Pros
Working directly with estimators was the highlight of my time at Kustom. Mentoring them, reviewing their estimates, and helping them grow professionally was deeply rewarding. I was proud to help build out a centralized estimating department and develop SOPs for intake, scoping, and delivery. Weekly pay was a nice perk, and the benefits were solid.
Cons
Leadership lacked both courage and connection to the realities of daily operations. Policies were handed down from the top without regard for how they impacted the people responsible for executing them. The culture was toxic. I witnessed and personally experienced unacceptable behavior from leadership, including direct threats and harassment, with no accountability. Estimators who underperformed or didn’t care were often protected for political reasons. There’s significant turnover, which I believe stems from a widespread lack of communication, direction, and clarity—particularly from corporate. In my case, I requested guidance for weeks without response, only to have my role eliminated with no justification. Feedback from the field is rarely sought, and when it is, it’s often ignored. Constant shifts in direction and policy created instability, confusion, and low morale.