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Owned and Operated Culture

#172 – From Dropout to CEO—Kelly Roberts on Building a $15M HVAC Business

📅 February 25, 2025 ⏱️ 55:07 🎤 Kelly Roberts, Ben, John Wilson

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    From Bankruptcy to Growth
    Kelly recounts a critical moment when the company's CFO advised bankruptcy, leading to her unexpected step up to manage finances and navigate severe cash flow challenges.
  • 0:39
    Moss Utilities: Rapid Expansion
    Kelly details the extraordinary growth of Moss Utilities, a civil contractor, from $0 to $175 million in revenue by leveraging existing industry contacts and a high-demand market.
  • 1:11
    Kelly's Journey: Dropout to CFO
    Kelly shares her personal story, from a college dropout to a call center employee, eventually rising through various roles to become the CFO of Moss Utilities by taking initiative and solving problems.
  • 2:16
    HVAC Niche & Market Shift
    The discussion shifts to Moss Heating and Cooling's initial focus on high-end residential new construction and plumbing, and the eventual strategic pivot away from plumbing and towards production-style HVAC due to profitability issues.
  • 3:15
    Scaling New Construction HVAC
    Kelly explains the infrastructure and strategic decisions required to double their new construction HVAC output from 1,000 to 2,000 homes annually, emphasizing subcontracted labor and vendor negotiations.
  • 4:32
    PM Role & Financial Controls
    The hosts and Kelly delve into the extensive responsibilities of project managers, including purchasing and scheduling, and the importance of robust financial controls like WIP reporting to manage project profitability.
  • 5:09
    Leveraging Brand & Partnerships
    Kelly highlights how Moss Heating and Cooling leverages the strong brand recognition of Moss Utilities to secure new business and discusses the value of retail partnerships like Lowe's for their change-out business.
  • 6:16
    Service Growth & Acquisitions
    Kelly outlines their strategy for growing the service department, including converting new construction clients and exploring acquisitions to compete with larger HVAC companies in the DFW market.
  • 7:40
    Marketing Challenges & Successes
    Kelly candidly discusses the struggles with marketing, including failed commercial advertising, and new strategies like partnering with real estate brokers and utilizing lead aggregators to generate business.
  • 8:35
    Advice for Aspiring Leaders
    Kelly shares her advice for career advancement: volunteer to solve problems, say yes to opportunities, and be direct and persistent in addressing issues, particularly for women in leadership.

Speakers

K
Kelly Roberts
CEO of Moss Heating and Cooling and CFO of Moss Utilities
B
Ben
Host
J
John Wilson
Host

Key Takeaways

✦

Proactively identify and solve problems; don't wait to be told what to do. Taking initiative and showing a willingness to tackle challenges can accelerate career growth and leadership opportunities.

✦

Be direct and assertive. Clearly communicate issues and expectations until they are addressed, fostering an environment of accountability and efficiency.

✦

Continuously negotiate with vendors. Regularly revisiting contracts and material pricing can yield significant cost savings, directly impacting profitability in high-volume operations.

✦

Focus on your strengths and don't spread yourself too thin. Trying to do too many different services or custom projects can lead to financial losses; specialize where you can be most profitable.

✦

Leverage existing relationships and brand recognition. If part of a larger organization, use its reputation to open doors and build trust with new clients.

✦

Prioritize robust financial controls. Implement systems like WIP reporting and ensure project managers are accountable for job costs to maintain profitability on every project.

✦

Strategically grow your service department. Converting new construction clients into lifelong service customers or acquiring existing service companies are viable pathways for sustainable growth.

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