25 Years of Driving Profit and Growth

A conversation with BDR CEO Bruce Wiseman and President Kim Archer.

Founded in 1998 by Bruce Wiseman and Barry Burnett, Business Development Resources, Inc. (BDR), a business training and coaching provider to HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors and distributors, has helped thousands of contractors build sustainable companies.

We talked to Wiseman, CEO, and President Kim Archer to discuss the company’s 25th anniversary, how the industry has changed since BDR was founded, and the future of home services.

PHC News: Where did the idea for BDR come from?

Bruce Wiseman (BW): I was approached by Barry Burnett when he was the Trane equipment manager at Gensco Supply in the Pacific Northwest. He oversaw increasing Trane equipment sales for Gensco.

One of his first projects was approaching the dealer base to see their forecasts for the next year. The average net growth forecast was 1 to 2 percent. Barry called me that week and asked if I wanted to help Trane dealers in the Northwest grow and develop their businesses.

The initial company was named Northwest Management Group and

started in 1995. Kim joined me in 1996 or 1997. After several successful years of Trane’s sales growth, Barry left Gensco. I called him that day, and so did the current president of Trane. Three weeks later, Barry and I met with eight Trane independent wholesale distributors in Northern California. From there, things took off quickly.

PHC News: How did the company get off the ground?

BW: Barry and the team at Gensco had spent the past several years delivering huge equipment sales growth numbers. I had been working with many of these dealers in both a training and coaching capacity — helping them structure for scaling, working on pricing, setting up sales teams, converting to flat rate, business planning, etc.

We took these practices and principles and worked on developing the coaching platform and training materials to roll them out across the country.

PHC News: What were the first coaching and training products you offered?

BW: Our earliest training products were labor management, structuring for profit and growth, residential new construction, business planning, managing and growing a profitable service department, and the Trane Comfort Specialist Manual.

Initially, we took on a coaching consultant role, focusing on business planning and workforce optimization. Kim and I would spend substantial time on the road, immersing ourselves in dealers’ businesses several days a month. Then, in 2002, we launched Profit Coach.

PHC News: Can you name one or two early success stories?

BW: I can name more than that! We developed training journeys with many distributors, including Gensco — an early adopter and still prominent in high-efficiency equipment sales. Others are Apex Distributing, G.A. Larson and Co., many of the district sales offices for Trane, including Dallas DSO (Frank Garcia), Phoenix DSO (Dean Oakley), Charlotte DSO (Jon White) and Heartland.

We worked with their star dealers on annual training journeys to improve profits, reduce inefficiencies, reduce callbacks, raise prices, and establish sales personnel with proper company-controlled pricing.

Kim Archer (KA): In coaching, we’ve helped many companies turn their focus to profit and growth. We’ve helped them understand the importance of organizational excellence, leadership and management development, and workforce optimization.

The list of BDR’s coaching success stories includes Jacobs Heating and Air Conditioning, Specialty Heating and Cooling and Columbia NW Heating and Air Conditioning in Oregon; Universal Mechanical Service Co. and Bel-Red Energy Solutions in Washington; Stout Heating and Air Conditioning in North Carolina; Answer Heating and Cooling in

Michigan; Diamond Heating and AirTemp in Alaska; Knueve and Sons in Ohio; Anchor Heating and Air in Atlanta; and Advent Air Conditioning in Dallas.

BW: And there’s been continuity with that success. Many of these companies are still with BDR today, with the next generation of family or business leaders at the helm. We’ve had more than 125 clients successfully exit in the past six years, and to this day, our clients are some of the top nationally recognized dealers and distributors.

PHC News: How has the home services industry changed since 1998?

KA: Most companies include a flat-rate pricing structure. We’ve seen a lot of consolidation, and marketing and sales are more sophisticated than they’ve ever been. Of course, technology has had a considerable impact and that continues today, especially with the current focus on energy efficiency. Today’s systems are better designed.

BW: Overall, there’s a lot of excitement about the industry. The public at large is giving it more attention, and people are more interested in how the industry affects their lives and comfort.

Many of what we call “lifestyle contractors” are still around, those who got into the industry so they could set their schedules and have no interest in growing. However, the industry overall is focused on growth and scaling. Business owners recognize the opportunities unique to this field.

About the Author

Steve Smith served as the editorial director of Plumbing Engineer in the 1990s and brings 20 years of experience covering the plumbing, piping, and radiant heating markets. From 1996 to 2009, Smith helped grow two industry magazines’ monthly editorial content, including adding seven supplemental publications. He has traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad to Japan, China, and Europe to meet with industry leaders and represent various magazines.

Read the full conversation with BDR CEO Bruce Wiseman and President Kim Archer in PHCP Pros!