From $6/Hour to Building a $30M Home Services Business

Rich Bogda started as a plumber earning $6 an hour and spent more than 30 years building Service Professionals into a nearly $30 million HVAC, plumbing, and electrical company in New Jersey. The conversation centers on what it actually takes to grow a family-owned trades business through multiple stages, with a focus on the leadership decisions that made the biggest difference along the way.

A large portion of the discussion covers the transition of leadership to younger managers and why owners sometimes need to step back to let that growth happen. Bogda shares how his company has worked to develop younger leaders without losing the institutional knowledge that experienced employees carry, and why keeping that mix engaged requires deliberate effort.

The group also addresses recruiting and retention in a tight labor market, including how Service Professionals has structured compensation and culture to reduce turnover. AI and operational technology come up as tools the company is beginning to use, though Bogda is candid about where the industry still falls short, particularly in technical training for new tradespeople.

• Owners who stay too involved in day-to-day decisions can slow the growth that comes from developing and trusting younger leaders.
• Retaining experienced employees requires active engagement, not just competitive pay, because their institutional knowledge is difficult to replace.
• Building a culture people do not want to leave is a deliberate business strategy, not a side effect of being a nice place to work.
• Technical training is one of the most underdeveloped areas in home services, and companies that invest in it gain a real competitive advantage.
• AI tools are beginning to find practical uses in home service operations, and waiting too long to explore them puts companies behind.
• Structuring paths to long-term wealth for employees, not just wages, is becoming a factor in attracting and keeping top talent.