Growing a Legacy Business

Claire Ferrara grew up learning the home services HVAC business her grandfather founded in 1930. She recalls in elementary school she would hop off the bus, which dropped her off at the front doors to Standard Heating and Air Conditioning in Minneapolis. Then, she’d find her dad and help out around the shop.

“I worked at the family business, which at the time was owned by my dad and uncle, throughout high school and college, and then decided to try a few different things careerwise. About 5 years ago, my dad was retiring so I bought his portion of the business, and now my uncle and I are co-owners,” Claire noted.

Claire mentioned one of the first things she did as an owner was join Nexstar Network to help her scale the family-owned, independent home services business to the next level.

“My first impression was WOW!” Claire explained. “Pretty quickly I realized that this organization was going to change our business for the better.”

 

Claire Ferrara is building upon the legacy business her grandfather founded in 1930.

Leveling Up Through Continuous Nexstar Training

With a commitment to maintaining the reputation Standard Heating and Air Conditioning built in the Twin Cities market, Claire and her team focus on the comfort of their customers, by delivering quality work, serving with integrity, and creating a team of exceptionally trained and knowledgeable experts. An ongoing focus on training is a key component to her business’ success.

One of the wonderful things about Nexstar is they have training for everyone. Continuous training is one of the biggest things we invest in as businesses in the trades.

~Claire Ferrara
President
Standard Heating & Air Conditioning

“And the wonderful thing is, as I grow, my technicians can grow with me through Nexstar. I personally have been through training around leadership, management, and operations. All my technicians have an opportunity to train and grow as well – not only for their soft skills, there’s also technical development.”

Claire noted, with Nexstar’s best-in-class training paired with her roster of business and specialty coaches, she can leverage Nexstar’s service offerings quickly and affordably. “Without an organization like Nexstar, there is some heavy lifting that companies like mine would have to do. To develop content, to deliver content, to train your people on all the things they need to know, is an incredible investment of both time and energy, but also money,” she said. “So, the beauty of Nexstar is that they’ve figured it out. And they’ve learned from those of us who are tradespeople, to figure out what that content is and then they put the time and the money and energy into making sure it’s great.”

Forging Lasting Connections Through Nexstar

In addition to the coaching and training offerings Nexstar provides, the other valuable facet of membership is the ability to connect with like-minded peer contractors.

“The connections that I have made through Nexstar – whether it’s at a training or a meeting – are connections I’m going to have for life. These are some of the smartest, most driven, creative people I’ve ever met anywhere,” Claire reflected. “And, given how quickly the industry changes, and how quickly technology evolves, I need a network of people that are going to help me. Nexstar plays a part in our business every single day.”

Claire is both a valuable Nexstar member and she recently joined the member-owned organization’s Board of Directors.

“I fully believe that Nexstar is a place that’s going to help me be in business for another hundred years,” she noted.

Is Nexstar Network Right for Your Business?

As an owner of an independent home services company in the Plumbing, HVAC, and/or Electrical trades, perhaps it’s time to level-up and scale your business. Nexstar is here to help.

Contact our team today to learn more about our mission to help the world’s best tradespeople become the world’s best businesspeople – and see if we may be a good fit to help grow your legacy.

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