ARS, Flint Group, TurnPoint Services CEOs talk operations, state of the HVAC industry

At ServiceTitan’s Pantheon event early this month, the CEOs of ARS, Flint Group, and TurnPoint Services — home service platforms collectively generating a modest few billion dollars in revenue — joined ServiceTitan’s Chief Revenue Officer, Ross Biestman, for a panel discussion. 

The conversation, moderated by Biestman, bounced between the state of the industry, day-to-day operations, 2025, and more. Below are some highlights, lightly edited for clarity. 

On industry changes: Trevor Flannigan, CEO of Flint Group, kicked things off: “From 2020 to 2022, it was like fish in a barrel. It was easy to sell. But I don’t think the industry’s changed much. You block and tackle, present options, answer the phones, and collect money. Do the normal stuff really well.”

• Then he shared his opinion on automation: “I think the first place we’re gonna see it is overnight call centers. When we find out the service is better, you’ll have more hours shift to that. We’ve had a huge issue with that for decades, so it’s ripe for someone to take it over.”

On Q4 and 2025: Scott Boose, CEO of ARS, highlighted the economic climate: “There’s some consumer uncertainty. We’re getting ready for an election, and interest rates have started to come down,” he explained. “I think the Covid years had a big impact — it was a great time, but not a real time — and we’re back to ‘every lead matters.’”

• Flannigan then cautioned against chasing trends: “I think too many people are trying to find shiny objects and they just don’t work. These new vendors like Rilla and SmartAC aren’t gonna fix the problem and I think it’s crazy. I think you’re gonna win if you do the old-school stuff every day.”

• Kurt Bratton, TurnPoint’s CEO, added: “What will differentiate you are the same things you did when you started your business. Let’s go win in the street the old-fashioned way by executing better.”

On M&A: “You can’t control interest rates, but you can control the growth and health of your business,” Boose said. “There’s gonna be a continued appetite to acquire. I wouldn’t be surprised if some platforms start coming together in the next 12 to 24 months.”

• Flannigan added: “Great companies are always gonna be worth a lot of money. However, buyers know more than they did 3 to 4 years ago. Terrible companies used to get bought for a lot, and that’s not gonna happen anymore.”

• Then Bratton chimed in: “The quality of revenue, team, and reputation is what, to us, drives value. The underlying demand of what made this business so amazing still exists.”

On compensation: “I’m thinking about comfort advisor pay right now because of price increases,” said Boose. “If you’re paying a percentage of the sale and the average ticket shoots up, that’s a big raise you have to give them.”

• “There’s no right pay scheme. There are a thousand in this room and none of them are right or wrong,” Bratton added. “Your pay systems should deliver the business outcomes that you intend, no matter what. It’s that simple.”

On hiring: “I think bartenders are fantastic,” Flannigan noted. “They’re willing to work after 5 pm — so many times we sell after 5 — and they’re fun to be around.”

• “I would hire for competencies,” Bratton added. “I don’t think there’s a right place to find people; they come from all over — call dealerships, bars. The competencies you’re looking for… write them down. And then have the discipline to onboard those people.”