Kodaris views customers as long-term partners and values each relationship. This attitude and focus have been built from the beginning, starting with Kodaris’ first customer – Gypsum Management Supply.
In 2014, Tony Zakula had the vision of what enterprises would value in an enterprise SaaS software company:
As with any start-up, launching an enterprise company requires a tremendous amount of work and vision and depends on product/market fit, capital, and time. While working part-time for a consulting company to fund Kodaris, Tony had the opportunity to work with the GMS team on an internal project.
After a few months and having the opportunity to have lunch with a few GMS executives, some ideas formed about a potentially more significant project that aligned with some of Tony’s ideas for Kodaris. A short time later, a pilot project agreement was signed. GMS took a bet on a small company to see what it could do, allowing Kodaris to begin creating its vision in partnership with a large enterprise.
From the beginning, it was a great culture fit to form a long-lasting partnership. The GMS motto of “always do the right thing” rang true with Tony. His vision for Kodaris is a family-oriented company, focused on people first, always being open and transparent, and getting things done. GMS also prides itself on its “entrepreneurial spirit,” which fits very well with a start-up.
Working in close partnership, GMS opened up its business to Kodaris, allowing direct access to the business units, traveling to their locations, meeting with their customers, and working together to develop a technology SaaS platform that cannot be matched. Technology companies talk about product/market fit, but there is no question when the customer continues to help shape the product each day.
GMS and Kodaris continue to invest heavily in the partnership, leveraging the strengths of each to drive innovation and market opportunity. Through the years, GMS has grown from $1.2 billion to $4.3 billion, went public, and continues to grow and expand its national platform rapidly. Kodaris will always be thankful for the opportunity and stay true to its roots that business is about always doing the right thing and investing in relationships.
