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Nationwide Lifts: A Business Opportunity Built for Elevator Technicians · The Elevator Careers Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: We were taking on people that both were from the elevator industry.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Really recently, I'm just seeing the the the people that that have been been in uh uh in the Nationwide Lyft network uh and had that that good elevator background and that good elevator passion are just they're taken off.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean that that things have just been growing exponentially and and uh and it's really time for for for us to get out and and find find uh the right people to to to fill out the rest of the network.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that's yeah, I would think so.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: And and so it sounds like from my from hearing at least, the the kind of the pure entrepreneur that that wants to buy in without elevator experience just may not be the right fit.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Is that fair to say?
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's really what I'm seeing.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, as much as I want to say, you know, we could could make it work for anyone, it it's it's the people that that have that passion for you know for for this industry that that are are successful.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, to me the right to me the ideal person is somebody who who knows how to is already a mechanic, you know, already really has a good understanding and and then it but it and has that entrepreneurial spirit, but just doesn't know how to take that that step.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: That somebody like that, we can we can show them all all the things they need to just take off.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's awesome.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I honestly I have those kind of conversations all the time.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: I mean it's pretty uh pretty regular that somebody saying to me, Man, I I really want an equity opportunity, right?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: I want a chance to kind of own and run my own thing.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, uh for whatever reason, you know, there's all kinds of hurdles.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes they're financial, sometimes it's maybe just having a little bit of coaching.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, and welcome to Elevator Tools and Tech, a special series from the Elevator Careers podcast, where we spotlight the latest innovations, tools, suppliers, and technology driving the vertical transportation industry.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: In each episode, we sit down with the creators, engineers, and solution providers who are helping elevator companies work smarter, safer, and more efficiently.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: This episode of Elevator Tools and Tech is brought to you by Nationwide Lifts, a leader in residential elevators and one of the first companies in the industry to build a large-scale franchise model centered on local ownership and customer care.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: I interviewed co-founder Andy Darnley to talk about what sets residential work apart, how diversification has helped create stability and growth, and opportunities for elevator technicians to step into entrepreneurship through launching a franchise with Nationwide Lifts.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: You can learn more about franchising at www.elevators.com/slash franchise.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: You can also contact Jason Boer, Jason at elevators.com to learn more about the opportunity.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's dive in.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Andy, welcome to the show.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's great to be here.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: I've always enjoyed our conversations.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: And obviously today we get a chance to to talk about nationwide lifts and kind of the beginning.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you you've been at this for for how long now?
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's been uh about 25 years.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: That's a while.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and and you told me you you kind of grew up in the industry, right?
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh uh family adventure.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, it's it's three generations of it.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, my grandfather started uh an elevator company in uh uh Buffalo, New York back in the 70s.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: And uh my father had his own elevator company in Lake George, New York, and uh started in the 90s.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so I I grew up in it, which uh a lot of a lot of guys in the elevator industry, that's kind of how they get into it.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's uh uh it kind of runs in the family.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: Well, how did you get started with nationwide lifts?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you kind of had the the DNA, you you had the family support, you had uh a knowledge of the industry.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: What was it that that kind of helped you launch nationwide?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it was it was more uh looking for something, something a different path, so slightly different path than than you know than uh what my uh my father and grandfather had done, but still in the same same realm.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: And my brother and I really saw a uh uh an opportunity in the uh uh in the residential uh uh area.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and the so we we decided to to to to take a crack at it.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: And uh the internet was just it it was just uh in its infancy back then, you know.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was right, it was right around 2000, you know, and uh um so there really wasn't a whole lot of competition out there at the time, you know.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously there were home elevators and all, but the just the the marketing side wasn't really there.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and we just it really just took off.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we we we got a had a great opportunity to get some great web presence.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And uh um I was in California at the time, he was in New York at the time, and we quickly realized we weren't going to uh be able to handle all the all the the leads and all the business that was coming our way.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that's uh when we we decided that uh you know franchising might be the best opportunity.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Interesting.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, talking about that that franchise model, I mean obviously you you kind of started with that from the get-go, and uh I mean were there any any other franchise models in the elevator industry that you were aware of, or were you was that kind of a pioneering move for you?