From Flooring to State Congress? An Interview with Representative Candidate Kyle Lyebyedyev.

The floor covering industry is full of interesting people with amazing stories and aspirations. From actors and musicians to athletes and veterans with amazing stories of heroic feats, I’ve learned quickly that the industry is a lot more than just floor covering. Soon, we may be adding “Congressman” to the list.

Meet Washington State 47th Legislative District Representative candidate Kyle Lyebyedyev. He has spent over a decade working in the flooring industry as a tradesman and business owner, but is now running for State Congress. Mr. Lyebyedyev was kind enough to take a break from campaigning to do an interview with the Flooring Association Northwest.

DATE: 10/27/2020 Interviewer: Justin Gielski, Director – Floor Covering Association NW. Interviewee: Kyle Lyebyedyev, Business Owner / 47th LD Congressional Candidate.

Justin: Mr. Lyebyedyev, thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me. It is exciting to see someone within the industry run for a state representative seat. Usually I like to start off with an easy “warm up” question, but I am going to change it up a bit and ask you my hardest question first. How do you pronounce your last name?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: My last name is Russian, but I was born and raised in Ukraine, which is why I inherit this weird spelling, but to make it easy try this: Kyle Lebedev “Le-be-de-v”.

Justin: What trade do you specialize in within the floor covering industry?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: My company name is Kyles Construction LLC, and we are working on new construction multi-family complexes, apartments, and commercial buildings by installing ANY type of floor covering.

Justin: What brought you into the floor covering industry and how long have you been working in it?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: When I immigrated to the U.S. in 2002, I immediately started working. While searching for the job that I would love and enjoy, I ended up as a helper to a flooring contractor. Approximately in 2005-2006, I opened my own business…I love what I do.

Justin: What motivated you to run for office?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: My motivations to seek elected office are simple:

• I am a father of three kids, and I want to see my kids succeed in life, but not only my kids, all the young generation. I want them to succeed by obtaining the necessary knowledge that will help them to become prosperous in their lives.
• As a business owner I understand that the core of U.S economy is small business. If elected I will be advocating for small business in our state to help them thrive and succeed.
• As an immigrant I do believe that immigrant community is underrepresented, and they deserve proper and fair representation.

Justin: Floor covering can be an extremely busy trade. Has it been hard to campaign and keep your business running?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: The flooring industry is a busy trade indeed. To campaign and run a business is of course challenging, but my motivations and goals are much higher. I do have contractors that contract with me while I am campaigning, but the biggest challenge to campaign in these elections is unfortunately Covid-19.

Justin: As a state level representative, what can you do to help the floor covering industry?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: If elected, my first step to help the flooring industry will be passing legislation that will drop all B&O taxes at least for a year. I’ve been endorsed by the Realtors Association of WA for a reason. By creating the best possible opportunities to provide more housing, it will benefit the flooring industry and beyond. And of course, less regulation as possible for small businesses.

Justin: If elected, will you be able to continue working in the industry full time?

Mr. Lyebyedyev: If elected, I will be still staying in the flooring business. It will be harder than usual, but I am certain that I can handle it.

Justin: Thank you so much Kyle for taking the time to do this interview. I know how busy things must be for you this close to the election. It’s great to see people in the industry stepping up to the role of civil service. I wish you the best in your campaign.

Disclaimer: The Flooring Association Northwest does not endorse political candidates. This interview was conducted to highlight current events within the industry for informational purposes only.