In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack sits down with Ian Smith, partner at South River Capital, to break down what it actually looks like to scale through acquisitions in home services—when the “platform” you thought you bought turns out to be pen, paper, and magnets on a board.

Ian shares how his partners bought Terraform Landscaping in 2021 (~$2M revenue), then turned around and acquired an equal-sized landscaping company (Robins Landscaping)—only to learn the hard way that the owner was doing far more than anyone realized. You’ll hear what they expected going into the deal, what surprised them immediately, and how they discovered they didn’t buy the platform… they had to build it.

They walk through how they approached branding and integration (why Robins became Terraform), how modernizing tools and systems can be way harder than it looks, and why “smashing companies together” breaks culture, comp, contracts, and operations faster than most buyers expect.

Then the story escalates: two acquisitions in six months, going from roughly $2.5M to ~$7M in about a year—plus a third deal, Miller Irrigation, that introduced a totally different business model (high-volume, low-ticket service work). Ian explains why irrigation acquisitions may be the real growth lever going into 2026, how they kept Miller as a separate outward-facing brand, and the painful lessons they learned around AR, invoicing lag, overhead, and operational complexity.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone buying in home services—especially if you’re considering partnerships, roll-ups, or “platform” strategies that look clean on paper but get messy fast.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• Why the owner always does more than you think (and how that changes integration plans)
• What “building the platform” really means when systems aren’t actually scalable
• How they handled branding + consolidation (why Robins became Terraform)
• Why the second deal wasn’t a tuck-in—it was an equal-sized acquisition

💼 Big Reputation — Stop chasing reviews and watching competitors outrank you. Big Reputation is the AI-powered review + SEO platform built for home service pros. Automate review generation, respond with AI, track local SEO, and integrate with your CRM. Setup is free, and your first month’s on the house.

👉 Book your demo

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

Need trained HVAC & plumbing CSRs at a fraction of the cost? Quick Staffers LLC specializes in placing top-tier global talent with the best SOPs and scripts.

🔥 Get $1,000 off your first placement here

🔗 Connect

Jack Carr — https://www.x.com/thehvacjack

Send us a text

Jackquisitions Newsletter — Your favorite source for how to buy small businesses. Real insights, smart strategies, zero gurus.

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In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack breaks down why pressure washing is one of the most misunderstood businesses in America—and why the “low skill, low overhead, easy money” narrative is exactly what traps most operators in unscalable jobs.

Jack explains how pressure washing looks simple from the outside, but in reality is a sales, marketing, and operations business disguised as a trade. He walks through the real cost structure most people ignore, why underpricing kills otherwise busy operators, and why many pressure washing companies never scale past the owner.

You’ll hear why commercial and route-based pressure washing is the real prize, why pure residential pressure washing caps out quickly, and how successful operators increase ticket size by stacking services instead of chasing more leads. Jack also covers when buying a pressure washing business makes sense (and when it absolutely doesn’t), the systems you must see before acquiring one, and the hidden skills required to build a real company—not just buy a job.

This episode is a reality check for anyone thinking about starting or buying a pressure washing business—and a playbook for those who want to do it the right way.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• Why pressure washing is not a low-skill business—and why most operators fail to scale
• The real cost structure behind pressure washing (fuel, chemicals, repairs, seasonality, callbacks)
• Why underpricing keeps operators busy but permanently unprofitable
• The difference between commercial route-based pressure washing and residential service

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

Need trained HVAC & plumbing CSRs at a fraction of the cost? Quick Staffers LLC specializes in placing top-tier global talent with the best SOPs and scripts.

🔥 Get $1,000 off your first placement here

🔗 Connect

Jack Carr

Send us a text

Jackquisitions Newsletter — Your favorite source for how to buy small businesses. Real insights, smart strategies, zero gurus.

🖊️ Sign up HERE for more insights


📢 Enjoyed the episode?
✅ Like, Comment & Subscribe for weekly insights on business acquisitions, deal flow, marketing, and growth strategies!

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.

In this episode of JackQuisitions, Jack sits down with Collin Trimble of Alarm Masters and Entry & Exit to dig into what it really looks like to roll up commercial fire and security companies—and why recurring monthly revenue (RMR) can be a cheat code for ETA operators. Collin walks through his jump from petrochem finance to security sales, then into Salesforce and revenue consulting, and finally into buying his own alarm company with longtime friend and partner, Steven.

Collin breaks down why so many owner-operated alarm businesses stall out at $2–3M, how lifestyle creep and fear of reinvestment cap their growth, and why he and Steven saw a huge opportunity to professionalize sales, marketing, and process in an industry full of technician-founders. He shares how they think about project work, service, and RMR as three distinct revenue engines—and why they designed Alarm Masters to blend high-touch, “Chick-fil-A-level” service with scalable systems instead of giving that up as they grow.

You’ll hear Collin’s earlier entrepreneurial experiments (dumpster rentals and a CrossFit gym), how those reps prepared him to buy and scale a real platform, and why his roll-up strategy leans heavily on buying accounts, doing “coffee drops,” and cross-selling multiple scopes of work to commercial customers. They also dig into sourcing deals through brokers and vendors, what makes an ideal tuck-in vs platform, and Collin’s advice for first-time ETA operators who are grinding toward their first acquisition.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• Why many security and alarm businesses stall out at $2–3M in revenue—and how Collin and Steven break through that ceiling.
• How Collin went from petrochem analyst → security sales → Salesforce → revenue consultant → alarm company owner.
• The three revenue streams in security: projects, service/inspections, and recurring monthly revenue (RMR)—and how they design around all three.
• Why they prioritize commercial fire and security over pure residential and how that changes ticket sizes, cross-sell, and churn.
  
  

💼 Special Thanks to First Internet Bank!

Looking to buy or expand a business? First Internet Bank is a National Preferred SBA lender specializing in acquisitions for the skilled trades. Their SBA loan program offers up to 90% financing for business acquisitions, partner buyouts, and commercial real estate—plus optional lines of credit to fuel future growth. Unlike traditional lenders, they take a “how can we” approach, making deals happen for both first-time buyers and experienced operators.

👉 Special Offer: Mention Owned and Operated for a reduced good faith deposit and a complimentary deal review + buyside prequalification.

Connect with Alan Peterson from First Internet Bank here

🔗 Connect

Jack Carr — https://www.x.com/thehvacjack

Collin Trimble — https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-trimble-642a305a/

Entry & Exit — https://entryandexit

Send us a text

Jackquisitions Newsletter — Your favorite source for how to buy small businesses. Real insights, smart strategies, zero gurus.

🖊️ Sign up HERE for more insights


📢 Enjoyed the episode?
✅ Like, Comment & Subscribe for weekly insights on business acquisitions, deal flow, marketing, and growth strategies!

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.