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: There was nothing like that at the time, and uh uh and really so so it was it was a very uh uh different approach, a very different approach.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, it was it was uh little bit of a chance and all, but uh but really we we saw it as the best way to grow.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh it's tough to to give customers the the attention they need uh you know from from afar or and to to manage an office from afar.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: So we felt the best way to do that was to have independent owners uh in each of those those uh territories really uh giving it the attention it needed.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: So it was really about a year after, a year or two after we we got started where we said, you know, it's gotta be the franchising's gotta be the way.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: So well, especially if you're in California and he's in New York and and I don't know the you know the the kind of breakdown of the industry, right?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: But but like you said, there wasn't a lot of competition.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so if if somebody in Indiana wants uh a home elevator and you guys are on two ep opposite parts of the country, yeah, you gotta think inevitably about that.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: We found a way to make it work for a while until we started getting filling in some areas, yeah.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: So you you started pretty early on with that franchise model, but then you you also told me that it at some point you really felt like that model needed to evolve.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's where where we're at right now is is kind of a chance to to build it, uh rebuild it, uh, re-remodel it.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh it's uh it's kind of a yeah, it's a restart for us.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: I I guess there's probably a better term for that, but uh but essentially we we did we we were growing for for about uh 10 years or so, and we uh uh we just got to a point where something wasn't working.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it I mean for some of our some of our franchises were doing great, and and others not maybe not so much.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: And uh really after a lot of uh a lot of thought and coming back around to it, it really came down to um the people who we when we first started franchising, we we were taking on people that both were from the elevator industry.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Really recently, I'm just seeing the the the people that that have been been in uh uh in the nationwide lifts network uh and had that that good elevator background and that good elevator passion are just they're taken off.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean that that things have just been growing exponentially, and and and it's really time for for for us to get out and and find find uh the right people to fill out the rest of the network.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: So that's true.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: I would think so.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so it sounds like from my from I'm hearing at least, the the kind of the pure entrepreneur that that wants to buy in without elevator experience just may not be the right fit.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: Is that fair to say?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's really what I'm seeing.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, as much as I want to say, you know, we could could make it work for anyone, it it's it's the people that that have that passion for you know for this industry that that are are successful.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, to me, the right to me, the ideal person is somebody who who knows how to is already a mechanic, you know, already really has a good understanding and and then it but it and has that entrepreneurial spirit, but just doesn't know how to take that that step.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: That somebody like that, we can we can show them all all all the things they need to just take off.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's awesome.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I honestly I have those kind of conversations all the time.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: I mean it's pretty uh pretty regular that somebody saying to me, Man, I I really want an equity opportunity, right?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: I want a chance to kind of own and run my own thing and you know, for whatever reason, you know, that there's all kinds of hurdles.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes they're financial, sometimes it's maybe just having a little bit of coaching.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and and so I'm curious, I mean, you take somebody who maybe they've been in the trade, maybe they've, you know, been a licensed mechanic, they really want that.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: What are some of the biggest mind mindset shifts, right, that that it takes to to own and run a business versus run a route or versus you know, do a heavy repair or something like that?
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, it a lot of people would say it's you know, it's it's it's about you know being able to sell or or being able to manage the the books or or um or do the marketing things like that.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: But really we we we have all that under control for people.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean we get we can help them get sales get sales, we can help them with that all that stuff.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: The toughest thing for for somebody, and I did had to deal with it myself and I've seen others, it it coming up as uh somebody who knows how to turn around, somebody who knows how to how to do the uh um the mechanics, is is to to to hire those first employees and to train those first employees and to uh but and then to to let them let them go.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because elevator guys are kind of wired in a certain way where you know that they're out in the field, the there's a every every call is like some some puzzle to solve, and and and you got your way of solving it.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And uh um and so one way or another you have to solve it, you figure it out, and and you do it.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um but to then to to turn and trust somebody to to take that and uh and and and solve it on their own and and fail and and learn and and everything, that's that's one of the toughest things.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: But but in order to grow, you you you do you you do need to uh uh you need to be able to scale and you you do need to be able to hand over the reins to to other people.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's that was one of the toughest things for me, but uh uh but you know we all know.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: No, thank you for bringing that up.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: I mean I've noticed that in my own business, right?
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: That in order to grow, in order to allow somebody, I have to I have to let go of my desire to control, you know, exactly how it's gonna go, and and then I have to have my hands and everything.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's like right.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: No, yeah.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh definitely a mindset, definitely uh just an awareness that okay, I'm gonna have to really gonna have to do that and I'm gonna have to probably you know keep keep doing it because it's so easy to just latch latch back onto it and let me take that.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, once once you get to that point where uh you you have a team that's out there performing and the the calls get fewer and fewer, and and pr next thing you know, they're just out there doing their own thing, and you know, and Monday and through Friday goes by and you'd even hear from them.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's a it's a great feeling at the end, you know, that you you know that uh you have you know you have a successful team out there getting that stuff done.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that's how you can really scale.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and and I know uh for myself, especially early on, it can be a little unsettling, like do I do I need to be doing something, right?
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Start to question, okay, why why is it so quiet?
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: Is that is that good?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's it yeah.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm so lucky to I have have just some great teams and and and it that that's that's really it's it's all about it's all about the the people.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's really what makes the biggest difference.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and and you've you've obviously gone through the the same, you know, uh evolution, if you will.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh were there any other things that you kind of had to learn or or even unlearn as you went from, you know, kind of those early days to having franchises to you know leading a nationwide organization.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, certainly those are different different shoes to wear.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: But it's uh it's each thing is uh is a challenge.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we've over the over the years, you know, we've uh there's been uh I I can't even I don't think we have enough time to c to cover uh you know even half of them.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: But uh but but yes, you know, it's certain things we we've uh uh on the marketing side over the years, you know, we we've uh we we've dealt with the ups and downs of Google and and all of their their algorithm changes and and uh um and I feel like you know we we've really we we really have that down.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um the the marketing at first was the the the thing that that I saw as our biggest advantage.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it still is a huge, huge advantage.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we have elevators.com.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's as good of a URL as you can get, you know, and uh and 23 other websites out there that are constantly uh bringing you know um bringing uh leads into our s into our our network.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um we've always had a great um uh CRM system which is basically managing all the leads and getting divert uh getting them out to people.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: But uh um one thing that we struggled with over the years was the project management side.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: So so you know, you get you get uh we were we we were so we're we're we were still are very, very good at uh at uh uh managing leads uh through the quote system all the way through the sale.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: But then after that, um we didn't have a really good uh solution for uh for for managing the the service.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so now we have that in place.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: So that was another another uh um big hurdle for for us to get through.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: So uh it's just we we we listen to the uh um you know to each of the offices, each of the owners.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we have a monthly call every month, and uh um and and they're really the the source of uh uh uh of what where our marching orders should be, you know.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's uh so they're saying it because everybody will be like, hey, does any of you guys have this problem?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Do any of you guys have this problem?
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And when there's this consensus, it's like it's uh it's pretty clear, okay, I got an action item here, I gotta go solve, you know.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: We do a great job of of of bringing the leads in, providing all the tools to to to to close on those and uh um you know follow it all all the way through the through the cycle.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, that that's a that's a a huge part of getting started is is uh oh yeah is the is the sales, you know, building that pipeline.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: Do I have a work to do?
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let me go find it, Ram.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: But well, let's let's talk a little bit about the the VRCs.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, you've talked about these uh vertical reciprocating, I think you called it.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, vertical reciprocating conveyors, yeah.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's like a freight elevator, essentially.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, so uh it's it's something that that a lot of uh elevator guys don't necessarily get into.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's kind of a a strange uh um it's a strange piece of the uh of of the elevator industry in that it it it's it's uh not quite regulated the way that that uh traditional passenger elevators are and and so because nobody goes on them, right?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's just yeah, because it's strictly it's just strictly freight.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um so uh uh so it's it's just it's just different.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: But um over the years we found you know we we do great with the with the home elevator market, that's where we got our start.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: We we uh we go through um we we do a a lot of of commercial wheelchair lifts.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we do uh all the way up to a Lula elevator, which is basically uh limited use type type of uh commercial elevator, right?
