2024: #5 Private Company to Watch: KTM Exteriors

Three-Year Average Annual Growth: 56%
Founded: 2020
Headquarters: 10 Hazel Drive, Hampstead 
President: Tara Saxton
Total Number of Employees: 15
Product/Service: Roofing, siding, windows and other exterior construction services

Tara Saxton has learned that when it comes to business, bigger isn’t always better—or more profitable. Saxton grew up watching her father, Chuck Minasalli, run a building restoration business. Eventually, in 2004, that led to a spinoff company handling residential and commercial contracting with interior and exterior contracts. Sales were high, but so were the costs of managing a team and of trying to be everything to customers. For Saxton, “it was
a headache.”

So, in 2015, she created the second, modern iteration of KTM Exteriors. With Paxton and Minasalli at the helm, KTM Exteriors focuses on roofing and siding jobs, mostly for commercial properties. Minasalli still operates the restoration business, while another family member took over the interior work. “We refocused on what we like to do, and what we are good at,” Saxton says.

During the pandemic, demand for commercial construction flatlined, which was difficult for KTM Exteriors. Now, however, the company is once again growing, this time in a more sustainable way. 

Having a narrower focus has allowed Saxton to curate a dedicated team of 15 employees, including a small two-employee satellite operation in Florida, where Minasalli owns a property. A more narrowly defined market allows Saxton to focus on customer service, while maintaining wider margins. “I would rather do less, make more, and take better care of my team,” she says. “I did it wrong the first time, and now I’ve learned my lesson.”

Last year, 55% of business was from repeat customers or referrals, which tells Saxton that her approach is working. She wants to continue to grow KTM at a rate of at least 10% annually. With the construction industry so closely tied to the economy, there are many uncertainties in this election year, yet she believes steady growth is possible. “We’ve had large growth in such a short amount of time, and I’m comfortable with it,” Saxton says.