How Heil Plumbing Built a Profitable, Scalable Business — Without Relying on the Owners 🚀

Phase 1: The Merge, the Momentum — and the Mounting Pressure

Laying the Foundation for a Unified Brand

When the three Heil siblings purchased their family’s legacy business in 2023 and merged it with the high-performing spin-off Heil Plumbing DMV, it was a bold move — one that promised growth, expansion, and long-term control.

We had previously helped build Heil Plumbing DMV from the ground up — taking it from $0 to $150K/month in under two years. The marketing machine was humming, leads were flowing, and demand was strong.

But merging two plumbing companies — one built on tradition, the other built for scale — wasn’t just about branding. It meant reconciling:

• Two websites

• Two sets of systems

• Two cultures

• Two teams

• And three sibling owners with different goals

What We Did:

• Rebranded and repositioned the merged company under a unified Heil Plumbing identity

• Consolidated two websites into one high-converting, SEO-optimized platform

• Migrated content and authority from the DMV blog (186K+ sessions in 2023)

• Launched new service-area landing pages (targeting 16+ local markets)

• Integrated advanced ServiceTitan features

• Expanded Google Ads and Local Services Ads strategy

An elevated identity

The old Heil Plumbing brand emanates a legacy of three generations of master plumbing expertise, and the owners were connected to the aesthetic. However, the imagery was outdated, failing to differentiate the company from the clunky and overly conspicuous branding of its competitors.

After interviewing company stakeholders, we identified new brand attributes and captured a fresh look and feel aligned with their high-quality, white-glove service — while preserving their identity and heritage.

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Building a Lead-Converting Growth Engine

To unify the brands, we migrated the domain to HeilPlumbing.com using our MultiLocal™ platform, merging two websites, refreshing the brand, and optimizing for SEO.

The process involved mapping a robust website architecture, powered by a local SEO strategy that targets 16 cities across Montgomery County, Howard County and Baltimore County.

We developed high-converting, location-specific service pages — with targeted messaging, internal linking, and strategic content — especially for top revenue drivers like underground repair.

We focused on taking all of the excellent service calls run by Heil tech’s and leveraging them into google reviews, and then highlighting on ths site as social proof (3,000+ 5-star reviews) which helped boost conversions.

Since implementing this lead generation system, these efforts generated over $3M in tracked revenue — a 20x ROI.

Integrating ServiceTitan as an end-to-end platform

In the final phase of the website upgrade, we implemented useful ServiceTitan integrations to track customer lifecycles, which we actively monitor to determine which landing pages and digital ads are effective and what we should refine, and areas in the sales process that need to be improved.

The ServiceTitan integrations included:

• Dynamic Call Tracking: Attributes phone calls to marketing source (e.g., landing page, digital ad, social media)
• Ads Optimizer: Uses revenue data to improve campaigns
• Automated emails on open estimates: Increases conversions on open estimates
• Review requests: Builds social proof (now over 3,000 reviews!)
• Schedule Engine: web-booking software that integrates with ServiceTitan
• Contact form integration: leads auto-entered into ST

These integrations (many built directly in our platform MultiLocal™) act as an end-to-end solution, allowing them to manage their back office, improve the customer experience and grow their business.

Based on newly available Service Titan data, we uncovered huge opportunities to improve close rates by CSR’s, technicians job capacity, sales process with follow-up deals and financing on big jobs, and better optimize ads spend.

Optimizing Google Ads

In addition to the website and content strategy, we identified Google Ads and Local Services Ads as high-ROI opportunities for Heil Plumbing.

We set up and optimized a Google Ads strategy, starting with a broad campaign and then testing ads to target specific services and locations.

This approach not only ensured each ad resonated with the local audience. It also allowed us to strategically allocate our budget, making sure each campaign was optimized to return the greatest ROI.

Armed with the ServiceTitan Ads Optimizer, we regularly test performance and have clear visibility into what’s working and what we need to improve.

The Momentum:

• Lead flow surged

• Ads became more efficient

• Customer acquisition expanded across multiple counties

It worked — almost too well.

Beneath the surface, the weight of the merger was creating cracks in the foundation.

Phase 2: The First Unlock — Stabilizing a Business Under Pressure

When Growth Starts Breaking the System

The merger did what it was supposed to: it drove demand.

But the company wasn’t built to handle that demand — not yet.

Despite the brand success, the marketing wins, and the lead volume, the internal operations were strained and unstable.

The Cracks Began to Show:

• Revenue plateaued

• Net income dropped

• The team was overwhelmed

• The owners were pulled into every problem

• Key staff members considered quitting

• And the business started to revolve around the siblings — again

They were trying to grow.
But growth was just creating more pressure on an already overloaded system.