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So so we we've done all that over the years.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: We're probably about maybe 70% residential and 30% commercial now.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay but then there's we we also we're always looking to be diverse so that no matter what what is thrown at us, we we're going to be able to stay busy, stay profitable in all of our offices.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: We we really knock down the barriers there uh and and and help our our offices get set up with that.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: So now they have something that that's that's uh also going to help them be diverse and and a little bit more uh uh protected from any kind of recession in one uh area or another, but they also have a good baseline of of maintenance business.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: And in the elevator industry, uh maintenance is huge.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: So uh so by getting this uh this VRC business uh as a as a solid maintenance, it it just helps to to have that bottom line um to to go along with all the other installation and service business on the residential and like commercial side.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: So so this is something we've been doing for about four or five years and it's it's still growing.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so it's a it's becoming a big uh a big uh part of our our business.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: And some of our some offices more than other, just depending on the region, are just killing it.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: Doing yeah, right, yeah.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's interesting you see that because there's a you know, there's an Amazon warehouse not too far from my house, and it's like four stories high, and and I've never been inside, never been invited, right?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: But but in my mind, I'm like, what does it look like, you know, up and down to to get things moved around?
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: But it sounds like they they may have some of those VRCs going on to possibly from floor to floor and and um you know, if if you have a big enough organization to actually tap into to some of those, and then you can, like you say, hand them out to individual franchisees to, okay, you take care of this one and you know, Billy Bob's gonna take care of that one.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, then like you say, then they've got service business and uh installation business.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: And that's it.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: How long have you as a as a company been in the VRC business, if you will?
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: About five years, I'd say.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's still relatively new to us, but uh, but it it's it's it's growing.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh uh we we've uh become very good at it.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Very good.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, and you and you've said that, yeah.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of it was kind of a hidden gem, as it were, just just that it, you know, maybe you don't really know about it, and all of a sudden there's this a huge opportunity, and um, you know, might as well take advantage of it.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: So um I want to talk a minute about your uh you know, the the territories, right?
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: Because it it sounds like in the early days you had maybe you know just just a few and they were probably pretty big.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: And and so it sounds like you're kind of focusing on smaller and and as I recall from our conversation before, you you know, you talked about how sometimes the smaller territories actually perform better.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: So I wanted you to talk a little bit more about why that would be.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, in the beginning, uh our territories might have been two states.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they they were they were absolutely huge.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And uh uh um what we found over time is is that uh several of the of the uh offices, even though they might have had uh a full state or or a couple would would would really focus in on something that maybe was a two-hour, three hour radius.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: And and they would be doing just as well in that two-hour radius as as if if as if they they had the entire state or if somebody else had the entire state.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um and it it it and they're they're much more efficient, you know.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm I'm doing it much more the the more difficult way right now because I'm I'm seeding a lot of uh of future um uh territories.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so m my guys are are on the road a lot, you know.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're staying overnight in the hotels, they're they're they're um they're away from their families.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's it's uh it's a tough gig.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um versus the the guys who who are you know within a two, three hour radius, they're they're able to uh um their guys are able to stay at home at night, but then they they also don't have a lot of those that extra travel expense with hotels and per diemes and and and wear and tear on all all the vehicles and and the service calls.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: In other words, than getting a service call that's five hours away and it's an urgent thing.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: So in the middle of the night, right?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: No less.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: But but really what I've found is is that the business is there, you know, and and and if you're if you do focus in, if you if it's you know the right the right type of territory, but if you focus in on on that that particular territory, there's you can you can keep yourself completely busy in a in a two or three hour radius and and have uh and and be perfectly happy.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're seeing we're seeing several of the franchises really growing and and and bringing in just as much revenue as somebody who who's covering a state or two.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so so as we as we grow, uh that's what I'd really like to see more of that.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, where I used to to say, well, just run with the entire state.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'd really like to maybe break the states into two and uh and and give people um an opportunity to to really go deeper into into those regions.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: For sure, for sure.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and I mean just I think it speaks to the opportunity of the the industry overall, right?
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: That there's a there's more density there in need, and you know, you might as well hit the ones that are close versus drive, like you say, driving four or five hours when you've passed, you know, however many opportunities in the meantime.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, and some of this this VRC opportunity, I mean, uh there's there's so much so much business uh in just a couple of sites to keep uh a team or two busy at full time.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and the other side of that is that uh um service-wise, you uh the they expect to see uh a a more immediate uh type of of service.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so you you you do want to be local.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: So um the uh you know the residential elevator industry, just just residential, right?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: It almost sounds deceptively simple, but uh obviously it's not the same as commercial.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: But I I think the hard part for me in my mind, right?
