Episode Overview
Inspections and permits can be the bane of existence for contractors.
Air Pros USA founder and chief growth officer Anthony Perera and his team were facing delay after delay waiting for local inspectors to certify their work.
The solution: Create tech-base platforms that speed up these processes and enable an incredible pace of growth. Check out Inspected.com. PermitHub.com is nearly ready to launch.
Air Pros USA grew from one tech and one truck in 2017 to doing $225 million in revenue this year with more than 1,000 employees and 750 trucks.
Along with practical problem-solving skills, Perera has a track record of building companies by creating strong brands.
“Heck, there’s tens of thousands of HVAC contractors in the United States and each state,” he says. “But you build a brand that sets you apart…and you endear yourself to the customer base.”
It’s working. And while Air Pros USA is putting up numbers that rival private equity deals, Perera notes with pride that his company is the largest non-equity-sponsored HVAC platform.
“We’ve never actually raised equity,” he says. “We’ve always raised debt capital, which is super rare in our industry.”
Indeed. And what’s the secret behind this approach?
“For me, it was building out an executive leadership team that's done this before,” Perera says. “Surround yourself with people who either have more knowledge than you or equal knowledge to you to help you grow.”
This is all heady stuff, but Perera does have one practical piece of advice to other entrepreneurs.
“Don't be afraid to work in the business until you can work on the business,” he says. “Everybody's always trying to push to work on it, and they lose sight of what's actually making the business tick.”
Anthony Perera recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel as part of Season 8 of the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Perera’s thoughts on:
(7:22) Retaining equity by raising debt capital to accelerate growth
(9:22) Using your brand to differentiate your company
(16:03) Building a top-notch executive leadership team
(17:59) Smoothing out the home inspection and permit process
(29:00) Why new entrepreneurs shouldn’t be afraid to work in the business
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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