Our Intervention: The First Set of Fixes

We stepped in to prevent collapse — without yet overhauling the full structure.

• Advised on optimal staffing levels (techs per booked jobs)

• Rebuilt the sales and follow-up process to improve close rates

• Trained CSRs on phone efficiency and estimate follow-ups

• Integrated overlooked ServiceTitan features to improve automation and visibility

The Outcome:

• 10% revenue lift — almost immediately

• 116% increase in net income over the next 7 months 

• Net income stabilized around 18%

The company was healthy — but still fragile.

And the siblings realized something vital:

If they didn’t get out of the day-to-day, the business would never scale — and they’d never be free.

That moment set the stage for Phase 3: the true transformation.

Phase 3: From Owner-Dependent to Fully Scalable and Self-Managing

The Tipping Point

After the 2023 merger and branding success, the business was flush with leads — but internal strain was mounting. Revenue had stalled, profit was slipping, team dynamics were tense, and the owners were overwhelmed. Despite their desire to grow, their involvement was becoming a bottleneck, and the company was becoming unsustainably reliant on them.

They realized they didn’t want the business to revolve around them anymore — and it couldn’t if it was going to scale.

That’s when we introduced and led the 7-Week Growth & Improvement Roadmap to realign the business from the inside out.

(Months 1–2): The Strategic Reset

We began with a deep organizational assessment, including:

• One-on-one interviews with all three owners

• One-on-one interviews with all managers and key team members

• Audits of team performance, structure, and communication gaps

• Analysis of friction points in hiring, scheduling, and service delivery

We delivered a clear roadmap of critical projects, team needs, process improvements, and structural recommendations — aligned to a shared vision where:

• One owner (the CEO) could exit day-to-day operations

• One owner (COO) could step back immediately from ops

• One department head could work part-time as desired

This roadmap became the launchpad for organizational transformation.

In the process we also helped the current team see the vision of where Heil Plumbing could go if we worked together, building trust and laying the foundation for our next phase.

(Months 3–9): Fractional Leadership + Owner Liberation

With the roadmap in motion, we stepped in fully as:

• Fractional General Manager

• Fractional Director of Operations

• Fractional Hiring Manager

Major Milestones:

• Month 3: Stopped the Service Manager from leaving who had put in his 2 week notice (he’s still with the company and doing great!)

• Month 3: The COO exited daily operations entirely

• Month 3: The CEO delegated GM responsibilities to our team

• Month 4–9: We led daily operations, stabilized departments, and resolved internal team tensions

We hired key roles:

• • Multiple high-performing technicians

  • A CSR to support underground work

  • Underground labor to remove owners from field work

We also implemented the following projects:

• Restructured CSR systems and dispatch process
• Further optimized Service Titan to improve workflow
• Further improved sales process for large projects
• Implemented Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) with KPIs and bi-weekly management meetings
• Adjusted bonus/pay plans
• Implemented price increases where necessary

(Months 10–12): Full Delegation and Scalable Leadership

In the final phase of our operational transition, we shifted focus from managing processes to building internal leadership.

Strategic Leadership Placements:

• Director of Underground & Sales (Internal Hire)

• Director of Residential Service (Internal Hire)

• Director of Operations (External Hire)

Each role was carefully scoped, sourced, and placed to support the core business pillars. We now manage these three department heads directly, providing fractional oversight while they run the business day to day.

Owner Transitions:

• CEO fully stepped back by Month 10, now only joins strategic meetings (as desired)

• Co-owner who was running underground department now only works a few flexible days per week (as desired)

• All three owners now take vacations without disruption

• No emergency calls, no operational firefighting — just calm, consistent execution

The Result: A Company That Runs Without Its Founders

Over 12 months, we built a self-managing, owner-free business that:

Increased revenue by 18% YoY
Grew net income by 24% YoY
Installed a strong leadership layer
Allowed all three owners to step back confidently
Runs on systems, KPIs, and accountability — not personalities

🌴 Is growing while owners are on vacation and off the phones

Conclusion: From Chaos to Control — and Owner Freedom

What started as a marketing project turned into a complete company transformation.

We helped Heil Plumbing:

• Unlock growth after a high-pressure merger

• Redesign their internal structure

• Create an owner-free business with true leadership

• Build a system where the company runs without emergencies, stress, or dependency

Today, Heil Plumbing is more profitable, better staffed, and truly scalable — and the owners have the freedom they always dreamed of.

Ready to build a company that doesn’t need you to survive?

Let’s talk.