Matt Lozecki knows the full meaning of being in the right place at the right time. In 2013, Matt and his brother Jay bought All Clear Restoration and Remediation. At the time, All Clear was a small local water damage company, however, shortly after acquiring the company, Matt and his team expanded it to a restoration company that now travels to disaster-struck areas such as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Guam, and the majority of continental United States.
With 20,000 pieces of restoration equipment to store, the first plot of land Matt found that fit his needs was 8-acres in Freeport, just off Highway 331 across the bridge from Santa Rosa Beach. With extra space to build out and lease, Matt discovered a prime location for developing and meeting the needs of the community.
“We came across this property in Freeport, and thought, ‘We can buy that land, build and use what we need and then lease the rest of it,’" Matt said. “Everything was leased before the buildings were erected. We quickly realized the market and the area’s need and that led us to build two more buildings, and a shopping center.”
As the Destin area expands, Matt explained, residents moving to the area are looking, not only for places to live but also for amenities such as restaurants, shopping, recreational activities and wellness centers. Matt is now strategically building a custom strip mall to accommodate the rapid growth of the Freeport area.
“As you know there is nowhere else in the city limits for Destin to expand, so the next closest area is Freeport,” Matt said. “Cost of living is significantly less across the bridge, but residents still spend a large amount of time in Santa Rosa Beach and Destin.”
Matt’s first build-out, a 20,000 square-foot mixed use space, brought in a wide range of businesses consisting of a gym, retail store, event studio, therapeutic wellness center and more. The second phase of build out, which added another 24,000 square-foot building, brought in a hair salon, pizzeria, dance and cheer studio, chiropractic office and laundromat to name a few.
Now looking towards his second retail center, Matt said the location will feature four buildings and has already attracted restaurants, retail stores, dance and yoga studios and a medical/dental plaza with more spaces filling up soon. The first section of the new plaza is set to open in November of this year, with phase two and three opening into 2025.
For Matt, investing into the local community means helping to build up the Freeport area with new commercial facilities and encouraging business growth in the expanding urban area.
“We buy the dirt, work on conceptual drawings and layout and we bring it from woods and dirt to buildings and tenants,” he said. “We get to help a lot of first-time business owners by taking their dream business and making it a reality for them.”
Although Matt is actively looking for more places to develop, he is also still very much involved in the restoration business. With a family background of over 55 years in property restoration and remediation, Matt and Jay have seen exponential growth over the past 10 years. In fact All Clear is growing at such a rapid rate that Matt and Jay have recently brought on their brother Alec to help with operations.
“We do a lot of specialty large complex projects across the country, and in nearby regions regarding wind, water, mold and fire damage," Matt said.
When Matt’s not working, he devotes his time to his wife Nicole, son Nicolas and daughter Chloe. The family enjoys boating, fishing and spending time together.
"We help first-time business owners take their dream and make it reality.”