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: I've not worked on one.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um what makes working in someone's home uniquely challenging?
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, if if you haven't done it before, it's it's definitely uh there like if you've been if you've been working in the commercial industry, uh it's uh it's a totally different animal because you're used to uh um the they're gonna be open.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you you you're gonna show up and and do your your monthly maintenance and uh the you know nine to five, you can walk right in, get your keys from the front desk and go in and and take care of it.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um and that makes it easier to do to do routes.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: But on the residential side, it you're dealing with oh no, I got a doctor's approach.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: appointment you know I gotta go pick up the kids you know you you actually have to the scheduling becomes a much uh a much more important side of things um and then and then just the personal side of things you know the uh uh when when you're in somebody's home you know there's a there's a just a higher level of respect you know taking your shoes off uh you know the the pleasantries you know getting to know people and so on you know it's uh it's it's it's definitely um it's just a a more personal uh uh side of things um but uh yeah but but it's it's it's just as rewarding and and in in in in some ways it's even more rewarding because you you you really do change people's lives.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean we we've installed elevators m so many times where the the person had hadn't been upstairs in two years you know wow like they literally like have been sleeping downstairs did didn't even could didn't even remember what the what their their upstairs looked like and you see that you know the the emotion when you actually uh you know bring something to their house that that allows them to start using the whole home again and it's uh it's uh it's rewarding it's very very personal right so it's personal whether you you you know bang your toolbox on the wall and put a divot in in the shutter rock or or like you say or or taking someone where they haven't been in years and and really giving him that giving them that freedom.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so yeah it's uh it's it's yeah just that that important space sacred space whatever you know kind of comes to mind with that you know being in someone's home so um have you had any uh stories any experiences you want to share where where because of that you know that personal space you know somebody maybe saved a day or or maybe they cost a client because they just weren't respectful enough in that space yeah like any elevator guy I've got lots of stories but uh uh yeah I mean we've definitely we've definitely had situations where you know some somebody wasn't uh you know wasn't respectful enough or uh you know for for one reason or another we're we're basically asked uh you know don't send that person back again you know I mean it it it it happens and it's it could be something something as simple as you know um you know leaving a cigarette butt somewhere or or you know something to of that nature but uh but it's but the you get you deal with some things that are a little bit more touchy but but many more experiences as far as you know just just really uh changing people's lives you know that's cool um really just uh like I said that they they you know they hadn't been upstairs in a long time that um they you know they they thought that they were going to have to move I mean so uh so many stories about people who really they they thought that they had to move they didn't even think about an elevator they but then they started shopping they couldn't find a home in in their the in their area and uh and then someone finally said why don't you get an elevator and and and we were able to do that and and it just it it just changed their life they they they had spent 40 years in this home and they and they they they basically they want to spend the rest of their life there and now they can you know sure that's their dream home right and the the kids grew up there and you got all kinds of these memories and um I mean I was thinking you know when we first started talking you said you know what is it 24 years ago you know there were I mean granted I grew up kind of rural Wyoming right elevators and homes just didn't exist in my mind.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so like you're saying some people just don't know it's an option.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's I mean I think more and more it's becoming you know people are becoming aware of it but um I don't know never never crossed my mind that that long ago it's definitely propagating back when I f when I first started like down in the southeast uh and all across the south just the retirement areas that that that's where you would see them you you you you you would see a lot more of it in the Carolinas and in Florida in Texas um but not up where I'm I I'm in in uh New York and so not not upstate or or uh up in the the northeast um but over time it's it's propagated and we're seeing it we're seeing it more and more the other side of this I should sort of throw in there too is it's is uh you know we we do a lot of of elevators that are for people who need them or you know in in in in normal houses but then we we also get to to do some really cool stuff.