Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast This HVAC Owner Scaled from $11M to $250M (Ken Goodrich’s Playbook)
Dec 9, 2025
Ken Goodrich, a legendary home services operator and turnaround specialist, shares his incredible journey from losing everything at 25 to building a $250M HVAC empire with Goettl. He dives into the critical lessons learned from his early missteps, emphasizing the transformative impact of The E-Myth on his business systems. Ken discusses the importance of effective multi-branch management, strategic exits, and optimal company size for growth. He also offers insights on talent acquisition and best practices that keep teams aligned and motivated.
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From Payroll Failure To E-Myth Breakthrough
- Ken bought his first HVAC business at 25 and learned the hard way after payroll tax mistakes sank him.
- Michael Gerber's E-Myth saved him and became the prototype for his business-system approach.
Turning Goettl From Failing To $250M
- Ken bought Goettl in 2013 when it was $11M and losing $3M, then rebuilt the brand and operations.
- From 2013 to 2020 he scaled it to $250M, 11 locations, and 1,000+ employees before selling.
Plan To Sell By Designing The Business
- Create a sellable business by documenting processes, building a management team, and stabilizing revenue and profit.
- Ken planned to sell early and built systems to make each company attractive to buyers.
