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The Surprising Shift from Commercial Dominance to Residential Profitability
Description
Carmen Reno of Anchor Pest Control (East Brunswick, NJ) joins Boardroom Buzz to share how he bought a one-person, $130K business in 2005 after leaving IT for hedge funds, then grew it to $8.5M last year with a goal of $11M. He discusses evolving from a commercial-heavy model (multifamily and former restaurant work) toward more residential and wildlife services due to cash-flow delays in commercial receivables, plus the strategic value of recurring revenue and high-margin one-time work. Reno covers rebranding with a new logo inspired by his former bed bug dog, billboards across Middlesex/Monmouth, heavy social media, and building a review-driven culture that produced roughly 12,000+ Google reviews. He highlights EOS, hiring a CFO and strong leaders, using Clipboard CRM, AI tools for sales coaching and call handling, key KPIs, and lessons from two failed acquisitions, plus his view that technology and consolidation will widen the gap between small and large operators.
You'll learn:
- Anchor Origins
- From IT to Pest Control
- Commercial vs Residential Shift
- Scaling to Eight Figures
- Rebrand and Billboards
- EOS and Leadership Structure
- Training SOPs and AI
- CRM Efficiency with Clipboard
- Owner Role and NJPMA
- Mosquitoes and Seasonal Service
- CFO Discipline at Five Million
- Hiring for Culture Fit
- Borrowing from HVAC and Roofing
- Building a Review Culture
- KPIs and Lead Targets
- AI Phones and Virtual Assistants
- Planning the Exit Strategy
- Shifting to Residential and Wildlife
- Advice and Acquisition Mistakes
Ready for boardroom-level help with your own business?
• Grow, sell, or exit your service company with Potomac: https://www.potomaccompany.com
Connect with the hosts:
• Blue Collar Twins – Jason & Jeremy Julio: https://bluecollartwins.com
Connect with Paul:
• Paul Giannamore – Managing Director & M&A advisor at Potomac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore