Reimagining Home Services How John Wilson built his $53 million company
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Aug 10, 2026 
John Wilson, CEO of the Wilson Companies and host of Owned and Operated, built a $53M multi-branch home services firm through M&A. He talks trades origins, early acquisition wins, and scaling procurement and margins. He outlines deal sourcing, valuation norms, seller-note mechanics, and how to centralize functions while preserving branch autonomy.
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Growing Up In The Family Plumbing Shop
- John grew up working summers in his family's plumbing shop and started as an apprentice in high school.
- By 18 he was attending M&A lunches and learning deal basics that later fueled his acquisitions strategy.
Bought The Guy Who Taught Him Deals
- As a teenager John sat in lunches with a potential buyer of his dad's company and absorbed negotiation and valuation lessons.
- Seventeen years later he bought that same man, closing a full-circle acquisition.
Why Drain Companies Are Ideal Targets
- John's perfect acquisition is plumbing-first and drain-heavy because of pricing power, urgency, and lower operational complexity.
- Drain businesses often hide high margins and are seen as $50M opportunities disguised as smaller shops.