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"e nice thing about Leaf Filter is it goes right on the existing gutters, so we don't even have to do [gutters]," Kaulig notes. "We're one of the largest remodelers in the country, and we could sell anything we want to, yet nothing comes close to being as good—or as effective—as Leaf Filter." e company sponsored a racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for two full sea- sons before starting its own full-time team, Kaulig Racing, almost two years ago. Kaulig says the venture has helped marketing efforts and establishes valuable brand awareness for Leaf Filter because it gives employees as well as customers somebody to root for while they watch the race on the weekend. "When you see the product that you bought for your home or, as an employee, the product that you sell—with your company logo and colors and everything else—out on the track, it really gives you a great sense of pride in what we do and the company that we work for," he says. | customer grievances and organized a com- plete marketing strategy. He even stood at home shows, shopping malls and flea markets handing out flyers and explaining to home- owners the importance of gutter protection. e company earned $344,000 in revenue during his first year of business and has since grown from a single home office into 37 loca- tions across North America. Leaf Filter took in nearly $88 million on 30,618 jobs in 2015, followed by $112 million from almost 37,000 jobs in 2016, Kaulig says, and the nation's largest gutter protection company remains on pace to bank $159 million in 2017. "We keep taking more and more market share and dominating the market," says Kaulig, who credits his employees for the continued expansion. "It's about people. e better players you get, the better you're going to perform. The better your product is and the better the company culture, the better people you can at- tract; and the better the talent you have, the more business you can do." Kaulig looks for people who can sell product but who also adhere to business ethics when hiring new em- ployees. e company opened five new offices in 2016 and has introduced six more locations in just the last four months. Leaf Filter plans to launch a total of nine offices this year, and Kaulig says location No. 38 in Little Rock, Arkansas, should be operational before the end of April. fter graduating from business school at the University of Akron, Matt Kaulig went to work for a local home remodeling company. He sold everything—windows, siding, kitch- ens, patio rooms, roofs and basements—in his first three years as a sales representative before transitioning into a sales manager for the next four years. en he discovered a product that changed his life forever. Kaulig came across Leaf Filter, a micro-mesh gutter guard that combines with the existing gutters on a house to create a completely sealed system and prevent everything except water from entering the gutters. When water flows down the roof—toward the gutters—and spills over the guard, the Leaf Filter system utilizes surface tension to pull the water through the screen and into the gutter. "[I realized] I could make more money and make a better business out of it if I just sold this stuff myself out of my house," says Kaulig, who left his position as sales manager in 2005 and started Leaf Filter North, Inc., in Hudson, Ohio. "ere wasn't a Leaf Filter franchise model at the time, but it was a dealer network, so I was just one of 91 dealers—including one of two in northeast Ohio." For the first few years, Kaulig ran a one- man show from the basement of his home. He answered phones, scheduled appointments, managed sales, installed product, resolved Singular Focus No. 9 LeafFilter North expands into new markets each year selling just one product line and hiring ethical salespeople. By Kyle Clapham MATT KAULIG, Owner COMPANY: LeafFilter North, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Hudson, Ohio DESCRIPTION: Exterior/replacement contractor 2016 TOP 500: No. 9 It's about people. The better players you get, the better you're going to perform. Matt Kaulig, owner A 68 May 2017 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com PROFILE 2O16 TOP