Next Level Pros
#148: Can the Trades Take You Farther Than a Degree // Dustin Van Orman, Ismael Valdez // Next Level Pros
Fri, 23 May 2025
Welcome to a new episode of Next Level Pros! Today’s episode is a powerhouse roundtable featuring Ismael Valdez and Dustin Van Orman, two giants in the trades game who have each scaled service businesses to over $100 million in revenue. They join Chris and the team to talk about the real impact of private equity in the trades, the myths, the opportunities, and how the right mindset and sales driven culture can launch your business from $2M to $100M+. If you’ve been skeptical, or scared about private equity, this episode might just change your mind.Highlights:“AI won’t replace the trades. People still want humans in their homes.”“The loudest voices attract the most labor.”“We don’t have an information problem. We have an accountability problem.”“You’re not selling out. You’re building up.”Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome & Introductions03:12 From Zero to $108M: Ismael’s Growth Story08:30 The Private Equity Boom in Trades13:10 Tackling the Labor Shortage19:45 California vs. Washington: Tough Markets, Big Upsides26:30 Sales-Driven Culture: The Real Growth Lever32:58 How to Attract Top Sales Talent39:15 Picking the Right Coach (and Avoiding Scams)45:00 The Power of Accountability & Coaching51:25 What Drives These Founders TodayWant me to teach you how to grow your business? Text me! 509-374-7554Want access to more of my content? Click the link below for all of our latest updates and events!https://linktr.ee/nextlevelprosWant to be a guest on our show? Apply here!https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YlkVBSluEKMTg4gehyUOHYvBratcxHV5rt3kiWTXNC4/viewform?edit_requested=trueWatch my latest PodcastApple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-level-pros/id1687030281Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/1e0cL2vI1JAtQrojSOA7D2?si=95980cd4e55a437aYouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@NextLevelPros
Chapter 1: What are the benefits of private equity in the trades?
Are you afraid that private equity will ruin your trades business? Think again. We'll reveal how top pros like Dustin Van Orman and Ishmael Valdez turned private equity into a powerhouse, scaling to $500 million and beyond. Learn how to spot real opportunities and avoid the scammers in the best practice and coaching groups.
Don't miss this insider's guide to winning with private equity in the trades. All right, welcome to another episode of Next Level Pros. Super excited. We have incredible guests in the studio today. It's a unique experience. All four of us have been involved in private equity in one way or the other in the trades. And so super excited.
We've got Mr. Ishmael Valdez, and we've got Dustin Van Norman here on the show. Welcome to the show, boys. Thank you. Excited to have you. Thanks, guys. Yeah, dude. Thanks for traveling up. It's been a good time. So let's get a quick brief synopsis. If you can give me like just the 60 second version of your story. I know you came from different backgrounds in the trades. If you can go into that.
Chapter 2: How did Ismael Valdez achieve rapid business growth?
My name is Ishmael Valdez. I've been in the trades for about 15 years. Just had a successful exit on a plumbing and air conditioning company about four years ago. Grew probably the fastest air conditioning and plumbing business in the nation. It took us six years and four months to exit that business.
So what are we talking from zero to what were you doing in revenue?
We did zero to $108 million in revenue in six years and four months. All plumbing. We started with 8-track and then bolted on the plumbing side on it. We're about to get electric over.
You know, that's probably the closest to competing with us, Daryl. Is that right? Yeah. I mean, zero to 233 in four and a half years. Let's go, baby. Just got to give you some crap. No, that's sweet, man. In the HVAC, you said you were in plumbing as well?
Yes, sir.
Nice. That's awesome. So all three of the main trades going on with that.
Question for you real quick. When you were growing your business, did you build that to sell? No. What point did you see that as an exit?
Um... I think in 2020, 2021, the noise started, right? And when I say the noise started, we started hearing, hey, you know, I think Santa Roque was one of the first private equities that came into our industry. And they bought a company out like in North California. And, you know, they were talking about some ridiculous multiples, right?
And then champions went right after that service champions right by, which is 15 minutes away from me. There were a 27 year old business, you know, was doing about a hundred million dollars at the time. And, um, and then we started hearing more and more. And then, then I started getting approached.
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Chapter 3: What challenges exist in California's trades market?
Chapter 4: How can trades attract top sales talent?
Chapter 5: What role does sales culture play in business growth?
Anyway, but we just didn't resonate with the others, and it just wasn't the right direction for us. So we formed the Any Hour Group back in 2021. Step back one step further. I started with Any Hour in 2011. I was one of the first HVAC technicians there, jumped in a truck, worked hard. At that time, there was about a dozen of us. Total revenue, we were about two.
What year was that that you started as a tech with them?
With NER, 2011. July 1st, 2011. We were about two and a half million in revenue total. Wow. It's a small shop. Yeah. Just a small shop figuring things out. And I'll tell you the key to success and the growth, because we've seen tremendous growth and success, is that the people you surround yourself with from the very beginning.
