. It’s a sense of pride.”
And the clients and projects keep coming. A new commercial space and restaurant in Berks County and plenty of dream homes to build.
“I get to help design and build a project with my clients from start to completion, and then-I’m fortunate enough to do it again,” he says. “It really is a dream come true.”