Tom Heaviland bought a one-truck landscape company with his dad in 1985. They each put up $11,000. Thirty-five years later, he sold it to BrightView—the largest player in the industry—for millions. But getting there wasn't linear. He lost his biggest contract overnight when a developer pulled out. His dad died suddenly in 1997. And for seven years, he was stuck splitting everything 50/50 with his stepmom who even didn't work in the business.

The real turn came when Tom stopped asking "how much can I make?" and started asking "what's this worth?" At 57, he got serious about value—not revenue, not profit, but what a buyer would actually pay. He shut down the construction division. He focused on recurring revenue and high-margin enhancement work. He surrounded himself with the right people and stopped being slow to fire. In five years, the business went from $5 million to $15 million, and margins jumped to the mid-50s.

Tom closed in November 2019. Four months later, COVID killed his earnout. But he'd already taken his attorney's advice: be happy with the deal you have, because nothing's guaranteed. He's 68 now, still working, still loving it. His one regret? Not measuring value sooner. Those last five years—when he finally got serious—that's when the real money got made.

Running a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at [email protected].

Iconic Links:
Learn More: www.iconicfounders.com
Connect: [email protected]
Production: Lower Street www.lowerstreet.co