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Oceanside Service: Scott Nelson’s 36-Year HVAC Journey from One-Man Shop to 10 Million in Revenue
Manage episode 484189111 series 2899207
The Blue-Collar Twins sit down with Scott Nelson, founder of Central-Jersey’s iconic Oceanside Service—the turquoise-truck HVAC firm he bootstrapped for 36 years before handing the keys to private equity earlier this spring. Scott unpacks the branding bets, “golden-handcuff” culture, and 20 %-margin playbook that turned a $600 van into a top-1 % contractor (and a life-changing buyout).Buzz EP 203 Scot N Mix …
You’ll hear:
- Branding on Wheels – why he painted every truck Caribbean blue (and wrapped the last two).
- 25-Minute Rule – slashing windshield time to keep service profit-positive.
- Earn While You Learn – duct-cleaning crews as a talent farm for techs and installers.
- Golden Handcuffs – split-dollar life insurance that locked managers in for 15 years.
- Pricing for 20 % Net – escaping the HVAC industry’s 1.5 % average.
- PE Negotiations – walking from the table until the acquirer funded his staff’s benefits.
- Life After the Sale – why he turned down a six-figure consulting gig to just be “Grandpa Scott.”
Stick around for Dylan’s quick CTA to Paul Giannamore’s Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—then audit your own “billable hour” before the next heat wave hits.
From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore
Produced by: www.verbell.ltd
Timestamps (podcast.co-ready)
00:00 – Cold-open: “I never worried a second about competition—just do me.”
00:35 – Jason & Jeremy welcome 36-year HVAC veteran Scott Nelson of Oceanside Service
01:40 – One-man startup to 24 trucks & 32 staff: the scale story
03:00 – Turquoise trucks, spotless wheels: branding that sells before you speak
04:50 – The 25-minute territory rule and killing windshield waste
06:20 – Community roots: firefighter networks & word-of-mouth growth
08:15 – Mindset: “The world’s easy—people make it hard.”
10:30 – Relationship > transaction: serving three homeowner generations
12:00 – Air-duct crews as a paid training academy (“Earn while you learn”)
14:20 – Recruiting from vo-techs; achieving near-zero turnover
16:25 – Golden Handcuffs: $500 k split-dollar life policies for key managers
19:10 – Overpaying staff & investing in real estate instead of raises for himself
21:30 – Grooming his son to take over; stepping back from fire-service leadership
24:00 – Private-equity courtship, the NDA era, and negotiating staff benefits
27:40 – Charging for value: hitting 20 % net vs. industry’s 1.5 %
30:50 – Crushing costs: $500 k in insurance & healthcare, total transparency with crew
33:00 – Advice to a $500 k contractor: know your P&L and ditch new-construction work
35:15 – Tech stack: why ServiceTitan (at $7 k/mo) was worth every penny
37:00 – Recession-resistant revenue: maintenance plans & premium system sales
40:30 – Post-exit life: “Most of my hair, half my sanity—and all my family time.”
42:00 – Parting shot: watch your kids grow up and work on (not in) the business
213 episodes
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