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: So so we we do some you know some really high end you know the multi-million dollar houses and and and the uh and the the one of a kind type of elevators we we really uh um back uh back around well the the bubble the 2008 right it that that that really hurt us you know and uh uh you know so certain areas it it really dropped quite a bit um but what but what we found was the the higher end stuff was still there you know even sure you know with with the with the housing market really dropped uh the higher end uh type of uh of uh need or or desire was still there and so we uh we launched a product called Artisan elevators back then nice and and uh yeah it it's uh and and so it's it's for the the the custom the ultra ultra custom type of of elevator and uh um over time we we moved from uh from partnering with people to to make it for us to where now we actually make it ourselves okay and uh and so our franchises uh get uh you know an opportunity to to uh to do that type of uh product as well which uh is just really you know uh it's it's whatever you can dream up you know glass elevators birdcage elevators just one of a kind type of stuff I was gonna say that that sounds really exciting because yeah people like saying the multi-million dollar houses they they want to look right to feel right to act right I mean they're they're not gonna you know get you know go for the cheap one when it you know when you can get one that looks right and it compliments the house and the designer exactly you know gets to weigh in on it and you know um that's that's all and I have I have looked at your website those are some some beautiful machines you've got there so thank you thank you yeah it's uh it's fascinating and you know you talked a little bit about the the bubble of 08 and and obviously you've weathered the bubbles the recessions and COVID what what did each of these downturns teach you about the resilience in this industry it's about diversification really you know um you know like I mentioned that the the the 2008 bubble um it hit all of us quite a bit but some some areas more than others and and that's where we we we said you know well look we we cannot just be in the uh you know in in uh um the this one area with with with the standard type of elevator we really need to to double down on on uh on on other uh um markets and and so that's where we we we really pushed on on the artisan and and uh really made a name for ourselves there um and then covet uh yeah obviously like everybody else covet really i it it uh it it shut down a lot of our installations our new installation uh type of uh business so you know we tightened our belts and and left a lot of stuff in in the warehouses and you know but uh but this but the service side still had to be there i mean people still needed their elevators you know so um so we we we did a little bit more of uh of maintenance oriented stuff around the residential we've we we pushed a little bit more on the maintenance side of the commercial and and that's where we kind of that that's about the timing when we started pushing on the VRC you know so the V so the VRC work and that and that that maintenance helps to uh to to make us be able to weather you know uh of you know these type of storms and that might come along so with each of these these uh things that are thrown our way we're we're we're uh finding ways to to deal with them but also grow that uh that new uh knowledge to uh to help us in the future how do you prepare your franchisees for you know if they haven't been running a business for example and they've got the elevator knowledge and the passion you know just just just that there are business cycles how do you kind of help them think through that and and be okay with with kind of the ups and downs the ebbs and flows you know I think a lot of it is just uh um helping to to to build up the confidence you know and and like the confidence is is really built through the successes of the the other offices you know I mean the the they don't have to listen to me you know they they could call call up uh uh any of the other owners and and they would gladly talk to them about you know about uh how it was getting started and uh and some of the challenges that they've had and uh um and and help to to uh to to build up some of that confidence and and just let them know you know that you you will get through this and and you you know you're gonna be better for it um we we get uh we get everybody together uh once a year uh the the uh the NEAC um organization elevator uh constructors organization has a uh a conference every every uh September and so when they do that um we get all the the uh um all the franchise owners together as well we we do about a day of of uh of meetings and uh uh going over new products and and and tools and stuff like that but we also spend a couple days just you know having a happy hour together going out to dinner together and and that's where more more stuff happens during the happy hours and the dinners than uh the than uh the than the PowerPoint stuff you know oh absolutely well and and just having that built-in support network if you will right so maybe you're three states away but hey here's what I'm experiencing and you know I met you last month at the at the you know the NAC event and uh want to see if you got a minute to help and I'm I'm sure there's a lot of just kind of helping each other through the there's so there's so much sometimes the guys will they'll fly out and help them.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: I mean it it's it's uh it's amazing how uh uh it's like a family it really is like a family and and you know it it's it's not uncommon for for somebody to say well you know what we I I I have some time or one of my guys has some time let we'll send them out to to help you for a couple days yeah but but definitely all the time they're they're uh they're always uh available on the phone that's very cool right and you and you mentioned in previous conversations you know that uh having that franchise model um isn't one in which you like force one vendor or force one way of doing things and you know you've kind of chosen flexibility over control.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: Has that ever backfired or or do you feel like that's the really the right way to go about it?
