Book a free Discovery Call to see how we can help you hit your goals and beyond: https://bit.ly/3TvGiNW or call us at: (214)-453-1591
🔗 Grab our FREE resource: The Foundation Series, Real strategies to build a business that runs (and grows) without chaos: https://bit.ly/3Yqzow5
Kevin Henderson calls himself a “forever learner.” It’s the mindset that took him from green apprentice in 1996 to owner of a $6.5 million HVAC and plumbing company—and he’s just getting started.
After 17 years working for someone else, Kevin took a leap in 2013 when a colleague offered him a small business: take it or I’m shutting it down. He talked to his wife, and the answer was simple: “I’m not getting any younger. I know how to do this.”
In this episode of The Successful Contractor, Kevin Henderson of Home Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Greenwood, SC, shares how he acquired 5 small companies, implemented real systems, and profitably grew his business by 600%. But it wasn’t all smooth—stress-related health problems forced him to stop doing everything himself and start building a real team.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• How Kevin went from $1 million to $6.5 million—and why his next target is $20 million in 5 years
• The “forever learner” mindset that drives his growth—and why he reads every single day
• Why he acquired 5 small “fire sale” businesses—and it fueled leads more inexpensively than traditional marketing
• The stress breaking point that forced him to hire an operations manager—and how it freed him to focus on growth
• Why he hires technicians green: “People that are experienced, it’s kind of hard to retrain them”
• How he went from zero Google reviews in 2013 to almost 1,700 today—more than anyone in his market
• His training structure: Tech Tuesday, Sales Monday, Plumbers Thursday, Install Friday—and why “get back to basics” was last year’s theme
• How CertainPath’s SOAR program identified marketing waste ($700-800/lead on direct mail) and fixed it
• Why he added his sales guys to the daily accountability text—and how competition drives results
• The #1 number he watches: gross margin—plus overtime and callback percentages
• Why “compassionate leadership” beats yelling and screaming: “We don’t manage by pinning people up”
• His sobering reminder: “You can do $20 million and go bankrupt”—why efficiency matters more than revenue
Kevin’s story is proof that you don’t need to have it all figured out on day one. With the right mindset, the right systems, and a willingness to keep learning, any contractor can build something remarkable.
🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Successful Contractor for more interviews that move the needle.
Chapters:
00:00 – “I’m Not Getting Any Younger”: Kevin’s Leap into Ownership
05:22 – From $1M to $6.5M: Joining CertainPath and Setting a BHAG
09:47 – 20% Growth Every Year: The Acquisition Strategy
11:45 – Adding Plumbing: How an Acquisition Brought a New Trade
14:29 – Building the Team: Org Structure and the Operations Manager
16:02 – The Stress Breaking Point: Health Problems Forced Change
16:50 – SOPs and Systems: “If You’re Gonna Ask Every Week, Write It Down”
18:25 – Hiring Green: Why Experienced Techs Are Harder to Retrain
21:03 – Culture Index: Matching Personality to Role
25:58 – Training Structure: Tech Tuesday, Sales Monday, Install Friday
28:47 – The SOAR Program: Carl’s Fire Hose and Marketing ROI
34:03 – Marketing Evolution: Zero to 1,700 Google Reviews
36:03 – Sales Management Mastery Group: Accountability That Works
37:50 – The Numbers That Matter: Gross Margin, Overtime, Callbacks
38:20 – Call Center & Dispatching: Booking in the High 80s-90s
44:08 – Cash Flow and Financial Discipline
47:09 – Compassionate Leadership: “We Don’t Manage by Yelling”
51:45 – Kevin’s Evolution: From Doing Everything to Letting Managers Lead
53:15 – The $20 Million Vision: Efficiency, Expansion, and What’s Next
Show Notes
The Successful Contractor Podcast is a part of the CertainPath family. CertainPath builds successful home service businesses—and has for 25 years. We do it by providing contractors with a proven path to success, professional coaching, software solutions, and a member community of 1,200+ strong. Doubling your sales, with a 20% net profit, and an inspiring company culture is ALL possible. Let us show you the way. With CertainPath, Success is Made Certain. Visit www.mycertainpath.com for more information.
FOLLOW CERTAINPATH:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CertainPath
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/certainpath
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/certainpath/
About the Guest:
Kevin Henderson is the owner of Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing in Greenwood, South Carolina. A self-described “forever learner,” Kevin started as a green apprentice in 1996, spent 17 years learning the trade, and launched his own company in 2013. Through 5 strategic acquisitions and a commitment to real systems, he’s grown from $1 million to $6.5 million—with a goal of $20 million in the next five years. Kevin is a member of CertainPath and active in a number of its programs including: Total Access Training, The Accountability Group (TAG), Strategic Operation Action Review (SOAR), and Sales Management Mastery Group (SMMG).
Connect with Kevin:
Comfort Systems Heating, Cooling & Plumbing: https://www.homecomfortsc.com/
