What happens when you build a company around one niche, listen obsessively to customers, and never stop improving?
In this episode, host Trace Blackmore finally sits down for a full-length conversation with Frank Lecrone, Founder, President, and CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific. What started in a small 60' x 60' space in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with three employees, maxed-out credit cards, and endless Staples runs has grown into a 300+-person organization serving industrial water professionals around the world.
Frank shares how AquaPhoenix became "the booth everyone wants to be next to" at AWT, why they built their entire business around industrial water treatment instead of trying to be everything to everyone, and how a simple continuous improvement system now generates hundreds of ideas a year from frontline team members. He also pulls back the curtain on acquisitions and private equity, explaining EBITDA in plain language, how to think about "add-backs," and what owners should understand long before they think about selling.
Whether you're leading a growing company, running a route, or thinking about your own "second chapter," this conversation is a masterclass in culture, courage, and caring deeply about the people you serve.
Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:20 - Trace Blackmore shares a recap from the recent 2025 AWT Conference, The Hang, and a Blood Donation Story
14:02 - Water You Know with James McDonald
15:20 - Upcoming Conference for Water Professionals
18:16 – Introduction of Frank Lecrone, CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific (eight years in the making)
24:52 – Why Hanover?
26:59 – Supporting AWT
37:38 – Color-coded caps & QR Codes
42:30 – Learning from mistakes
45:31 – Core Values
48:26 – Acquisitions and Culture
1:03:32 – Valuations and EBITDA
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