Tony and Holly Turkovic were looking for a change back in early 2022, after nearly 20 years in the workforce. Tony had worked 18 years in the industrial construction field, doing construction and maintenance at coal mines, steel mills, and chemical plants. Holly spent 19 years developing countless programs and initiatives within the non-profit and academic sectors. She is currently the senior community outreach manager at the National Kidney Foundation.
The couple, who had spent their whole lives in the Pittsburgh area, wanted to make their best effort at chasing the American dream. They had always talked about being their own boss, wanting to push themselves to achieve more and work on their own schedule. That is when they knew the right opportunity was to jump in with both feet into franchising.
Why Franchising Made Sense
Each year, the couple would sit down to talk about goal setting and examine all areas of their lives from family, health, legacy, relationships, faith, to professional, financial, community, and discuss where and how they wanted to grow. In 2022, they made the decision to be entrepreneurs and their own boss. After working for others for nearly 20 years in professional life, they opted to take a leap of faith into franchising to go out on their own, carve their own path and bring a concept to the Pittsburgh community.
After taking months to researching different franchises and speaking with a friend who had been a franchise consultant, they came across EverLine Coatings, a Canadian-based parking lot maintenance and striping brand that was just looking to break through into the U.S. market in 2022. They saw the real potential to grow as one of the first franchisees in the states in the Steel City, where they had experienced a lot of deteriorated parking lots. They also saw the potential for growth with it being the only real franchised version of an industry that had been dominated by contractors, and that EverLine could help set the standard for what a parking lot is supposed to look like.
Cashing in All the Chips
The Turkovic’s knew they didn’t have the net worth or the resources to jump in the franchise space back in April of 2022, but being their own boss was something they thought they should do with both feet. Looking to meet the threshold to buy a franchise, Tony and Holly cashed in their IRAs and emptied out their savings accounts to try and become a franchisee with EverLine Coatings. The couple was still short on the threshold, which led to them selling Tony’s pickup truck to meet the mark. After “cashing in on their chips” and signing the franchise agreement with EverLine Coatings in 2022, the couple then took out a Small Business Administration loan to get the new business off the ground in the Steel City and off to a good start last year.
The Demand for Pavement Maintenance
The demand for line striping and pavement maintenance has always been a need everywhere. That need has been especially high in the Pittsburgh market, with the region seeing the impact of all four weather seasons throughout the year. Parking lots have daily wear and tear that can deteriorate quickly, especially in climates that require the regular use of chemicals and road salt to try and beat the ice that forms. For many property managers, parking lot maintenance is not something that first comes to mind when it comes to upkeep. But Holly and Tony have seen it as an opportunity for people to use that maintenance as a billboard to attract potential customers. Businesses and property managers don’t want their parking lot to be a liability, and that growing need is what made EverLine Coatings stick out when they were looking to become franchisees.
Opportunity to Give Back
One of the most important parts of being their own boss to the Turkovic’s was being able to do some good with their new business. Philanthropy has always been important to them, especially to Holly who had spent time in her career working in the community to make it a better place through leadership and non-profit program development. They have also really wanted to help others achieve their career goals and to help build and leave a legacy for their family.
After becoming franchisees, one of the first ways they decided to give back was with their local church. Tony is a trustee for the church, including using his construction background to oversee the building and grounds team. They had seen membership go down due to the pandemic, and the parking lot had really deteriorated over time. They were still brand new to EverLine Coatings, and didn’t really have the budget to fix what was becoming a liability to a place they love, but made the choice to service its church parking lot for free to give back to something that really mattered to them. They took the time to fill cracks, resealed the lot and restriped it all to make it look as good as new. For the couple, it was more than just business, but leaving an impact on their place of worship.
Jumping in with both feet and taking that leap of faith, especially during a pandemic, can be one of the most challenging things a new business owner can do. That is why finding the right niche in franchising was something the Turkovic’s took seriously. They cashed in their assets and put all the chips in the middle to see if they could be their own bosses. Over a year later and they are seeing the gamble continue to pay off as they build their brand in the Steel City.