It’s often said that there is power in numbers, and Nexstar Network is proving that true in the plumbing industry.  

Nexstar Network, headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, was founded by a group of home-services business owners in 1992 who believe in the power of helping business owners in the plumbing, HVAC and electrical home services industry achieve success through education and sharing.

Fast-forward 32 years and Nexstar Network has now grown to approximately 1,000 members throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.

“Nexstar shall continue to guide and develop second-stage businesses,” says Julian Scadden, president and CEO of Nexstar Network. “That is our DNA and our pleasure.”

Scadden recently talked with Plumber magazine about Nexstar Network and what it does for the plumbing industry.

Plumber: How does Nexstar Network help those in the plumbing and drain cleaning industry, what does it do for them? 

SCADDEN: Our mission sums it up quite well, which is to help turn the world’s best tradespeople into the world’s best businesspeople. What that means is we take small businesses with tons of energy — led by ambitious owners — and help them direct their momentum and strengths in the most efficient areas to rapidly impact their business with lasting results. We also help businesses that have grown stagnant and re-energize them. In these situations, we’re helping our members see clearly, and often reimagine, their achievable success with guided support and focus.  

To offer a tangible example of how Nexstar supports our members in their day-to-day business, I’d like to highlight the theme of our annual Super Meeting last October: workforce development. Not only is creating a sustainable workforce a hot topic in the trades, it’s also a key driver for member growth and success in today’s economy. 

Our Super Meeting programming was centered on presentations, best-practices, solutions and conversations around how to recruit, train and create a culture to retain the best. One of my favorite Super Meeting moments happened during a candid panel discussion featuring three members, all of whom started their own in-house training academies to build a workforce pipeline of homegrown technical talent. 

Seeing how these business owners embraced a solution to build their company, team, and community was remarkable. They — with Nexstar’s support — are reshaping the trades landscape in their respective markets. For owners of plumbing service companies reading this, who are genuinely curious about how Nexstar may help their business, I ask, how will you sustain growth in the next several years? We offer a tangible solution through our NexTech Academy portfolio of products and services — including a successful in-house training resource, enabling our member leaders to be ahead of the curve. 

Plumber: When a plumber signs on for a membership, what happens? What is the process from that point on? 

SCADDEN: As a former member, I can tell you this can be an overwhelming experience, so we deconstruct the process — step by step — and enlist our coaches to guide our newest members throughout their membership journey. 

One of the first things that happens during onboarding is connecting the business owner and their leadership team with their Nexstar business and implementation coaches at an onsite kickoff. Our coaches debrief new members and typically help immerse their team in all things Nexstar. Together they proactively plan and identify the training and resources best suited to meet their business goals. 

There are other key priorities as well, such as setting a cadence with their coaching team to review or create their business blueprint; becoming familiar with our member website, which is our communications hub of resources, information, and connections opportunities; enrolling them in our partner program to offset their Nexstar investment; and identifying nearby members with whom they can begin to build relationships. 

Plumber: Is there a plumbing company size that Nexstar Network is best for?

SCADDEN: Nexstar is built to serve second-stage businesses that are independently owned and operated. We define the second stage as 10-99 employees and $5-50 million in annual revenue. And while we are proud to help businesses just below that scale, and while we do have members that have well surpassed the $50 million annual mark, we make the most impact through our ability to help those second-stage businesses accelerate toward their goals and dreams. 

Plumber: How would a plumber start if they want to proceed with Nexstar Network or have more questions?

SCADDEN: I invite the interested plumbing business owner to visit our website at nexstarnetwork.com/contact. From there, they may choose to schedule an exploratory call with our team to ask questions, gather more information on membership availability in their region, and learn more about our services.

Plumber: Nexstar has grown a lot over the years. What’s next for the company?

SCADDEN: Nexstar shall continue to guide and develop second-stage businesses. That is our DNA and our pleasure. Said differently and possibly quite grandiosity, that is how we serve this nation one community at a time. Great businesses create great opportunities, and we are proud to be part of that legacy. The future will resemble the past with the names and locations changing over time. We are not built to serve all; we have market area restrictions associated with the number of members we have in a given geography. With that being said, our growth comes from helping our members grow and offering them more value across their business functions, departments and technologies. 

The deeper our members engage in our services the faster they grow while maintaining profit and we are honored to go along for the ride. We do not seek growth for growth’s sake, we seek to serve, to be of value, and the rewards have always followed.