Louisville company taps Indy market, plans new jobs

A Louisville-based contractor plans to hire up to 50 people in Indianapolis over the next couple of years as it expands into the city.

Champion Waterproofing will begin hiring technicians, salespeople and office staff in a month or two once the company finds an office in Indianapolis, said company founder and owner Luke Haire.

Champion, which recorded $2 million in revenue in 2012, needs room to grow, which is why it is expanding into central Indiana from its Louisville and Lexington offices in Kentucky, Haire said. Champion repairs leaking foundations and cleans up water and mold.

Despite launching during the recent recession and real estate crash, the housing-dependent business has doubled its revenue every year since it began in 2008, Haire said. He Haire hopes to finish 2013 between $3 million and $4 million in revenue with the Indianapolis office.

“We do everything from $2 million homes in the best neighborhoods to $30,000 homes in bad neighborhoods,” he said. “Every home leaks.”

Initially, the company plans to hire 10 to 15 people, and it will keep growing up to 40 or 50 people as business grows locally.

Technicians can earn between $13 and $15 an hour, and the handful of office staff needed for matters such as human resources and accounting can earn $16 to $18. Salespeople’s commission-based pay can be “easily six figures” a year, Haire said.

How many employees do they currently have?

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