NORTH WALES, Pa. (CBS) — A Montgomery County man who changed careers has found success in the home improvement industry.
Kenny Lassiter Sr. is the co-owner of Handi Boyz, an exterior maintenance company. Before that, he owned an IT company for 24 years, but the business folded after he lost his main client. So, he decided to turn his side hustle as a handyman into a full-time gig.
“In September 2019, me and my son decided to put up $1,700 each and we started a gutter business,” Lassiter Sr. said.
Soon, customers started asking the business for even more services. Handi Boyz expanded to include deck building, siding installation and fence repair.
“It’s fun. That to me is probably the favorite part of running my business, is watching it grow,” Lassiter Sr. said. “I love being a small business owner, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Air Force veteran is planning to pass the business down to his sons one day.
“I like the fact that I work with my sons,” Lassiter Sr. said. “We argue and fuss and fight, but you know, it’s all good. At the end of the day, we leave it at work and go home and laugh and joke and have a beer.”
Longtime customer Larry Harris said he hired Handi Boyz to repair a deck because of the quality of their work and pricing.
Harris is the vice president of Being Beautiful Foundation, a nonprofit that provides safe housing for foster children.
“I’ve known Ken for many years,” Harris said. “He stands by his brand, his word, he’s a man of his word and there’s not much more you can ask for from a contractor.”
Lassiter Sr. said he would not be where he is today had it not been for mentors in the Black community.
“They taught me a lot about business,” Lassiter Sr. said. “I had a lot of female mentors, actually a lot of women that were older than me, kind of took me under their wing. They taught me a lot of stuff and gave me opportunities.”
Lassiter Sr.’s son said he looks forward to continuing his father’s legacy.
“I think following in my dad’s footsteps is going to be good for me and good for the family,” Handi Boyz co-owner Kenny Lassiter Jr. said.
CBS News Philadelphia
