Arnold Kubei is a Cameroonian entrepreneur who first migrated to the USA with his mother and brother in 2007. Launching his “American Dream,” Kubei started a janitorial business and amassed a savings of $300,000.
Maxing out his credit cards, he got an offer to purchase a gas station and convenience store in the east metro suburb of Maplewood. For many entrepreneurs, owning a gas station is a major source of revenue and Kubei was hoping he could maximize his fortune with the venture.
Unfortunately, his dream to be a gas station owner failed. He later discovered an underground storage tank on the property was leaking. Repairing it was too costly, and without any gas sales, the business failed. “I lost everything. My car was repossessed. I was taken to court for not paying my rent,” Kubei told Sahan Journal.
Following the failure of his gas station business, he got hired as a security counselor at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program. However, due to travel distance, he resigned and moved to the City of Minneapolis for a new job.
He left his new job after six months to establish a social service company called Metro Care Human Services. The mission of the company is to find housing alternatives for nursing home residents, people with disabilities, former prisoners, and another hard-to-house folk, according to Sahan Journal.
“Metro Care Human Services is devoted to providing the best nursing home relocation services to their clients. The staff at Metro Care Human Services work with individualized relocation plans designed to meet the needs of each client and promote successful nursing home relocation,” the company says on its website.
Kubei started the journey with a handful of clients and went ahead to launch a second business called Home Sweet Home of Minnesota, following the phenomenal growth of Metro Care Human Services. The company “acquires duplexes and apartment buildings in the Twin Cities and then converts them into assisted-living facilities.”
Kubei said his companies brought in $3.7 million last year, adding that they are projecting to make $5.5 million next year. According to the 33-year-old, he now has 45 employees.
The Cameroonian immigrant entrepreneur said his determination not to give up or be discouraged over the failure of his gas station business has paid off and urged others who want to be like him to remain consistent with their vision.
“The biggest catch to my story is to not give up, to not be discouraged. I failed. I went bankrupt. But I stayed consistent with my vision,” said the husband and father of two. “Since I lost everything back in 2014, I have not failed on any single thing I’ve done. Bankruptcy was a learning experience.”