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah a lot of people thought I was crazy because we we don't uh we're we're like a typical franchise um type of network uh you know that there's the the uh franchise or is trying to to make money on the sale of goods and everything like that to we're not we're not doing that you know we're we're basically um we just we just want to we want to have a a a a a broad pipeline uh of the right stuff and and and ultimately we want the customer to get whatever is best for the customer so if if somebody if one of the offices uh if one of one of the owners uh says you know hey i i'd really like to try this product you know um it's not it's not something that's in our catalog or or something that that you've negotiated a uh a a deal with um we're we're totally supportive of it because i i I look at it as as uh this this this uh you know uh owner is going to invest his time into to find out if this product is good is going to to um to install it uh um work with the customer and and report back to the team and let us know you know what what he thinks and and many times that's actually proven to be a win where we're uh on the monthly call everyone will ask and uh you know and then next thing you know uh it it you know it becomes uh part of our product line everybody else is doing it going oh I heard about that that went went really well so yeah yeah and it and it really you know ultimately we we we have we have a set uh a a set um group of products that uh um that we that we work with that we're we're marketing in our catalog and uh and our on our website but um but if somebody you know if they had a relationship with a different manufacturer and wanted to use that it it's it's not a problem.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: We uh you know we we encourage you know to uh a a lot whatever product makes the most sense for the customer ultimately that's always the the answer to the question.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I I like that I mean obviously it's uh you know it gives like you say it gives people a an opportunity to get what they want at the same time gives your franchisees a chance to to try new things and and ultimately better the entire organization.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: Very very cool.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_01: So uh got a a couple more questions before we uh before we end but you know the first one um if you were to you know envision a licensed mechanic maybe they're listening right now maybe the long of are are tired of not not just long hours but but you know kind of working in somebody else's dream if you will and they're dreaming of independence.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_01: What would you tell them about the first six months of of running a franchise and you know what what emotions might be coming up because uh it it's gonna be a little bit different.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah yeah it's uh it's a roller coaster ride you know uh it's definitely a roller coaster ride when you're when you're starting a business um but what I can tell you is is that uh starting a business with with us on your side um there there's there's uh a real safety net there that this roller coaster ride's gonna end in uh in a great way um but but you know but what the you know it's gonna be exciting you know it's gonna be stressful uh yeah it's uh it's definitely going going to be a mix mix of emotions along the way um but uh the first six months you know typically it it it's all about the it's all about the sales like give me more leads give me more leads you know and uh and and uh uh try trying to to uh to ramp up as fast as you can um and and that that can take uh even longer than six months I mean you'll first sale would you know first sales would happen within six months but uh but to really build up that pipeline and to get it where um where it's really rolling you know could take a little bit more than a year.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_00: But uh you you wouldn't have to be worrying about uh you know how how you're going to manage all those leads you know how how should my how should my quotes you know be be formatted you know how should how should my terms and and everything be be formatted how we're there to to help coach along the way and uh and get him over that hurdle and then then before long you know after about the first uh year or two and you got the pipeline going then it's then it's all about uh it's just all it's all about the products and you know we gotta get improve this product some you know make this better or make that better or whatever.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_00: And that it it it's it's it's been really interesting over the years.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: Early on we had you know all these franchises and it was it was it was really about uh about leads.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: We that's all we talked about was marketing and how do we get more leads and we don't talk about that anymore.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's it's more it's more about how do we improve you know the the processes for the service how do we improve some of the products and and so on.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's interesting to see how the how I think the way that it's gone with with our franchises over many years is is is how how the the the uh experience with the new franchisee would be you know going from worried about leads to worrying about sales to worrying about now just uh how just the operations employees sure oh wait her a new mechanic right so yeah yeah yeah yeah well and I'm sure yeah for the for the new person there's like you say a roller co roller coaster of emotions and kind of figuring out what's the what's the groove and then you know after after a while things kind of click and it's like oh okay that was that was the right decision but you kind of got to get get through that so and like I say definitely a uh a bit of a a leap of faith so Andy uh you know talking about the the mechanic you know maybe they've uh started and and you know become a a franchisee what's the moment when it clicks and they they know that they've made the right call yeah um so I I'd say that there's probably not like a s a single moment but but there there's there's so there's so many um there's so many little moments where where even myself from time to time feel just feel just really grateful or thankful and that uh that that that this is you know that that I made some of these choices and and I know that that the guys have done it too because I've I've talked to them.