KSU student who started contracting business opens store in Cobb

KENNESAW — A Kennesaw State University student who started a home building company in 2019 to pay for college is making new plays in and around Cobb.

Kevin Nguyen, 21, is owner and founder of Capital Development. He hosted family, friends and work peers at a December grand opening of his company’s first design store.

Capital Development, founded in 2019, is a home building company that specializes in custom construction, remodeling and design for homeowners in Kennesaw. Nguyen said opening the store allows clients to come in and collaborate with staff on their home design projects. The shop also features virtual reality and 3D design technology that customers can use to see the entire building process from beginning to end.

“Designing in the front end creates a vision,” he said. “And with us being able to create that vision using the technology systems in place, it makes it very easy for a client to say yes to the process.”

From Cobb kid to business owner

Nguyen is a Cobb native who attended North Cobb High School. The young entrepreneur said his passion for building homes stems from a personal anecdote— Growing up, Nguyen frequently moved and never had a place he could call home.

“A home isn’t about how it’s built or how it’s designed,” Nguyen said. “A home is a collection of who we are as people.”

Then 18, Nguyen began his journey at KSU in 2019 and was met with a challenge— he had to pay his way through college. As a construction management and engineering major, Nguyen decided to use his previous trade experience by searching for local job opportunities in his field.

To fund his tuition and stay afloat, Nguyen worked as a project manager for Kennesaw construction companies. But the young student said he was still unable to make ends meet.

“I just wasn’t making enough money to afford college and I couldn’t afford the truck payment I had at the time,” he said.

In the beginning stages of Capital Development, Nguyen said he and his team traveled door-to-door offering Kennesaw residents simple renovation services. But when his company started gaining momentum, Nguyen said he started taking on advanced home building projects.

“And then it kind of transpired into something where we realized that we weren’t just renovating houses,” Nguyen said. “We were building homes.”

With guidance from local architects, contractors and designers, Nguyen said Capital Development, which began as a means to afford college, has evolved into a successful home building company. The company has garnered over 112 subcontractors who assist and collaborate with the business’s projects.

“One person can’t do everything. So I’m very thankful for all the relationships I’ve built,” Nguyen said. “I didn’t grow up with the corporate system. So I didn’t know how to run a company from a corporate sense.”

Student opportunities

As someone who funds his education, Nguyen said he understands the financial struggles of being a college student. The business owner hired a team of young KSU students for marketing and design positions. Nguyen said his employees can now pay their bills, boost their resumes and gain experience in the practical business world.

Tyler Quick, a KSU junior studying architecture, is a Capital Development employee and friend of Nguyen. Quick said this opportunity has allowed for him to develop his architecture portfolio and network with professionals in the community.

“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get a hands-on perspective and apply my in-field experience to my drawings,” Quick said. “The design meetings have given me an upper hand in the actual building process versus just being able to draw.”

Quick is in charge of creating blueprints and building plans for Capital Development clients. He said this experience has opened doors for him, as well as other students who work for Nguyen.

This year, Nguyen said the Capital Development team wants to extend a helping hand to those in the Kennesaw community.

“Our No. 1 goal this year is to enjoy our profession... and we really want to express that to others,” he said. “So, a lot of what we’re doing this year is community outreach.”

The company is planning to participate in job fairs at local colleges, visit elementary schools and tutor students interested in STEM subjects. Nguyen also said he wants to visit “high schools and talk to kids who don’t know what they want to do because that’s very common.”

The future for Capital Development

Despite recent growth in the Cobb area, Nguyen said he doesn’t plan to open additional Capital Development stores until he builds a solid foundation in Kennesaw.

“As a company that originated in Kennesaw, I want to build a very strong foundational base here and really get to know other business owners in the area,” Nguyen said. “That way we can expand our horizons and build those same relationships in the next city.”

As Nguyen and his team ring in 2023, the young entrepreneur said he is looking forward to tackling some big, upcoming projects.

Capital Development, Nguyen said, is in the process of building a 30-home development in Lawrenceville and a 10-home development in Douglasville.

“It’s fun stuff,” Nguyen said. “We get to add our design taste and our own personalization into these homes. And I finally add to the name Capital Development.”

As the business owner wraps up his final year at KSU, Nguyen said he looks forward to a bright future ahead for his firm.

Capital Development’s store is at 3900 Legacy Park Blvd Suite B300 in Kennesaw. For business inquiries or more information, visit capitaldevelopments.co