Overview:
Chedner Vaillant made his company into an economic launchpad for Haitian newcomers in Central Ohio, offering steady wages and a first foothold in America. With Temporary Protected Status ending, he faces the loss of the very workers his business supported and that help him grow.
PLAIN CITY, Ohio — For nearly one decade, Chedner Vaillant spent his days working full-time in construction and flipping houses, while dedicating his evenings and weekends to doing tasks all around Central Ohio as a tasker through a popular app.
Across countless gigs, Vaillant chipped away at a broader dream: building something of his own. Finally, in 2024, he quit his day job to run Z-Remodeling and Hardscaping full-time.
Based in Plain City and serving Columbus, Springfield and the surrounding region, Z-Remodeling does more than interior repairs, custom patios and kitchen renovations. For many newly arrived Haitian immigrants in Central Ohio, Vaillant’s company has served as an essential economic launchpad. A place to earn steady wages, learn a trade and navigate the complex process of building a new life in the United States.
“It’s nice to give Haitians an opportunity to work knowing they are supporting their families back in Haiti, just as I am,” Vaillant said.
Now, however, as immigration policies become more restrictive for Haitians, which prohibits Vaillant from hiring the very people for whom Z-Remodeling has been a stepping stone, the business itself must navigate new headwinds if it is to survive.
“Z-Remodeling was built on giving guys a fair chance to work hard, build a life, and learn a trade,” Vaillant, 39, said.
“When you shut down their legal status overnight, you’re not just stopping them from earning an honest living — you’re taking away the hands that build these projects,” he said. “If we can’t hire the workers who want to be out here working, the business can’t grow. It’s that simple.”
A foundation built on persistence
Vaillant’s journey in the U.S. began in 2015, when he arrived from Haiti on a K-1 fiancé visa. It allows a foreign-citizen fiancé of a U.S. citizen to enter the U.S., provided the couple marries within 90 days of arrival.
Having spent much of his adult life launching small projects such as laying mulch, cleaning up yards and landscaping, he immediately threw himself into the American labor market, soaking up as much hands-on trade experience as he could. Making patios, house-flipping and home repairs, landscaping and outdoor maintenance were among the numerous construction-related jobs where he gained experience.
While the decade-long immersion gave him the technical confidence to go out on his own, his lived experience as an immigrant shaped his business model into something deeper than mere profit. Though the married father of four is now settled as an Ohioan, Vaillant still remembers the trepidation of coming to a new land.
“When you arrive in a new country with nothing but hope and a work ethic, you just need one person to open a door for you,” Vaillant said, growing emotional during a recent interview with the Haitian Times.
“I remember what it felt like to be new here, trying to build a foundation from scratch,” he added. “That’s why Z-Remodeling isn’t just a job site to me. It’s a place where a guy can walk in carrying the weight of uncertainty and walk out with a paycheck, a sense of pride, and a path forward.”
An economic landing pad for new arrivals
Central Ohio’s Haitian population expanded to more than 20,000 from a few thousand prior to 2020, according to the Haitian Community Network (Haconet) in Columbus. Most often face steep hurdles — language barriers, complex administrative systems and the urgent need to earn money — while sorting out legal paperwork, such as applying for TPS.
For many, Z-Remodeling became their first employer in the U.S. Rather than viewing temporary legal status or language barriers as obstacles, Vaillant saw an opportunity to offer dignity and support.
“There is a special feeling working with people that share your culture and language,” Vaillant said. “For many years, I did not have that here. Many guys do not speak English when they get here, and this gives them the opportunity to get some work experience while they are still getting comfortable with a new language.”
Vaillant’s small crew — typically ranging between three to five workers depending on project demands — acts as a practical training ground. With annual revenues of about $200,000, paying $20 per hour to workers, well above the state minimum wage, was within budget for the business.
Vaillant remembers the first fellow Haitian he hired, who had arrived in Columbus, Ohio through the Cuban Haitian Nicaragua Venezuela Parole Program (CHNV), the humanitarian parole process commonly known as “the Biden Program.”
“For the first year, it was just him and me,” Vaillant recalled. “I took him to every job with me. He was able to gain a lot of experiences that way.”
One crew member, a skilled concrete worker who previously lived in Brazil, was among several workers who arrived after traveling through South America. He was able to obtain Temporary Protected Status, then gained asylum while working with Vaillant. Another young worker used his earnings to fund the legal paperwork required to apply for asylum before going into another full-time role.
Since most people who work with him also have other jobs or are often busy with paperwork, Vaillant is flexible with work schedules.
A former employee said the job Z-Remodeling gave him a lifeline as he settled in.
“When I first came I appreciated the opportunity to work with Chedner,” the former worker said. “Not only did he give me a job, but he picked me up from work when I didn’t have a driver’s license or a vehicle to drive.”
“I have also enjoyed working with him,” he added.
Policy shifts, status and growing fear
However, the vital economic pipeline Vaillant constructed is now being severely tested.
In Ohio, immigrants are 30% more likely to launch small businesses and fill over 20% regional logistics and manufacturing roles. Across Central Ohio, where foreign-born residents contribute over $2 billion annually in total taxes and hold over $5 billion in local spending power, according to a research study by the American Immigration Council.
Advocates, business owners and top leaders, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, have warned for months that the loss of legal work authorization directly jeopardizes businesses relying on immigrant labor, local tax coffers and regional supply chains.
With Temporary Protected Status for Haitians set to expire, some in the town targeted by candidate Trump describe the fear borne of seeing every immigration door closing
From quieter gyms, churches and restaurants to canceled plans, everyday life is going on pause — again
Now, the loss of TPS work authorization and intensified mass deportation tactics, such as ankle monitors being placed on Haitians in nearby Springfield, have transformed daily life overnight.
Z-Remodeling is starting to feel the effects directly.
“The guys that were here on TPS are discouraged. They’re scared to go anywhere,” Vaillant said. “I have had people that have had to stop working. They don’t know what they’re going to do. They can’t pay rent or buy groceries. Even the men that have secured asylum are scared to go out.”
The pervasive climate of anxiety has made it difficult to keep crews fully staffed and jobs on schedule. To keep moving forward, Vaillant has had to adjust his operations.
“It’s harder to find Haitians right now that are able to work or aren’t scared,” Vaillant explains. “I’ve hired a couple of men from the Latino community to work as well.”
He takes the adjustment in stride, recognizing it as a necessary step to keep operations running. His experience illustrates a growing reality across Central Ohio: small business owners doing whatever it takes to bridge chronic labor shortages amidst a shrinking pool of legally authorized workers.
Now, as he watches his crew members navigate sudden legal vulnerability, the added risk hits close to home. He sees his enterprise not just as a business, but as a crucial support network supporting families that rely on remittances back home.
“I am concerned about all Haitian immigrants,” Vaillant said. “There are many people who have been here for a long time. It is a long, hard process to change their status to stay here. Things in Haiti are very difficult right now. Many people would not be here if they didn’t need to be.”
“People have come here and started their lives over,” he added.
And he’s living proof, through obstacles and all. Now, he just hopes the labor market will allow him to continue living his dream.