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: So like one one thing is just you you know you you you go into a to a a a sales call and you know that there's been two or two or three other other elevator companies in there and you're you're you're talking to them and then uh you realize at this to that moment you realize I'm I'm the only one that has this solution you know wow and and it's just it it's just like you know we have the we have such a a thorough product line and and there's so many times where um because of of some of the custom stuff that we we do I I I just look in there and I I I'm just we we literally I know that that that we are the only one with a solution and uh and it just it feels it feels great it feels great to to uh to be able to to to to give them an answer and and the look on their face when they when they're like are you kidding me you can you can actually do all this and uh uh you know I I've had so many so many people that that that are that have that that type of expression and that that type of feedback so that feels great and then the next part of that is because I'm the only one that can do that solution I I know I'm going to have a really nice margin on it too.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with that it's just uh it's it's it's just the the nature of uh of the business but uh um so so there's there's there's because it's going to be something really custom you know and and and it's it's going to be something really special um so so that's that's nice the other thing is that then uh I'll hand the card the the business card and you know and it'll say Andy at elevators.com you know and and I love that when uh you know what when you know when the customer is like at elevators.com they they just they they just love that so so that's one nice thing that all of the you know all of our sales guys just absolutely love when you know they have they they get to use that uh you know that um and I guess just uh you know the the kind of more personal type of thing is just uh you know after hours or on the weekend just uh you know walking through the shop and uh just looking around looking at all the you know all the tools all the you know the equipment and just knowing you know yeah this is this is something that that I've built and uh it just feels good you know it just you know so those are it's times like that where uh um you you know you've made the right decision you know and I really hope that uh um that you know some of your listeners some some of the new people we're gonna talk to will have a chance to feel that way.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um so last question.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um let's say I have the the exact profile experienced mechanic with an entrepreneur entrepreneurial streak uh interested in seriously exploring this opportunity where would I start?
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_00: What's what's kind of the first step um the first step would really be reaching out uh to to Jason.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_00: Jason Boer is uh our franchise manager um his email is jason at elevators.com so really easy to remeter um the uh he he uh he has uh a a bunch of material that that he he can share uh uh some links to uh uh a part of our website that talks about the uh uh the franchise opportunity um so so usually engaging with uh with jason is the best way to to to get started uh get get some of that documentation right up front and then uh pretty quickly on uh we we we just we we do a zoom uh zoom or two um where me and jason get on on the phone and just we we just get to get to know each other you know uh try to understand you know uh um what the this person's uh interests are uh uh and what what experience um he or she has and uh um just find try to figure out if there is a good fit you know um and then uh and then we I I really like to do uh do face to face before too long too it's just uh we really are like a family and and we're we're really looking for for for people who are going to to to really you know um you know w want to be part of that family.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: Right for sure.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah and I'm sure it's a little bit like uh yeah you know evaluating a new employee or uh you know adopting someone it's almost like all right this is this is a big risk for us too right it's you you gotta make sure that hey I like you and you like me and and we think this is gonna work and um so it sounds like yeah a bit of a a get to know you period that that yeah yeah we're we're willing to both sign on the the the dotted line as it were exactly yeah it's a it's a long term relationship.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_01: For sure with a lot of a lot of skin in the game on both parts.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly yeah very cool yeah well Andy thank you for for being with me it's been a lot of fun to obviously talk to you to get to know nationwide lifts a little bit better and anything you'd like to say before we finish up no I I just I really appreciate uh the opportunity to to to um to talk with you to share some of this uh this information and I I I really look forward to uh um hopefully speaking with some of your your listeners you know so so thank you for uh for giving me this chance to uh to share some of our uh our experiences it's been great and my pleasure thank you thanks again for listening to elevator tools and tech from the elevator careers podcast if you're interested in learning more about nationwide lifts franchise opportunities please contact Jason Boer the franchise sales director Jason at elevators.com or visit www.elevators.com slash franchise to learn more the link will be in the description below please like and subscribe and until next time stay safe