For Tom Culver, joining the Marines was a significant turning point in his life. “Marine training is designed to take individuals who are highly motivated, but raw, and instill military discipline and initiative,” Culver noted, describing the mental toughness he learned during his military career. By Jessica Jones

For Tom Culver, joining the Marines was a significant turning point in his life.

“Marine training is designed to take individuals who are highly motivated, but raw, and instill military discipline and initiative,” Culver noted, describing the mental toughness he learned during his military career. “Boot camp teaches us to deal with situations that are chaotic, often frightening. We learn to keep cool, analyze our options, act decisively and adapt as the situation unfolds.”

Culver, a former Marine sergeant who went on to earn an accounting degree from California State University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, has owned an outpost of Paul Davis Restoration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for more than 20 years.

“The company impressed me from the start,” Culver said. “It seemed analogous with my past experience: Paul Davis Restoration is the first force of reconnaissance for homeowners who are in an unpleasant situation. It doesn’t take a lot of skill to assist them, and you don’t have to be a superman to do this job. It’s really all about not quitting and being perseverant in the face of doubt and uncertainty. Just like a Marine.”

An expert at repairing residential and commercial properties damaged by fire, water, mold, storms, and other disasters, Paul Davis Restoration has over 300 independently owned franchises in the U.S. and Canada. Culver’s Tulsa location has been one of the brand’s top-performing stores for the past several years. He is currently on pace to register $10 million in sales this year alone.

“The best part of Paul Davis?” Culver asked. “The constant opportunity to improve, be challenged and change.”

And once a Marine, always a Marine. This past November, in honor of the Marine Corps’ 245th birthday, Culver “maxed out” the pull-up portion of the Marine Corps’ Physical Fitness Test at the Tulsa West Recruiting Station. The rigorous record is 23; Culver did 25 – more than 30 years after leaving the Corps.

For more information about Paul Davis franchising opportunities, visit pauldavisbusiness.com.

– Jessica Jones