Systems That Outlast You: Building a Trades Business for Generations

Most companies do not last. A huge share of the biggest names in the world vanish within a few decades. The Smith & Oby Company has been running since 1898.  In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett and Josh Crouch sit down with Jake Wattenbarger, president of Smith & Oby, a Foundral brand, a Cleveland mechanical contractor that has stayed relevant for 125 years by reading the market before it forces the issue, and by building systems and a culture that outlast any one person.  Jake spent nearly a decade as an Army logistics officer before the trades, and it shows. He gets into why you never cross the finish line, how to build a business you can hand down instead of sell off, why you do not have to sell to make real money, and how culture and a talent pipeline keep a union shop winning the big jobs.  If you want to build a trades business that lasts for generations, not just one you flip, this is the blueprint.  This episode is brought to you in partnership with Upfrog, one of our show partners. Upfrog turns paid ad spend into booked, sold system replacements instead of wasted leads. Learn more at upfrog.com.  CHAPTERS  0:00 – Why You Never Cross the Finish Line 2:33 – From Combat Engineer to Mechanical Contractor 4:19 – Logistics Before Tactics: Structure and Accountability 8:28 – Advice for Anyone Starting Their Own Business 11:04 – Still Standing Since 1898: A 125 Year Old Contractor 12:47 – You Don't Have to Sell Your Business to Make Money 14:05 – The 40 Year Employees Behind a Lasting Company 15:15 – Recruiting Into the Commercial Trades and the Union Hall 18:06 – Building a Talent Pipeline When the Hall Can't Keep Up 18:51 – What Union Labor Really Costs, and Why It's Worth It 22:20 – Competing on Best Value, Not Lowest Bid 26:22 – Building Culture Inside a Union Shop 29:44 – Empowering Field Leaders Who Still Turn Wrenches 34:46 – Adapt or Become Polaroid: Reading the Market Early 35:26 – Staying Ahead With VDC and Investing in the Shop 46:01 – Where to Find Jake  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN  - Why the best businesses never cross the finish line, and how to read the market before it pushes you out - How to build a trades business you can hand down, instead of one built only to sell - Why you do not have to sell your company to make serious money - The Army logistics mindset that runs a business: structure before action, logistics before tactics - How to build a talent pipeline when the union hall cannot fill your jobs fast enough - What union labor really costs, and why best value beats lowest bid - How to build culture in a union shop, where there is no PTO by default - How investing in your shop and technology turns into margin, not just cost  THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY  UPFROG System replacement leads from paid ads, nurtured and booked into sold jobs before your team arrives: upfrog.com  MARKETSTORM An AI-powered advertising platform. Results vary by market, budget, and campaign configuration: https://marketstorm.ai/   CALLRAIL CallRail assigns a unique tracking number to each marketing effort, so you know which channels bring your best leads. Try it free at https://callrail.com/sbmpod.  BREEZY Capture 25-30% more clients with Breezy AI Agents. Use code 'SBM' to book a demo and get $500 on us:  https://getbreezyapp.com/schedule-demo?utm_source=partner_servicebusinessmastery&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=servicebusinessmastery_partnership&utm_content=youtube_video   PHONETAP Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai/demo  COMPANYCAM Capture work, track job progress, and stay connected from the field to the office with photo documentation and AI tools that keep work moving. Start a free trial at https://companycam.com/   CONNECT WITH OUR HOSTS AND GUEST  Tersh Blissett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Josh Crouch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-crouch/ Jake Wattenbarger, The Smith & Oby Company: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakewattenbarger/ | https://smithandoby.com  ABOUT SERVICE BUSINESS MASTERY  Service Business Mastery helps home service owners run better, more profitable companies. Every week, Tersh Blissett and Josh Crouch break down the operations, technology, and leadership behind growing an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business, with the operators actually doing the work. More at https://servicebusinessmastery.com/  Want the frameworks from each episode in your inbox? Join the free Service Business Mastery newsletter: [newsletter link]  Subscribe on YouTube and follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. If this one helped, share it with an owner who needs it.  #ServiceBusinessMastery #Trades #FamilyBusiness #MechanicalContractor #SkilledTrades