You need to be looking for leaders in every person you hire because you're developing leaders. And the more you can find the right people, the more you can progress as a business. Absolutely. So I've seen the business go from two and a half million to today, just the Utah location where I started. All organic growth did a little over 110 million last year. Amazing.
And then as a group, I mean, because we set out to create what we couldn't find, which... We wanted to create a real partnership where people could come benefit from resources, tools, experience, a team that scaled a business from small to the top. And so that's what we set out to create, and that's appealing to people. They don't want to sell out. They don't want to just give their business away.
They want to create an environment that's strong and successful for all the people in the business. So we've been very successful. Right now we have 30 locations in the United States covering 10 states.
How much revenue are you guys doing now, D.?
Right now, approximately 500 million. Jesus Christ. That's awesome.
It's been fun. 500 million among 30 locations you've been? That's awesome. Correct. That's great. Cool. Very good, man. So both incredible backgrounds. Both have been growing it. Hey, guys. It's Chris. Hey, a lot of you leave comments asking for help. Do me a real quick favor. Shoot me a text at 509-374-7554. That's 509-374-7554. Shoot me a text. I'll answer and help you with whatever you need.
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Chapter 6: How can we address the labor shortage in the trades?
Chapter 7: What is the significance of accountability in coaching?
I can't wait to, um, AI really gets developed into the trades because I think just like you said, you're going to have the first software company that's going to be a $500 billion written by a couple of dudes in a garage. You're also going to have the, you know, the 30, 35, 40, 50% net profit, uh,
uh, trades, uh, uh, operations getting built out right now because, you know, um, look, whether people want to see it or not, or whether people want to believe it or not, um, AI is going to wipe 90% of your in-house support. I believe that the next, the next batch of.
The next batch of operations that's about to blow up is going to be driven by maybe four to five drivers in the in-house support, driving hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead, you know, in action, we had 160 people in-house between CSRs, dispatching production, accounting, just the whole infrastructure to be able to hold that.
I believe that AI is going to benefit the trades and take us to the next step to giving us the bigger multiples and valuing us at a higher level. So I can't wait for that to happen.
I have a question for you. So you built in California. Yes, sir. So you obviously had like some of the toughest regulatory state. Still do. How is that? Like Washington, we had some big challenges working with the governments here, but I'm just curious on California.
Look, California is unique, man. California is just like, it's a different side of the operation. It's a little bit more complex operation than most people are used to. It's no different from any hour. It's no different from those people. They're all driven by human beings. We just got to apply different laws to our structure. But yeah, was it difficult? 100% it was difficult.
Do I love dealing with all the behind California? 100% I don't. But I promise you, 50 million people in California, you can't beat it. You know what I'm saying? I think it was just named the fourth biggest, largest GDP in the world. So you can't ignore those numbers. You can't ignore just because there's different compliances there. You can't ignore that market.
And yet somehow the government still broke. i know it's sad do you feel like do you feel like taxing all your people 13 on the top oh my gosh it's trust me do you feel like that keeps people out of the market because of the bear of entry i think i think it brings out the best in people too so it does keep a
lot of people out of the market i've you know tommy's not in the market um there's a ton of private equities that won't touch california um i think that that's why i got a big payout um the way i got a big payout because we were able to do it in such short amount of time and do it compliant compliantly was which was one of the toughest um things to do um look growing a business in california i'm gonna put it to you guys in a in a in a simple in a simple metaphor um you know growing a business in california is like playing golf uh with the wind hitting you
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Chapter 8: How does technology impact the future of trades?
We took the highest hanging fruit and worked down. That's dope, man. And because of it, we established ourselves in a way that was just completely different. Having these different regulations. You know, Washington State's just as crazy as California when it comes to regulation, right? Like electrical regulation, you got to have, you can only have two apprentices per journeyman.
You know, like... See, that I can't deal with, bro.
I can't deal with that.
look it's hard enough to scale a business now i you you mean to tell me that each one has to have a license and they got to have some like the look the easy part about california and i don't mean to cut you off chris the easy are the the easy part about california is i'm under my plumbing license i'm under my electric under my a-track license i could carry all the people with me right so recruiting and and building them were that's way better than here exactly
Yeah, I mean, we have literally the craziest electrical licensing standard in the U.S. Jesus. But because of it, it kept everyone else out, right? And if we could be compliant and learn how to be compliant, right, learn how to play within the rules of the game, that ultimately allowed us to dominate, right? And that's really the key to this whole thing is, like, what are the rules?
Exactly.
Can I create any additional rules?
And, like, how do I operate within that? I think kids too, if they're going into trades, like states like Washington are great because it is really hard to find those type of people and they get paid well.
Yeah.
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